These rural Ugandan villagers dedicated themselves to Judaism—but Israel won't recognize them

When Tamás Wormser, a documentary filmmaker from Montreal, first heard about a small community of Jewish Ugandans who live in a rural village, he knew he had to visit. He was struck by the poverty: no running water, no electricity, no cutlery. And of course, without television for entertainment, they turn to each other. They sing and dance.

Wormser was taken aback: this community, which he'd considered "poor" by Western standards, was in fact much richer than any other he'd witnessed in Europe or North America, with tighter social cohesion and a true dedication to the Jewish faith. Thus began the seven-year process of filming Shalom Putti, a documentary that screened at this year's Toronto Jewish Film Festival.

The film follows the community's journey to being officially recognized as Jews by the State of Israel. An Orthodox rabbi visits, agreeing to help them, leading to a process that takes years, scrutinizes their faith, exposes prejudices and examines the postcolonial effects of who decides what a "Jew" really is. Wormser joins the podcast to discuss.

Credits

Rivkush is hosted by Rivka Campbell. Michael Fraiman is the editor and prodcer. Our theme music is by Westside Gravy. The show is sponsored by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.