11/04/2025
A Very Historical Moment': Meet the First Black-African Delegate to the 'Parliament of the Jewish People'
Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, the spiritual leader of the Abayudaya community, is the first representative of Uganda to hold a seat in the World Zionist Congress. He sees it as a sign of growing acceptance of Jewish diversity
Judy Maltz
October 29, 2025
Rabbi Gershom Sizomu has visited Israel several times in the past, but never before in a history-making capacity. The chief rabbi of Uganda, he is the first Black African to ever serve as a delegate to the World Zionist Congress, popularly known as the "parliament of the Jewish people."
"My presence here demonstrates that my community is slowly gaining acceptance as a part of world Jewry," he says in an interview at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, where the Zionist Congress is holding its three-day gathering.
Sizomu is one of over 1,400 delegates and alternates from 43 different countries participating in this once-in-five-years gathering.
Ordained by the Conservative Judaism movement 15 years ago, he is the spiritual leader of the 2,000-strong Abayudaya community, whose members reside in several villages in eastern Uganda, with a tiny number of members in Kenya.
The Abayudaya (Luganda for "People of Judah") first began practicing Judaism about 100 years ago, after being introduced to the Bible by Christian missionaries and finding the Old Testament far more convincing.
It was only in 2003, however, that members of the community, Sizomu and his family included, began undergoing formal conversions.
With the support of leaders of the international Conservative-Masorti movement, the Abayudaya have been embroiled in a longstanding battle with the state of Israel to be recognized as Jewish, with a landmark victory registered last year when the first member of the community was approved for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return.
Only countries with Zionist federations that have been certified by the World Zionist Organization are entitled to send delegates to the Zionist Congress. In February, the WZO approved the newly established Zionist Federation of Uganda, opening the way for its representation in the supreme legislative and decision-making body of the Zionist movement.
Sizomu competed against one other candidate – also a member of the Abayudaya community – for the one seat awarded to Uganda. He won a majority of the 250 votes cast in the election held several months ago, which was the first of its kind to be held in Uganda.
"For me, this is a very historical moment, and I am greatly indebted to MERCAZ Olami for supporting me in my campaign," says Sizomu, referring to the political organization that represents the Conservative-Masorti movement in the World Zionist Congress.
From there, in addition to running his own congregation, he also oversees a network of 10 "acting rabbis" – Jewish educators performing the functions of rabbis despite not being officially ordained – who run tiny congregations across Uganda and Kenya.
In addition to his rabbinical duties, Sizomu served as a member of the Ugandan parliament from 2016 to 2021, representing an opposition party, Forum for Democratic Change. He was the first member of the Abayudaya committee to serve in parliament, and he says he plans to run for election again this coming January.
Sizomu was ordained in 2008 at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, which is affiliated with the Conservative movement. He spent one year of the program as an exchange student at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. In recent years, he has traveled often to the United States to speak about the Abayudaya.
Since his groundbreaking ordination, two other members of the community have followed in his footsteps – one becoming a Reform rabbi and the other an Orthodox rabbi.
Mingling among the huge crowd on the opening day of the Zionist Congress, Sizomu – whose father and grandfather were also leaders of the Abayudaya community – exchanges warm greetings with many old friends and acquaintances. Being under one roof with so many Jews from so many different countries, he says, is an overwhelming experience.
"It's as if I am witnessing the prophecy of the ingathering of the exiles from the four corners of the earth happening before my eyes," he says. "And this is something that gives me much hope."
As a delegate to the Zionist Congress, Sizomu promises to use his vote to support resolutions that promote "greater tolerance and acceptance of Jewish diversity."
If anyone, he should know why this matters.
Judy Maltz
October 29, 2025
Rabbi Gershom Sizomu has visited Israel several times in the past, but never before in a history-making capacity. The chief rabbi of Uganda, he is the first Black African to ever serve as a delegate to the World Zionist Congress, popularly known as the "parliament of the Jewish people."
"My presence here demonstrates that my community is slowly gaining acceptance as a part of world Jewry," he says in an interview at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, where the Zionist Congress is holding its three-day gathering.
Sizomu is one of over 1,400 delegates and alternates from 43 different countries participating in this once-in-five-years gathering.
Ordained by the Conservative Judaism movement 15 years ago, he is the spiritual leader of the 2,000-strong Abayudaya community, whose members reside in several villages in eastern Uganda, with a tiny number of members in Kenya.
The Abayudaya (Luganda for "People of Judah") first began practicing Judaism about 100 years ago, after being introduced to the Bible by Christian missionaries and finding the Old Testament far more convincing.
It was only in 2003, however, that members of the community, Sizomu and his family included, began undergoing formal conversions.
With the support of leaders of the international Conservative-Masorti movement, the Abayudaya have been embroiled in a longstanding battle with the state of Israel to be recognized as Jewish, with a landmark victory registered last year when the first member of the community was approved for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return.
Only countries with Zionist federations that have been certified by the World Zionist Organization are entitled to send delegates to the Zionist Congress. In February, the WZO approved the newly established Zionist Federation of Uganda, opening the way for its representation in the supreme legislative and decision-making body of the Zionist movement.
Sizomu competed against one other candidate – also a member of the Abayudaya community – for the one seat awarded to Uganda. He won a majority of the 250 votes cast in the election held several months ago, which was the first of its kind to be held in Uganda.
"For me, this is a very historical moment, and I am greatly indebted to MERCAZ Olami for supporting me in my campaign," says Sizomu, referring to the political organization that represents the Conservative-Masorti movement in the World Zionist Congress.
From there, in addition to running his own congregation, he also oversees a network of 10 "acting rabbis" – Jewish educators performing the functions of rabbis despite not being officially ordained – who run tiny congregations across Uganda and Kenya.
In addition to his rabbinical duties, Sizomu served as a member of the Ugandan parliament from 2016 to 2021, representing an opposition party, Forum for Democratic Change. He was the first member of the Abayudaya committee to serve in parliament, and he says he plans to run for election again this coming January.
Sizomu was ordained in 2008 at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, which is affiliated with the Conservative movement. He spent one year of the program as an exchange student at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. In recent years, he has traveled often to the United States to speak about the Abayudaya.
Since his groundbreaking ordination, two other members of the community have followed in his footsteps – one becoming a Reform rabbi and the other an Orthodox rabbi.
Mingling among the huge crowd on the opening day of the Zionist Congress, Sizomu – whose father and grandfather were also leaders of the Abayudaya community – exchanges warm greetings with many old friends and acquaintances. Being under one roof with so many Jews from so many different countries, he says, is an overwhelming experience.
"It's as if I am witnessing the prophecy of the ingathering of the exiles from the four corners of the earth happening before my eyes," he says. "And this is something that gives me much hope."
As a delegate to the Zionist Congress, Sizomu promises to use his vote to support resolutions that promote "greater tolerance and acceptance of Jewish diversity."
If anyone, he should know why this matters.
