A Jewish home in Lusaka rooted in Torah, open to every Jew regardless of background, and committed to building community and healing society — one act of kindness at a time.
תִּיקּוּן עוֹלָם — לְתַקֵּן אֶת הָעוֹלָם
Our Philosophy
Tikkun Olam — literally "repair of the world" — is one of Judaism's most enduring calls to action. Rooted in the Mishnah and deepened through Lurianic Kabbalah, it holds that the world, though fundamentally good, was created with deliberate spaces for human participation in its completion.
At Tikkun Olam Zambia, Tikkun Olam is not an abstraction. It is the lived theology behind every programme, every membership tier, and every partnership we build — from Kabulonga to Chongwe and across Lusaka Province.
Every Jew — regardless of affiliation, background, or financial means — can participate in this sacred repair. Every act of tzedakah (justice-giving), gemilut hasadim (loving kindness), and communal gathering is a stitch in the fabric of a better world.
"Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it."Pirkei Avot 2:16 & Micah 6:8 — The Jewish Teaching on Human Responsibility
Three Pillars of Our Work
Building a warm, inclusive Jewish home in Lusaka for every Jew — resident, temporary visitor, or seeker. Weekly Shabbat gatherings, chaggim (festivals), lifecycle events, and a shared table that says: you belong here. No Jew in Zambia should feel alone.
Engaging Zambia's Jewish community with the depth and beauty of Torah through classes, study groups, and educational programming. From weekly parasha discussions to Talmud study, we bring 3,500 years of accumulated Jewish wisdom to the African continent.
Partnering with Zambian civil society, healthcare institutions, and educational bodies to translate Jewish values into practical service. From medical outreach to small business mentorship, we act on our belief that repairing the world is not optional — it is a mitzvah.
Our History
Eastern European Jews — largely from Lithuania, Latvia and South Africa — arrived in what was then Northern Rhodesia, drawn by commerce along the Line of Rail. They built shuls, Zionist institutions, and youth movements from Livingstone to Ndola.
At its height, the Zambian Jewish community numbered in the hundreds. Emigration to Israel, South Africa, and the UK gradually reduced the community to a handful of committed families. The Council for Zambia Jewry — affiliated with the World Jewish Congress — maintained the institutional thread.
The Gateway Jewish Museum in Livingstone was opened, housed within the Railway Museum precinct — honouring the pioneering spirit of the immigrant Jewish community and cementing Zambia's Jewish heritage in the national memory.
Rabbi Mendy and Rivky Hertzel of Chabad Zambia established the first resident rabbinate in over 75 years, bringing renewed energy, Shabbat programming, and a mission to make Jewish heritage a meaningful experience for every Jew in Zambia.
Founded by Izchak Pinkhas Efrati and Michelle Rachel Steinberg, Tikkun Olam Zambia Limited is established as a private company to provide the formal corporate structure needed to serve, fund, and grow the Jewish community of Zambia — with an NGO arm to follow.
How We Are Organised
Tikkun Olam Zambia Limited is governed according to both Zambian corporate law and traditional Jewish communal leadership structures. The Hebrew titles reflect our deep roots; the legal structure ensures accountability, transparency, and long-term institutional sustainability.
Join the Kehillah
Visionary founding members who establish the legal, financial, and spiritual foundations of Tikkun Olam Zambia. Full board voting rights and recognition in perpetuity.
Long-standing community members of distinction whose wisdom and experience guide the Kehillah. Advisory council seats and honoured representation at all communal events.
Full, participating members of the community with regular attendance and commitment to Kehillah life — Shabbat, chaggim, learning, and communal service.
Friends, allies, and well-wishers of the Jewish community — Jewish and non-Jewish alike — who support the mission through tzedakah and advocacy without full communal obligations.
Organisations, businesses, embassies, and institutions that partner with Tikkun Olam Zambia in programmes of Tikkun Olam, cultural exchange, and community development.
Join the Kehillah
Whether you are Jewish, an ally, an institution, or simply someone drawn to the work of repair and renewal — there is a place for you in this Kehillah. Complete the form below and a director will be in touch within three business days.
אנשי הקהילה — The Founders
Every generation must find its own Moshe Rabbeinu — its own leaders willing to stand in the breach, to build community where none exists, and to carry the light of Torah into places where it has not yet shone. In Lusaka, Zambia, two souls answered that call.
Born in Yerushalayim, Izchak Pinkhas Efrati is a long-standing member of the Jewish community of Zambia and the founding Nasi of Tikkun Olam Zambia Limited. A committed advocate of Jewish renewal in Africa, he serves as Community Convenor, directing the organisation's religious programming, interfaith engagement, and communal development initiatives across Lusaka Province.
Michelle Rachel Steinberg is a Torah educator, women's learning circle convener, and author of the ongoing weekly Torah commentary series Torah for Zambia, which has been published unbroken since March 2024 across the cycles of 5784, 5785, and into 5786. She serves as Founding Director and Company Secretary of Tikkun Olam Zambia Limited, bringing discipline, care, and deep commitment to the organisation's governance and communal mission.
