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Abayudaya meaning the "People of Judah", similar to the Jewish term Children of Israel, are a Ugandan group which practices Judaism. They belong to the Baganda tribe of eastern Uganda aroun the town of Mbale. Unlike Ethiopian Jews they are not genetically linked to the Hebrew people of Israel or the Diaspora. They are described as rather devout obseving their kashruth, and following a limited Shabbat. The Abayudaya live in several villages. Their Judaism is of relatively recent origins, the 19th century, A Muganda (singular of Baganda) military leader, Semei Kakungulu, turned to Judaism wen the British did not support his territorial claims. Bible study convinced gim that Judaism was the true religion. He knew virtually nothing about the religion beyond what he read in the Bible. The British wanted to have nothing more to do with him. An unidentified European Jew known only as "Yosef" taught the Abayudaya about Jewish religious practice, espcially the major Jewish festivals. The Abayudaya are accepted by Reform and Conservative Jewish sects, but the Abayudaya in Putti seek Orthodox conversion. The Abayudaya once numbered over 3,000, but since the persecutions pursued by Idi Amin have declined to only about 1,000 people. The Abayudaya are subsistence farmers. Ethnically they are mostly of Abayudaya origin. They speak the local languages, Luganda, Lusoga or Lugwere. Some have managed to learn Hebrew.
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