Announcing the 2012 Kulanu-Abayudaya Speaking Tour!

Kulanu is delighted to announce that Aaron Kintu Moses, of the inspiring Jewish community of Uganda, will be returning to North America for another speaking tour this fall! We are all looking forward to hearing the latest news of his community and of the joint Abayudaya-Kulanu education and sustainable development projects, as well as the opportunity to educate those new to the Abayudaya about this community's fascinating and triumphant history of embracing Judaism.

image: Aaron Kintu Moses. Photo by Harriet Bograd, 2012.

Aaron Kinu Moses
(Photo by Harriet Bograd, 2012)

Scroll down or click here to find out how to invite Aaron to your community this fall!

We are requesting your help in identifying possible venues for this year's Kulanu-Abayudaya speaking tour, which will run October 18 - November 18, 2012. Last year's schedule filled up in less than six weeks, so act now to reserve your spot this fall!!

An experienced speaker and educator, Aaron is an outstanding leader of the Abayudaya Jewish community of Uganda. He has been director of education since 2003, and has also served as the community's acting spiritual leader while his brother, Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, pursued rabbinical training in Los Angeles. Aaron's decades of service to the Abayudaya started in the 1970s when Idi Amin's oppressive rule threatened to eliminate the Jews of Uganda and the Abayudaya youth struggled to keep their community's faith alive. In fact, Aaron's myriad accomplishments have inspired Kulanu to dedicate this year's Tribute Journal to him and his wife, Naume Sabano, another leader in the community.

Mr. Kintu Moses will present a dynamic multi-media program updating audiences on the Kulanu-supported Abayudaya primary and high schools, which educate and feed 700 Jewish, Muslim and Christian children studying together in peace. He will also report on the school's impressive nutrition program; the community's public health education and women's empowerment programs; on-going school construction; as well as the village's economic development programs which include micro-finance loans, craft production, music recording and CD sales, coffee farming, and eco-tourism as sustainable income projects.

The educational program will be age-appropriate for all and can include a slideshow presentation and African Jewish music. You will be welcome to purchase CDs of Abayudaya music, hand-crafted kippot or other products from kulanuboutique.com to sell in conjunction with the presentation.

Speaking tour audiences will learn how the Abayudaya and Kulanu are taking a leadership role in increasing literacy and nutrition in the area, and in bringing diverse religious communities together. As principal of the elementary school, Aaron can provide special insight into the progress of the two Abayudaya schools, which educate Jewish, Muslim, and Christian students learning side by side.

What is required of host locations?

Please know that you are welcome to seek co-sponsors to share your event. Synagogues of all denominations, Jewish community centers, Protestant churches, and secular and Catholic universities have all joined together to co-sponsor Kulanu Abayudaya speakers. Kulanu speakers have been welcomed at Brown, Cal State, Howard, Washburn, Wellesley, Northeastern, and Yale Universities. Within universities, many departments have co-sponsored, including history, religion, music, Jewish studies, African studies, campus ministries, international development, and diversity offices.

Here is what we ask of event hosts:

  • An honorarium of $1,200 plus a travel expense contribution of $250, for a total of $1,450 per event. Tour proceeds support the two Abayudaya schools and their nutrition programs. (Note: We are offering a $200 discount to those who reserve a date and pay a $250 deposit by June 30, 2012.)
  • A primary contact to be responsible for the event and for Aaron while he is in your city.
  • Accommodations, meals, and local transportation for the speaker (home hospitality is great!). Aaron keeps kosher and is shomer Shabbat, though he will ride to and from shul on Shabbat.
  • Event set-up requirements and other guidelines are detailed in the online Event Planning Kit.

If you would like to host the speaker, what should you do next?

  • Complete our online inquiry form to let us know of your interest and how to reach you. If you are able, please list three possible dates between October 18 and November 18, 2012 that might work for you.
  • Please consult our online calendar to see which dates have already been assigned to other groups, and which dates have tentative requests.
  • Check out Kulanu's online Event Planning Kit to get an idea of what is involved in hosting a successful speaking tour event.

Proceeds from this tour (and from the Tribute Journal) will benefit the Kulanu-Abayudaya Education Fund and the School Nutrition Program, which together educate and provide meals to over 700 students who attend the two Abayudaya schools in Uganda. This is an opportunity to make a very special multilayered contribution -- educating your community about the Abayudaya, helping the Abayudaya extend their relationships with the wider world, and providing support for the education of Abayudaya children and their Muslim and Christian neighbors.

We look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to notify other groups that might be interested in hosting Aaron Kintu Moses this fall. Thank you!