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Ugandan Jewish congregation marks third anniversary of 7 October attacks
The Abayudaya community has maintained its traditions and recently rebuilt its synagogue
Members of the Ugandan Jewish community Kahal Kadosh She’erit Yisrael (KKSY) gathered at their synagogue on 7 October 2026 to mark the third anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attacks.
Joined by visitors from the UK, the congregation held the flags of Israel and Uganda side by side following the ceremony, in a gesture of remembrance and solidarity with Israelis and the wider Jewish community.
Inside the synagogue, the mourner’s Kaddish was recited and two candles were lit on the bimah and left to burn in memory of those murdered in the attacks and those who died in captivity.
Those present included Aaron Diibo, the community’s chairman; Tarphon Kamya, director of Jewish Response Uganda; and Rabbi Elisha of KKSY. They were joined by Paul Anticoni, chief executive of World Jewish Relief, and Danny Rosenkranz, who has helped the community rebuild their lives.
Anticoni said: “The commemoration was deeply emotional, but it also reminded me of the comfort of being part of a global Jewish community. No matter where in the world, we’re a people connected by values, traditions and history.”
KKSY is part of Uganda’s wider Abayudaya Jewish community, which faced persecution during Idi Amin’s dictatorship, when many members concealed their Jewish identities and prayed in secret. The community has maintained its traditions and recently rebuilt its synagogue. Many members earn their livelihoods through farming, supported by Jewish Response Uganda and British humanitarian organisation World Jewish Relief.
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