Papua New Guinea

‘Strange’ things are happening in our world today.  We Jews are used to others appropriating our symbols and practices for use within their own religious contexts.  We’re also used to individuals, raised in other religions, being drawn to Judaism as a favorable alternative.  But we are not used to entire groups of others, who profess and practice other religions, coming en masse toward adoption of Judaism.  But that’s exactly what’s happening in a number of places, among them Papua New Guinea across the Torres Straits from Australia.

‘PNG’ and Australia have an interesting history together.  The first white, European colonisers on New Guinea and nearby islands were Germans.  After 1905 the territory was administered as a colony of Australia.  However the Highlands of PNG were not settled by “Australian colonizers” until the 1930’s when Gold Miners went in. Australian diggers fought the Japanese on the island and on other nearby islands in the Second World War.  The Australians, with a limited population to defend their own island nation – especially since many of their troops were off fighting in Europe – defended PNG against Japanese expansionist moves toward the south, holding out until the Americans entered the war in late 1941.  The eastern half of the island of New Guinea and a large group of nearby islands attained sovereignty as Papua New Guinea in 1975.

Vanilla Bean

PNG 1951 at Rudd family property.  Mervyn in window, center

Rudd family with Ken Gray, 1949

In the group of Jews whom we reach here in Queensland is an individual, Mervyn Rudd, who grew up in PNG as his father owned a property there with a sawmill. Mervyn’s parents went to PNG in 1949 and his father worked as a builder and saw miller.  Although Mervyn repatriated to Australia a long time ago, he has travelled back to PNG many times in recent years and maintains ties with the islanders.

Mervyn embraced Judaism as an adult.  In his subsequent travels and involvement with PNG, he has entered into Tikkun Olam (‘Repair of the World’) projects to assist PNG farmers of the area where he formerly lived:  first in material terms, organising lifts of needed supplies and equipment; and then in helping the farmers to find a way to get their vanilla crop to Western markets with a larger percentage of the revenue going to the farmers to make life better in their villages.

Over the years, Mervyn was watched an interest in Judaism emerge in PNG.  Since the days of the Germans, many of the islanders became Christianized.  More recently, the island has developed close ties with the State of Israel as a counterweight to neighboring Indonesia being a Muslim nation with close ties in the Muslim, especially Arab world.  In their exposure to Israelis and their religion, some of the people of PNG have developed an interest in the Jewish religion.  Some have found a home in ‘Messianic Judaism’ which is really a type of Christianity that appropriates Jewish forms such as worship in Hebrew, observance of the Sabbath and of the various festivals prescribed to Israel, and reading of the Torah according to the Jewish custom and lectionary.  But others in PNG are struggling to make a complete transition from Christianity to Judaism.  They apparently get very little assistance from the Jewish community abroad, but Mervyn and others have worked to connect them to helpful resources. Mervyn has written a booklet in Pidgeon (Tok Pisin) on why he converted to Judaism to try to help the people.

Rabbi Don of Jewish Journeys has been helping in very small ways, advising Mervyn and procuring used siddurs (Jewish prayer books), donated by Temple B’nai Israel in Oklahoma City, USA for him to share with the people in PNG.  And he’s started twisting Mervyn’s arm to be included in the next trip, thinking that connection with an actual rabbi – even one who does not speak Pidgeon (Tok Pisin) – might provide useful assistance as well as lift the islanders’ spirits!

Michael and family in Port Moresby

Vanilla shed built with Australian aid

  Residents of Four Mile Village in the PNG Highlands

Nicholas, wife and daughter with Charles in Port Moresby

Mervyn and Aki

Four Mile Village