The other night, here at Drew University, a number of organizations came together for a screening of a film called “Delicious Peace Grows in a Ugandan Coffee Bean.” The film is about a profitable farmer-run coffee co-op in Uganda, run by a group of Muslim, Jewish and Christian farmers.
One of the leaders of this Jewish community, we learned during the talk that followed the film, is now running for parliament in Uganda. Today is election day! I don’t think I’ve ever been so engaged by a foreign election than I am by this one.
Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, the first sub-saharan rabbi ever trained in the US–he studied at the Conservative seminary in LA–is running on the ticket of the largest opposition party in Uganda for a seat in parliament.
The latest on this from Tablet here and here; support Rabbi Sizomu on Facebook here
In other news, “Arise Gershom!”–his supporters’ rallying cry–is said in Luganda, “Gershom Jou!” So that’s pretty hilarious.
