International Association of Jewish
Genealogical Societies - Cemetery Project
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
(formerly ZAIRE)
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/communities/wjcbook/zaire/index.htm - link no longer available:
- Jews have lived in what is today the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly
known as the Republic of Zaire and the Belgian Congo) since the beginning of the
century when the first immigrants arrived from Eastern Europe, the Land of
Israel and South Africa. A few years later, they were joined by Sephardim from
the island of Rhodes. With the departure of the Belgians in 1960, many of the
Jews left. However, there are many Israelis working on development projects in
the country.[October 2000- updated]
Under Belgian Colonial Rule (pre-1960), around 2,500 Jews lived in eight communities, centered in Elisabethville (now Lumbasha). The majority of this largely Sephardic Community came from Rhodes or Salonika. Many settled in the Cape after independence. As of June 2000, around 85 Jews reside in Kinshasa (previously Leopoldville) and a few in Lumbasha (Elisabethville),
and smaller towns. A number of Israeli expatriates work there. Courtesy of Dr. Saul Issroff:
saul@issroff.com [June 2000].
All individuals involved in the creation of this project are volunteers.
The right to make one copy for personal use with full citation is hereby granted;
however, no profit is to be made from the use of this website's information.
No reply will be made to inquiries about specific burials. All information that we possess is on the website. We have no other information so please do not write requesting any on either burial sites or individual burials.
THE CEMETERIES
There is a Jewish burial ground under the control of the Chief
Rabbi of the country: Rabbi Moshe Levy, 50 West Churchill Avenue, P.O. Box 15,
Brussels, Belgium. Courtesy of Dr. Saul Issroff:
saul@issroff.com [June 2000].
Revised 7 May 2001