Rabbi Gerald Sussman talks about Judaism with members of the Gogodala tribe in Papua New Guinea.
By Professor Tudor Parfitt, President Navon Professor of Sephardi and Mizrahi Studies, School of International and Public Affairs
The 2013 expedition to Papua New Guinea arose initially out of an invitation that was kindly extended by the Gogodala people to me, my wife and my youngest son. But then the numbers grew! My son was unable to go because of exam pressures and my wife Olivia and I were finally joined by FIU students, members of External Relations…and two New York rabbis!
Why should I wish to take two rabbis to Papua New Guinea?
At the time we were planning the trip, a new unit was being planned within FIU – the Center for Global Jewish Communities. This eventually came into being thanks to the great generosity of my English compatriot Jonathan Symons. This entity has a particular interest in the fringe of the Jewish world and those fascinating and remote Jewish communities from Tokyo to the Amazon, from the India-Burma frontier regions to Cameroon.
FIU’s Department of Religious Studies has been very hands on in forging links with faith communities – as demonstrated by the recent involvement with the Jain community spearheaded by Nathan Katz. I was very anxious to join forces with an American Jewish organization called Kulanu, which means “All of Us” in Hebrew. Kulanu is a volunteer organization that deals with isolated, emerging and returning Jewish populations around the world. Kulanu has been active in this work for decades and their archives and photo archives are invaluable research resources. Kulanu is engaged in helping some of the world’s most remote Jewish communities reconnect or connect with Judaism and scholars are interested in describing the process of reconnection. So there was some synergy here.
On my first couple of trips to PNG, the Gogodala had demonstrated a great interest in learning more about Judaism so I had the idea of inviting two rabbis to accompany us – at their own expense I should add! – both of them active within the ranks of Kulanu. Their presence on the trip added a remarkable dimension to the various projects undertaken by the students and a hugely valuable service to the Gogodala people themselves.
Rabbis Bonita and Gerald Sussman of New York joined the FIU delegation to Papua New Guinea.
The two rabbis are a married couple. Bonita Nathan Sussman serves as vice president of programming and is the main contact in Kulanu for new communities that ask for assistance in developing in Jewish ways. Her husband Rabbi Gerald Sussman is one of the longest standing clergyman on Staten Island, New York, and has served as the rabbi of Temple Emanu-El on Staten Island since 1982.
The two of them were wonderful additions to the team. And they were the best presents we could possibly have brought for the Gogodala as they were able to sort out some existential issue for them. Bonita observed the Gogodala are on a continuum in terms of their Judaisation and they are inevitably going through a perplexing and difficult process. The Gogodala, having initially been converted by Australian Christian missionaries back in the 1950s, yet identifying so strongly to Israel, the Jewish people and Judaism, were at some kind of a crossroads. The tireless work of our two rabbis as they patiently explained the tenets and rituals of Judaism and the difficulties of practicing this ancient religion, provided a remarkable and unforgettable series of encounters for our students to observe. Indeed one of them was drawn to this field of study largely as a results of seeing these extraordinary interactions.
Bonita has since financially contributed to our new FIU Global Jewish Communities initiative and is particularly passionate about our creation of a photo archive. In addition, the Sussmans have opened doors to FIU religious studies researchers throughout the world. Perhaps more importantly, as one of our students put it, “I think they are the nicest couple I have ever met.” ♦
More from our feature on Papua New Guinea:
Read more about Professor Tudor Parfitt’s research on the Lost Tribes of Israel. >
Watch a mini-documentary of the research. >
Hear from the students who accompanied Parfitt to Papua New Guinea. >
See a slideshow of Gogodala art and culture. >
Explore a map of possible Lost Tribes of Israel around the world. >