النشاط الثقافي والاجتماعي للجاليه اليهوديه في السودان

Abstract

Sudan has opened its doors to receive the Jews. The Bible and the Old Testament both refer to the knowledge of Jews about the Sudan. Also Sudanese people have known the Jewish religion that had infiltrated to the court of Kandaka , the queen of Meroe, through one of its ministers, and hence became known to some. Local inhabitants have indicated the group migration of Jews in the period between 12st century and 16th century. Some Jews have settled in Kordofan state. Whether these stories are true or not, there is evidence (Cairo Geineza) that proves relationship of Jews with the Sudan through the port of ‘Aydhab which was associated with the export of gold and slave trade. It is also fact that the Islamic Funj Sultanate (1504‐ 1821) recived the Jewish traveler Daud Reubeni who was the first to document the description of Funj state. This study looked into the assumption that the economic decline of the Ottoman Empire and the dominance of the Christian Europeans in the economic activities and jobs of the Jews had repulsive effect on the presence of Jews and resulted in the migration from the whole of the Ottoman Empire to Egypt and Sudan as these tow countries were in a period of economic revival as a result of Muhammad Ali Pashaʹs approaches to modernizing development and adopting European economic systems. During the Turkish‐ Egyptian era (1821‐ 1885) the Jewish community lived a prosperous life with full religious freedom. This freedom of religion ʺrightʺ was curtailed during the Mahadiya state (1885‐ 1898) which lasted for more than 10 years. In these years the Jews were forced to embrace Islam as well as changing their names and the males were forced to marry Sudanese Muslim women. Inspite of this the Jews managed to retain their economic activities, through their accommodating qualities. Most of the Jews who were forced into Islam returned to their religion as soon as the Condominium Rule of the Anglo‐ Egyptian state (1898‐ 1956) came to power. This period witnessed the influx of more Jews many of whom spoke Arabic. This was the golden era for the Jews ل in Sudan where they led an important social and economic presence in the country. The Jews with their historically developed economic knowledge managed to establish a strong existence in the Sudanese economy. Jews owned lands and means of production and almost dominated the external trade activity making use of their own capital and the British financial facilities and support. Jews established companies and investment establishments; and almost dominated recreation activities by owning dancing and skating halls as well as owing one of the two night clubs in the country. Although the Jews established the basis for industries in Sudan. The Jews also opened a branch for the Egyptian National Bank(Jews capital) which worked as the only bank in Sudan up to 1916. Jews worked as accountants, cashiers, and also some women became mony lenders with credits ʺRibaʺ. At the social level the Jews in Sudan established a formal body known to the state as the ʺJewish Communityʺ. The Jews established a social club and football team in the Communities League, and also a Knesset to conduct all their religious practices. The Jews managed to keep close contacts amongst themselves within Sudan as well as with the Jews abroad. The Jews encouraged investment and living in Sudan, some Jews did come to settle, and others only visited Sudan. Of international Jews leaders who visited Sudan are Nahom Succolov President of the International Zionist Organization, and Rabi Issac Halif Herzog chief Rabi of Israel. The Sudanese Jews established a branch of Beni Bert organization, which is a Zionist organization, as a result of the growing national feeling of their community in Sudan. Sudanese Jews managed to co‐ exist and even merge within the Sudanese communities. The flourishing of the social and economic status of Jews in Sudan perturbed the Jewish competion and began to demand protection of the national interest from the mounting, Jewish presence and their commercial activities. Nationals started to work against the Jews. This group took up the slogans of ʺArab Nationalismʺ, ʺIslamic Jihadʺ as an Ideological reflection for this competion. These slogans were also backed up by the prevailing political situation regionally and internationally: Arab‐ Zionist war, establishment of the state of Israel with the throwing out of Arabs from Palestine in 1948, Egyptian م Revolution with its ʺArab Nationalism ideology 1952, Anglo‐ American‐ Israel invasion on Egypt 1956; it is the same year in which Sudan gained its independence and demolished the Anglo support to Jews in Sudan. Hence the exodus of Jews from Sudan started leaving behind a negative image in the Sudanese mindset that sets its framework from the interactions and the negative versus from the Quran and from the media that propagates the Arab‐ Islamic rivalry to Jews.