The Lost Tribes Of Israel And The Documentary 3000 Years In The Making

An upcoming docu-series titled We Were Never Lost from leading Jewish-Israeli rights activist Rudy Rochman looks at the tribes of Israel that were separated and lost due to the king of Assyria, who conquered Israel in 721 BC. Rochman, acting as the host, seeks out Jewish diaspora across the world.

In the first season, each episode explores Jewish communities across Africa. Part of the description for the documentary reads:

For centuries the Jewish people were a diaspora nation. Spread unevenly across the globe, communities developed unique languages and customs distinct from one another, and yet nearly all maintained their shared sacred practices, ancient traditions, and texts.

The creation of the State of Israel brought Jewish communities once estranged by geography face to face. Ashkenazim from Europe, Sephardim from Southern Europe and North Africa, Mizrahim from the Middle East and most recently Beta Israel from Ethiopia. Not to mention claimants to the tribes of Israel in the China, India and the Caucasus regions, the “Never lost tribes”.

And there are still more communities who have not been brought into the larger Jewish fold. Communities who desperately want their Judaism recognized, appreciated and embraced by the wider Jewish world.

This film aims to fundamentally shift the way Jewish identity is understood by the world.

Simply put: Our Hebrew-Jewish family in Africa needs help.

They deserve recognition like all Israelites; to reconnect, contribute, grow and strengthen Am Israel.

The stakes are high, these communities face poverty, anti-Semitism, threats from radical terror groups, and trouble getting access to clean water, electricity and basic resources.

These issues beg the question: How can we improve their lives and have them rejoin the fold of Am Israel?

I sat down with Rudy Rochman to discuss the themes of the series, its aspirations and what inspired We Were Never Lost.

Wilson: Why do you feel this story is so important to tell?

Rochman: Most at some point have heard of the legend of “The Lost Tribes of Israel”. In fact, it’s been discussed for thousands of years, but most have never bothered to investigate the matter. The current 15 million world Jewish population are only descendants of 2 1/2 out of the 12 Tribes of Israel, so what happened to the rest of the Israelite family? Well, it’s time to tell the whole story and for one of the most ancient families to reunite.

Telling the story through film is key because it functions as a tool to shift public consciousness, and the only way for those who hold institutional power to prioritize finding solutions and ultimately create the right policies to include these communities in the greater Jewish family, is by first bringing them to the awareness of our generation.

Wilson: Can you explain the concept of the Lost Tribes of Israel?

Rochman: The Nation of Israel is around 4,000 years old and consists of 12 Tribes. After the reign of King Solomon, the Tribes split into two kingdoms: The Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judea. The Kingdom of Israel was made up of 9 1/2 Tribes while the Kingdom of Judea was made up of 2 1/2 (including Judah, Benjamin, and half of Levi). The Kingdom of Israel was destroyed first, and later displaced by the Assyrians to the “four corners of the Earth”. A few hundred years later, the Kingdom of Judea gets destroyed by the Roman Empire and mostly spread to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Today’s Jewish population are descendants of the Tribes that were under the Kingdom of Judea, but the 9 1/2 Tribes that were displaced earlier have mostly been forgotten and the memory of the presence turned to a myth.

Wilson: How were your various trips to different Jewish tribes across the African continent? Did you notice similarities between them or were they all completely different?

Rochman: At first, the project started where our team wanted to do what was right and to help these Jewish communities, as we would have expected the same treatment if the tables were turned and their side of the family had come Home first while our side was still suffering in forced displacement. However, over time and after spending months on the ground with these communities, it became clear that we could never be whole again as People without their return.

The similarities of Jewish practices that have been preserved are evident: from keeping kosher, circumcisions, to laws of “nida”, and many oral traditions that have been passed down for thousands of years. We also found that each of these communities also went through similar experiences where they are currently being, or were in the past were, severely persecuted and scapegoated by the rest of the local population for being the source of the society’s problems. Tropes such as “they control the media” or “they run the economy” or “your people killed Jesus” were amongst the many we found these communities had been plagued by for generations. This pattern fits a mold that is unique to the Jewish experience worldwide: wherever Jews are, they are blamed for the problems experienced by the host nations, and yet they stick together and rise up time and time again like a phoenix born out of the flames of Jew hatred.


