There is a New Guinean tribe known as the Gogodala, a tribe of former cannibals, who believe they are one of the ten lost tribes of Israel. They keep Jewish culture, and they say that the Torah is their story. The Gogodala wear yarmulkes and prayer shawls. They also celebrate Jewish holidays.

In the 1400s and 1500s when Jews were expelled from Spain and Portugal, many of them traveled to Peru. When the Inquisition followed them, many fled to Japan and others continued on to Papua, where a large number eventually intermarried with locals.

Incredibly, one Papua tribe sings a lullaby with this line: “We were once twelve brothers but ten have disappeared.” Although unaware of the significance, many families have surnames like Sukkot, Torah and Menorah. As children they were taught never to step foot in any church as “it is an evil place.”