History of the Jews in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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The history of the
History
The territory which is now the
The first Jews in the Congo were Eastern European immigrants from
Prior to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 the Congo was home to numerous Zionist organizations, led by the Association Sioniste du Congo Belge. After the independence of Congo from Belgium in 1960 the majority of Congolese Jews left the country, with most of them settling in Israel or South Africa. At the time of independence, Congo was home to 2,500 Jewish people. 50% of the Jewish population lived in Lubumbashi, while 70 Jewish families lived in Congo's capital Kinshasa. Jewish children at the time were taught classes in Hebrew and Judaism in public schools.
In 2013, the Jewish population was around 320 and was settled mostly in Lubumbashi. Most are Sephardi and speak
See also
References
- ^ a b c "The Jewish Community of the Democratic Republic of the Congo". The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot.
- ^ "Democratic Republic of the Congo". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
External links
- Chabad Central Africa official website
- Jewish community in Congo at the World Jewish Congress
- Indépendance : Les Juifs du Congo se souviennent at the Centre Communautaire Laïc Juif.