In an Italian literature class at Wits, he noticed someone writing from right to left in his notebook and found out that the language was Hebrew. Later he decided to take a Hebrew language course at that university, which sparked his interest in Jewish texts. Upon the invitation of Moshe Sharon, a professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he came to Israel to study for a doctorate in Hebrew language. While in Israel, he took philosophy classes at Ohr Somayach Yeshiva in Jerusalem, and converted to Judaism in 1991. He continued to learn at Ohr Somayach for another four years. Among his study partners was Dr. Henry Abramson. From 1995 to 2000 he took advanced Talmudic classes at the Brisk yeshiva in Jerusalem's Old City, where he received his rabbinic ordination. Toward the end of his time at Brisk, Gamzede was introduced to his wife, Shayna Golda Gordon, a baalat teshuva (returnee to Orthodox Judaism) from New York who had studied at Neve Yerushalayim. They lived in Beitar Illit for the first two years of their marriage, where Gamzede learned in a kollel. For the next five years they resided in Safed, where Rabbi Gamzede taught at Yeshivat Shalom Rav and the Shaarei Bina seminary. Then Gamzede began lecturing for an international kiruv organization. The couple now lives in Jerusalem with their two children. In 2008, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation produced a documentary about Rabbi Gamzede's life titled Compass: The Black Jew of Swaziland. See also History of the Jews in Africa History of the Jews in Eswatini (Swaziland) History of the Jews in South Africa History of the Jews in Southern Africa References External links Home page Encyclopedia of the Jewish Diaspora: Origins, experiences, and culture, Vol. 3, p. 452 Swazi Orthodox rabbis Converts to Orthodox Judaism Swazi Jews Swazi royalty Rabbis of Ohr Somayach Alumni of the University of Oxford University of the Witwatersrand alumni Haredi rabbis in Israel 1963 births Living people Jewish royalty Black Jewish people South African Orthodox rabbis