The House of Israel of Ghana

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A Visit to Ghana:

Management consusltant Mike Gershowitz's account of his 1999 visit to the Sefwi Wiawso Jewish community. Gershowitz was the first Western Jew to visit the community.

If you would like to contact the House of Israel community of Sefwi Wiawso, you may write to the community by sending a letter to:

The House of Israel Community
P.O. Box 57
Sefwi Wiawso, Ghana W/R

Sending a letter to Ghana takes a couple weeks. Make your initial contact far in advance of your visit. Remember, if your letter takes two weeks to get there, theirs will take at least that long to get to you.

If you write you are likely to reach David Ahenkorah, a leader of the community, or Kofi Kuateng, who picks up much of the community’s mail.

Would you like to visit the House of Israel Community in Ghana? Contact the community at the above address to indicate your interest in visiting and tell them when you plan to arrive and how long you would like to stay.

Wiawso is in the southwestern region of Uganda. To get to Wiawso, fly in to the international airport of Accra. Round trip flights from the United States to Ghana cost about $1200, though you may get a better deal depending on when you are going and where you buy you ticket (an honest discount ticket broker will save you a lot of money – check the Sunday New York Times travel section for deals). Take a bus or shared taxi from Accra to either Kumasi (north of Accra) or Takoradi (west of Accra). From either city, take a bus or shared taxi from there to Wiawso.

When you arrive at Wiawso the bus or shared taxi will let you off on the main street. Ask around for Kofi Kuateng, who owns a store on the main street, or for David Ahenkorah, who owns a photo shop called “Vote for God Photos.”

If you spend time in the community they will host you at a community member’s house, and they will also provide you with food – you’ll eat what they eat. The community won’t ask for any money in exchange for their generosity, but do give a donation to the community. Most members of the community speak English, so you will have no trouble communicating.

If you are unfamiliar with traveling in Africa I recommend picking up a copy of Lonely Planet’s Ghana travel guide. The Lonely Planet books are invaluable for their practical advice while you’re budget traveling in Africa. If you’re curious about prices or distances between points, consult the Lonely Planet guide and you’ll get a pretty good idea of the current rates and bus timetables. If not, contact me and I’ll give you advice.

If you’re interested in helping the community with financial or other aid, contact Mike Gershowitz gershowitz@netins.net and/or Jack Zeller jdzeller@umich.edu of Kulanu http://www.kulanu.org".

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