O level Notes : FRS - Distribution and Membership of Judaism
Jews who first settled in Zimbabwe were merchants and captains of industry. These people settled in cities for the support of their businesses that is why today Jewish communities are mostly found in and around cities.
Distribution of Judaism
Jews who first settled in Zimbabwe were merchants and captains of industry. These people settled in cities for the support of their businesses that is why today Jewish communities are mostly found in and around cities. They are mainly found in cities like Harare, Bulawayo, Kwekwe and Gweru because of economic reasons. This is substantiated by the fact that the first Jewish synagogues were built in Harare and Bulawayo respectively.
The head offices of the Jewish religion in Zimbabwe are in Harare. This is where the offices of their leader or director are located. There are also some scattered synagogues in these cities and towns were the Jews meet and worship Yahweh.
However, Judaism is also found in rural areas like Mberengwa in the Midlands where the Remba people who are believed to be the lost tribe of Israel are found. As such, they dominate in the Midlands region where Judaism is not only a religion but a culture. Furthermore, Judaism is also found concentrating in Mapakomhere in Masvingo as well as in Chinyika area in Gutu. ThIs is because the Remba people are settled there. Judaism has been spreading to various places because of evangelism.
Membership of Judaism
In Zimbabwe, the Jewish community once had a population which reached about 7 000 members. However, there has been a decrease in the number of members due to migration which has witnessed the number of members reducing to a few hundreds. Jews are known to be business people and have migrated for business opportunities and studies. Some Jews have migrated to Israel for marriage purposes and cultural reasons. Failure to conduct outreach programs has also led to the decline of membership in Judaism as they are failing to recruit new members. More than two-thirds of the Jewish community are 65 years or older. The religious practices of Judaism are also a hindrance for many people joining the religion, for instance the practice of circumcision. It is this reason that so many black people shun joining this religion because one has to be circumcised first.
Members of Judaism are largely distributed in Harare and Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. There are communal centers in Harare and Bulawayo which are being led by the Jewish Board of Deputies. The Jewish community has established schools, Carmel in Bulawayo and Sharon in Harare. However, despite the implementation of the schools, the number of Jews enrolled at these schools remains very low.