a new religion

Scattered across islands in Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesians of Jewish Dutch heritage are converting back to their ancestral religion. Assisted by Rabbis and religious leaders from Israel, the US, and Australia, the groups have begun to form a unified central Indonesian Jewish organization, complete with a prayer book translated from Hebrew into Bahasa Indonesia.

Seventy-seven Jews have been officially converted, while almost 200 more are lining up for their conversion, while studying Hebrew, prayers, and Torah over Youtube, FaceBook, and email correspondence. Without any official Jewish spaces in Indonesia, individuals and families have created their own: Friday night services in dining rooms, Saturday morning prayer sessions held in small rented office spaces or home synagogues. As the movement is spread out across the country, families often travel hours to attend such a service. When asked how and why the conversion movement is spreading among islands now, everyone I spoke to said, essentially, ‘it is our calling’.

While Jewish communities across the globe are shrinking as Jews assimilate or move to Israel or the US, the Indonesian community is just beginning to grow. In a country which does not even officially recognize Judaism as a religion, the community is encountering very little resistance. Perhaps the Indonesian community is a sign of international coexistence and tolerance.

Vicky Ratumbanua (Avshalom) opens his Torah scroll in his home synagogue in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Judaism is not a recognized religion in Indonesia, which is the country with the world's largest Muslim population. Here, Vicky shows his ID card that denotes him as "Kristen", Christian in Bahasa Indones

Reginal Tanalisan's house in Manado. He is an integral part of another Jewish group in Manado that the United Indonesian Jewish Community (UIJC) believes to still be connected to the Church.

Benjamin Meijer Verbrugge (Benny), the leader of the United Indonesian Jewish Community, leads the way into his home synagogue in Lampung, Sumatra. "This door marks where Kosher begins. My house, it can't always be Kosher. But inside the synagogue it is".

Benny, as the leader of the UIJC, is responsible for making the rules as to who is allowed to be an official part of the UIJC. He is also a crucial point of information for Jews across Indonesia, sending them religous advice, materials, and resources.

The first Siddur ever created in Bahasa Indonesia, translated by Vicky Rambutuana in Manado. It took him over a year to translate.

Benny's daughter Devorah often breaks out into Hebrew songs. His older sons had to go through a process of changing religions, but his two youngest children were brought up Jewish almost from birth.

Benny in his home office, where he studies and also records videos to send out to other community members on other islands. Benny and his family live in Lampung, on Sumatra, where they are some of the only Jews. He is in frequent contact with the community in the rest of Indonesia through Facebook and email.

Benny provides many materials to other members of the community, like these prayer shawls when they come to him for services. Sometimes he ships them out to other places in Indonesia.

Vicktor's wife Ingrid Sumampow (Rakhel), Vicktor and Vicky's mother Margaretha N Watuseke (Khanah), and Ingrid's sister prepare the Shabbat meal in the Rambutuana home in Manado, Sulawesi.

Vicky (Avshalom), Vicktor (Noakh), and their father Ferdinand (Benayahu) recite the Shabbat prayers.

Vicky's father, Ferdinand (Benayahu) rests and checks his phone after Shabbat dinner. While most of the Jewish community is quite observant, they do not feel it is important to follow all the Jewish laws in a strictly Orthodox sense, and so the whole family uses electricity on Shabbat.

Vicktor (Noakh) holds the Torah during Saturday morning services in Manado.

Vicky's third brother Otto Yonatan (Yishay Yonatan) (on left) and Ezra's visiting family recite the Shema during Saturday morning services at the Rambutuana home synagogue.

Ezra Sengkey, who came to be with his family and Vicky's after praying elsewhere, looks out over Sulawesi from the cafe next to a 62 meter high menorah, which was placed on one of Manado's highest mountains as a sign for the city's love of Israel.

Reginal Tanalisan's house in Manado. He is an integral part of another Jewish group in Manado that is suspected of still having ties to the Church, although he continuously denies this fact and proudly displays Jewish elements and decorations in his house.

Ezra's daughter's face is reflected in the window of the locked synagogue in Manado. While Ezra's family came to pray at Vicky's home synagogue, Ezra is still somewhat affiliated with another group in Manado (with supposed links to the church) and so he prayed with them elsewhere. The synagogue was paid for by a Dutch Jewish woman who felt strongly about the community in Indonesia, but it is far away from Manado and not often used.