Tanzania is one of Africa’s most fascinating countries and is a wonderful destination for US Jews who want to explore romantic travel destinations like the Serengeti, Mount Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam and the spice islands of the Zanzibar Archipelago. Tanzania is one of Africa’s safest and most welcoming countries and is a great place for Jewish travelers to meet local people and encounter African tribal culture.
The opportunity to explore tribal traditions in Tanzania first hand and gain insights into their unique heritage is not only an enriching experience, it’s a chance to take a step back and reevaluate our own Jewish heritage and origins!
Exploring Tanzanian Tribes: An Overview for Jewish Travelers
Tanzania has over 120 different tribes, but somehow manages to remain peaceful and easy going. That’s in part due to the promotion of Swahili as a single national language. Some of the most famous tribes are the Maasai, Chagga and the hunter-gatherer Hadza or Hadzabe people. When you meet Tanzanian tribes, you may feel like you’re actually meeting people of completely different nationalities, but they are all part of the modern Tanzanian melting pot.
The Maasai live in Northern Tanzania and Southern Kenya and are renowned for their expertise as cattle breeders and herders. The Massai are one of the few tribes who have retained their ancient heritage and culture and still live in tribal villages in the Serengeti and close to Mount Kilimanjaro. Massai men wear distinctive red shuka garments while the women wear beautiful and elaborate arrangements of beads.
The Hadza people are a protected minority and are some of the world’s last authentic hunter gatherers. They have inhabited the area around the Rift Valley and part of the Serengeti for tens of thousands of years and are considered to be a unique people. DNA analysis suggests that they are descended from East Africa’s earliest human population. Some of the Hadza still live through subsistence foraging and hunting and an encounter with them sheds light on how our earliest ancestors may have lived.
The Chagga are one of Tanzania’s richest and most successful peoples. Their traditional wealth came from farming the rich volcanic soils of Mount Kilimanjaro and they developed sophisticated agricultural techniques. A visit to the Chagga gives insights into how prosperous African societies functioned prior to colonial rule and into the economic potential of modern Africa.
Most Tanzanians are happy to meet American tourists and are curious about Jewish traditions and Jewish life. They welcome respectful curiosity about their own traditions and will readily discuss (most) aspects of their own cultures, including religious beliefs and how milestone events in life like birth, circumcision and marriage are celebrated.
Shared Values: Parallels Between Jewish and Tanzanian Tribal Cultures
At first glance, African tribal culture and modern American Jewish culture might seem world’s apart, but visitors to Tanzania will notice many similarities on a deeper human level. Both cultures place a strong emphasis on communal life, where people are bound together by shared traditions and an ancestral heritage.
Both cultures also have a traditional emphasis on shared storytelling and oral histories, It’s interesting to compare the passover ritual of the Haggadah, that recounts the most important events of ancient Jewish history (and includes children in the storytelling) with traditional African storytelling that passes myths and tribal histories down to the next generation.
Meeting Tanzanian tribes and learning something about their tribal customs can deepen our own understanding of our Jewish identity. It can also offer an insight into how life might have felt in iron age Israel when people lived close to the land in tribal communities and had to contend with predation by wild animals and the vicissitudes of nature.
Maintaining Jewish Observance in Remote Tanzania
Tanzania lies between Kenya to the North and Malawi and Mozambique to the South. It’s in the heart of East Africa and, unlike Kenya, never really had a historical Jewish presence. Maintaining a kosher diet and Shabbat observance in the remoter parts of Tanzania can be a challenge, but is not impossible. The easiest way to enjoy kosher travel to Tanzania is to book a luxury tour with a specialist Jewish travel company.
A Jewish travel company will recommend an exclusive kosher-friendly hotel (or possibly a luxury safari lodge) as a tour base and ensure that you have kosher food options for all trips and excursions. Your tailored itinerary will also allow for correct Shabbat observance. Tanzania has a long Indian Ocean coastline and some amazing beaches and resorts. A personalized tour can also accommodate any tzniut or modesty requirements.
African tribal culture is instinctively understanding of religious and cultural taboos and preferences (and is also respectful towards guests). You won’t cause any offence by insisting on keeping kosher or observing Shabbat rituals. If you come with the right attitude, it’s easy to enjoy respectful and meaningful cultural exchanges without compromising your own beliefs.
Luxury Travel and Cultural Authenticity: Balancing Comfort with Tradition
Tourism in Tanzania is growing steadily, but the country is still off the beaten track for the average tourist. The country has seven UNESCO World Heritage sites and an astonishing 38% of Tanzania’s land mass is designated as protected areas – that includes sixteen national parks. Tanzania is a popular destination for high end safaris and diving holidays, and also attracts trekkers and climbers who are tempted by the snowy peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro (first made famous by Ernest Hemingway’s short story The Snows of Kilimanjaro).
There are plenty of choices of luxury accommodation in Tanzania and you can travel around the country in chauffeured vehicles, or by air. It’s easy to explore remote locations and tribal traditions in Tanzania in complete comfort and safety, without compromising on authenticity. If you create a customized personal itinerary with a travel company that specializes in luxury tours and kosher travel to Tanzania, they can arrange meetings and talks by Tanzanian cultural experts, historians and academics, as well as with local tribal peoples.
Plan your Personalized Trip to Tanzania
The chance to meet members of Tanzanian tribes and see how their traditional lifestyles coexist with a rapidly changing 21st century world is a fascinating and thought provoking experience. Interactions with tribal people in Tanzania shows us the common threads that run through all human cultures, and can offer new perspectives on our own Jewish heritage.
A glimpse into tribal cultures, and the lives of people who live close to the land in family groups, can remind us of the warmth at the heart of Jewish culture and the importance of shared traditions and history. If you’re ready for a life changing trip to one of the most beautiful and diverse countries in Africa, talk to Gil Travel today about planning a custom itinerary for you and your family, or for a group tour of friends or synagogue members.
