Ben Ammi’s Adaptation of Veganism in the Theology of the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem

What is it about?

This article looks at the African Hebrew Israelites' vegan diet and compares it with Jewish and African American approaches to veganism, attempting to show to what extent the AHIJ draw on both of these traditions.

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Why is it important?

This article shows that while the Hebrew Israelites draw heavily from the Bible, and their interpretation of key passages is identical with that of the rabbis, they did not take their influence from them but rather from 1960s Black American counterculture (especially the Nation of Islam). They also were not the instigators of popular veganism in Israel, although they have played a key role in the production and marketing of vegan food there, as elsewhere.