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Jewish Recreation Club, Khartoum, Sudan

Description

A HISTORY OF JEWS IN THE SUDAN

Jewish history in the Sudan can be traced back to a small community formed in the late nineteenth century [2]. There were eight Sephardic families living in the Sudan under Turkish and Ottoman rule [2]. It is unknown how these families originated in the Sudan; however, they were free to practice Judaism throughout the mid-to-late 1800s until Ottoman rule was overthrown and the Sudanese Mahdiyya was established in 1885 [1]. Under Mahdist rule, the Sudanese Jewish community was forced to convert to Islam under threat of death [1]. In 1898, the British claimed the Sudan as a colony, opening up new trade and travel opportunities that brought more Jews into the country [2].

After British rule had been established, the eight Jewish families reverted to Judaism and were quickly joined by more Jewish families seeking new economic opportunities in the Sudan [3].  Many Jewish textile and silk merchants from all over the Middle East and North Africa settled along Nile River towns. 

In 1926, the community opened a synagogue on a central street in Khartoum. The Jewish community of the Sudan was overseen by the Egyptian Beth-Din (Jewish law courts) and the Moroccan Rabbi Malka. Between 1930 and 1950, the community reached its peak membership, with 250 families totaling around 1,000 Jews [4]. Though the community was spread out across four towns, it was tight-knit and centered around the synagogue in Khartoum.

The Sudan gained its independence in 1956; however, the Suez Crisis later that year contributed greatly to a rise in antisemitism. As antisemitism intensified, many community members began to leave the Sudan for Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland [6]. Much of the community had left by 1960. In 1967, Jewish men were arrested en masse, and Sudanese newspapers advocated for the arrest and torture of Jewish community leaders [6]. Jewish emigration intensified, and the last members of the Jewish community left Sudan in the early 1970s [5].

DESCRIPTION

The Jewish Recreation Club started in the 1940s as a sports club for young Jewish men in their teens and twenties [1]. In 1928, the community rented spacious grounds for their successful soccer club on Victoria Avenue, located near the synagogue and Comboni College. A tennis court and small rooms were constructed, but in the late 1930s, the grounds were sold to a Cinema. The community purchased a large lot two blocks behind the Khartoum Synagogue, and the Jewish Recreation Club was established. It was equipped with a large open-air dance floor, meeting rooms, and a cafeteria kitchen. Adjacent grounds were also rented for more sports fields, including a basketball court [9]. Most of the club operated outdoors.

The club became a meeting place for Khartoum’s Jewish families, many who  used it nightly. They would play card games, ping-pong, backgammon, or socialize over drinks. The club would host an Annual Jewish Community Ball, a successful fundraising event often attended by members from other expatriate communities [10]. 

Though the Jewish community in the Sudan was one of the smallest in the Middle East and North Africa, it was close-knit and members were very active. Women would often cook together for large community gatherings. The club was a pleasant and enjoyable social space for the entire Sudanese Jewish community [5]. 

Khartoum, Sudan

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