Wilson: The project is described as 3000 years in the making. What is the thought process behind that statement?

Rochman: It’s been nearly 3000 years that the Nation of Israel was shattered into pieces, and it’s our generation’s responsibility to bring them back together. Previous generations had the excuse of not being aware of what happened to their family members, but this generation is the last generation born not knowing. Now, we must take the actions and forge each piece back together.

Wilson: You’ve discussed genetic markers to prove relationships with Jewish tribes in the past. Is there anything that you discovered in your research in Africa that was significant?

Rochman: Genetics cannot be used to determine one’s Jewishness, since a person with no Jewish ancestry can convert and become a Jew. Unlike conversions to religions where one becomes a new member of religion the moment they accept a certain belief system or deity, to become a Jew, one has to go through a rigorous process that takes several years, fully adopting the culture, history, language, spirituality, laws, experience, connection to the Land and purpose. In other words, they are grafting themselves into an ancient civilization. From the current genetic knowledge we have access to, DNA gives us a general map and traces of where one’s ancestors came from, and the fact that the Cohen DNA marker was found amongst the Lemba proves that they are in fact descendants of Israelites which obliges the biggest critics to take the conversation seriously.

Wilson: Was there anything that surprised you along your travels?

Rochman: I cannot reveal too much of what you will see in the film, but our journey has been nothing short of an action-packed rollercoaster. Our first week on the ground got us locked up in a Nigerian prison, caged with Boko Haram terrorists and starved for a week under fabricated accusations of espionage. Our second trip we had to sneak into Zimbabwe via the South African border since no film crews were allowed into the country and our filming permits had been denied twice. Our third trip we found ourselves under attack and targeted by an antisemitic individual in Madagascar who sought to steal our filming gear and all our footage. These experiences have been everything but easy, but along the obstacles set forth, our team has recognized the miracles and blessings in front of us, which has guided and protected us along our journeys.

Describing the harrowing experience in jail in Nigeria, the film’s director Noam Leibman, told JNS, “I was definitely losing my mind at times—weeks in a blank room with no phone, computer, books, magazines or anything to do. Rudy definitely helped me keep my composure. That man can handle any situation thrown at him.”

Wilson: From your journey is there anything you feel needs to be better explained to people in Israel based on what you have discovered?

Rochman: Jewish People in general have gone through a tremendous amount of trauma, and with that trauma comes an imprinted memory of outsiders always trying to kill our People for thousands of years. Unfortunately, this can also translate to an immediate trigger the moment they hear outsiders want to come in. For this reunion to be successful, the information presented must address all the questions from the left to right, religious to secular, Ashkenazi to Mizrachi, and more. There also needs to be a process that respects the Rabbinate’s authority and an understanding that our project compliments that process. We seek to bring the conversation to the forefront and for the proper solutions to be found.



Wilson: Do you feel this documentary will allow more people from the African continent to make Aliyah? What is your overall goal and story that you want to tell?

Rochman: There is no doubt that there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Israelites residing in Africa. Those who will be recognized as Jews by the Rabbinate should have every right as other Jews to move to Israel. That being said, the reality is that most diasporic Jewish populations stay in foreign lands, and it is usually only a small percentage of a population that makes aliyah. So, if they are really Jews, those who want to come Home should have every right to do so, not any more or less than Jews who had external experiences in the West.

Wilson: I hear there are also a season 2 and 3 planned. What other places is your research set to take you to?

Rochman: The Tribes of Israel were displaced to the “four corners of the Earth”, which is why Season 2 will be based in Asia focusing on displaced tribes and Season 3 in South America focusing primarily on the Bnei Annousim – Jews who were forcefully converted to Christianity during the Spanish Inquisition and fled to the Caribbeans & Latin America. Our project will continue with as many seasons necessary until all members of Israel are recognized and reunited.

**End**

The potential worldwide impact of the doc from the prominent Israeli is a testament to the social development, growth, understanding, and acceptance that, numerous Israelis, are working hard to bring to the nation as they genuinely try to piece back together the puzzle of the people of Israel and how far the multi-racial diaspora have travelled worldwide.

The first series is currently in the midst of completing production and post-production with a release date TBA.