"Retired cannibals who eat kosher": The lost "Jewish" tribe that was discovered

Israeli photographer Naftali Hilger fulfilled a 15-year dream when he embarked on a journey to Papua New Guinea to meet the Gogodala people, a tribe claiming Jewish ancestry and practicing customs such as the Shema Yisrael prayer. The tribe's chief, Ken Golugo, recounted a detailed history of wandering from Jerusalem through Spain to the island, but the story lacks external historical verification. The tribe lives in a remote area with no infrastructure, subsisting on fishing and agriculture.

In September 2025, Naftali Hilger, a geographic photographer and cultural researcher, fulfilled a 15-year dream when he set out on a journey to Papua New Guinea to meet the Gogodala people. The tribe, living in a remote area in the west of the country, claims Jewish ancestry and practices customs such as the Shema Yisrael prayer. The 67-year-old chief, Ken Golugo, told Hilger a detailed history of wanderings: their ancestors fled Jerusalem at the beginning of the 12th century from the Muslims, reached Spain and lived in Barcelona for 486 years, after the expulsion from Spain returned to Jerusalem, continued east to the Sea of Galilee, descended to the Gulf of Eilat and sailed to the Indian Ocean until they reached Papua. Golugo sees the number 486 as a sign that the time has come to end the current exile and return to "Yibisba" (Jerusalem). The article notes that the story lacks external historical verification. The Gogodala live in a swampy area devoid of roads, subsist on fishing and agriculture, and their population is estimated between 20,000 and 50,000. Hilger documented Jewish symbols such as Stars of David and Israeli flags in the villages.