Research of Jewish Communities in Africa and in Their Diaspora

This reprint deals with the study of Jewish communities in Africa and their Diaspora. The Jewish communities in Africa have an ancient Jewish tradition and a rich cultural heritage. Their Judaism was integrated and gained a prominent position within the Jewish and general history of the New Age of this large continent. This reprint focuses on discussing the Jewish identity of communities all over the continent and in diverse fields. Identity is shaped and changes as a function of the manner in which we are represented in the social systems surrounding us. The internal dimension of identity motivates people, and it is expressed in self-identification and identification with the values of the group. People who immigrate to different countries find ways of including their diverse identity and using it wisely in changing social contexts. Identity (in general) and Jewish identity (in particular) can be defined on two axes: a diachronic axis that indicates the relation between the present conformation and its past heritage, and a synchronic axis that indicates the broad diverse contexts that influence identity in the present. This reprint represents the encounter between these two axes. The articles in the reprint discuss current topics, as well as topics of historical value, using multifaceted disciplinary approaches. These articles may contribute to understanding the dynamic identity of Jews as individuals and as a collective, in the communities in Africa and wherever they are dispersed, on various issues.