Connect
All addresses are active and forwarded via ImprovMX to the responsible director. Choose the one that best matches your enquiry.
Media
Tikkun Olam Zambia welcomes responsible media coverage of Jewish life in Zambia, interfaith initiatives, and projects advancing justice, dignity, and national cohesion. For high-resolution images or interview requests, please use the form or email media@tikkunolamzambia.org.
Submitted to the Zambia Interfaith Council — Unified Interfaith Press Statement · Date: 23 May 2026
Issued by: Izak Efrati
Community Convenor and Director, Tikkun Olam Zambia
On behalf of the Jewish Community of Zambia
About Tikkun Olam Zambia
Tikkun Olam Zambia is a Jewish-rooted community organisation embodying the ancient Hebrew principle of Tikkun Olam — “Repair of the World.” Drawn from Jewish religious teaching, this principle holds that every human being bears a sacred responsibility to work toward healing brokenness in society through justice, compassion, and the pursuit of peace. In Zambia, we operate as a bridge-building organisation engaging communities across religious and social divides in service of national cohesion and dignity. It is in this spirit that we add our voice to this unified interfaith appeal.
The Sacred Duty of Burial
The Torah speaks with uncommon clarity on burial. In Deuteronomy 21:23, the divine command is given: “ki kavor tikbirenu” — “you shall surely bury him.” Jewish law teaches that prolonging burial constitutes nivul haguf — a desecration of the body — one of the gravest prohibitions in our tradition. The Talmud calls burying the dead chesed shel emet, “true kindness” — the one act of giving from which the giver receives nothing in return. It is performed purely for the dignity of the departed. When we deny that to the dead, we diminish our own humanity.
Wisdom from Our Ancestors
When Jacob died in Egypt, no single party claimed ownership of his body. The family honoured his wishes, the state facilitated the journey home to Canaan, and the entire house of Israel walked together in grief (Genesis 50:1–14). When Moses died, God buried him in an unmarked grave — our sages teach — to prevent his resting place from becoming a site of political contestation (Deuteronomy 34:6). The lesson is timeless: the mortal remains of a leader are not property. They are a sacred trust, belonging to family, nation, and the Creator alike.
Our Appeal
To the Government of Zambia: exercise your authority with rachamim — compassion. A state burial imposed over a grieving family's objection will not unify this nation. It will wound it.
To the Lungu family: your grief is sacred, and your rights are real. Yet President Lungu belonged not only to you — he belonged to Zambia. Allow this nation to mourn alongside you. Grief, our tradition teaches, is not meant to be carried alone.
To all Zambians: resist the temptation to weaponise this moment. The Hebrew word shalom — peace — shares its root with shalem, meaning wholeness. Zambia is not whole right now. Let us begin the repair.
Closing
The Torah commands: “You shall not stand idly by while your neighbor's blood is shed” (Leviticus 19:16). We will not stand idly by while the blood of this nation's unity is shed. A great man lies unburied, and those who loved him are fighting. This must end — with dignity, with compassion, and with unity.
“How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1). May President Edgar Chagwa Lungu be laid to rest with honour. And may Zambia find the Tikkun — the healing — it so urgently needs.
Izak Efrati
Community Convenor and Director, Tikkun Olam Zambia
Submitted in solidarity with the Zambia Interfaith Council
Lusaka, 23 May 2026
Coming Soon
For the first time in Zambia's history, the weekly Torah cycle is being recorded — week by week, parsha by parsha — from the vantage point of a Jewish community rooted in African soil. Torah for Zambia gathers these reflections into a single volume: part commentary, part spiritual diary, and part love letter to a country that has sheltered Jews for more than a century.
Written from the cycles of 5784, 5785, and into 5786, the book is designed for Jews and friends of the Jewish people alike — offering an honest, grounded, and at times moving window into how ancient Torah illuminates contemporary questions of dignity, justice, and nation-building in Zambia. It will be available in both print and digital editions.
"The Torah is not in heaven — it is here, in Zambia, waiting to be lived."
Every Week, Without Fail
Each week the Torah speaks anew — not only to Jerusalem and New York, but also to Lusaka, Chongwe, and Livingstone. In our Weekly Wisdom of Torah commentary, Steinberg weaves together the weekly parsha, classic Jewish sources, and the lived realities of a small but enduring Jewish community in Zambia.
Written in a clear, accessible style — grounded in tradition, honest about modern life — each reflection is offered in the spirit of Tikkun Olam. Whether you are Jewish, interfaith, or simply curious, these weekly words offer something rare: wisdom that has endured 3,500 years, applied to where we actually stand today.
Published every Erev Shabbat since March 2024 — unbroken across Parshiyot Tzav through to the present — the commentary is free, personal, and always timely. Join thousands across Zambia and beyond who begin their Shabbat with these words.
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Whether you are Jewish or simply drawn to the values of Tikkun Olam, there is a place for you at Tikkun Olam Zambia. Come as you are. Bring what you have. We will build the rest together.
Tikkun Olam Zambia Limited · Plot 100/680, Ibex Hill Road, Kabulonga, Lusaka, Zambia · Registration pending PACRA approval