A year ago, my friend @lalshareef sent me pictures of Bahrain during the Hiya Biya festival.

Since many of you are interested in Jewish communities in Gulf countries, here is a thread on the history of Jews in Bahrain and the tiny remaining community.

#BahrainiJews

Today there are only about 30 Jews in Bahrain, while during the 12th century, Jews numbered up to 6000 !
However, between 1300’s and 1600’s, the Jewish population declined.
In the middle of the 17th century, Jewish merchants from Iraq and Persia came back to settle in Bahrain.

In 1940 there were 600 Jews in Bahrain, most of them moved to Israel in the 60’s because of rising tensions.
Today, the synagogue is not open for daily services because it is hard to constitute a minyan.
The Jewish cemetery is located at the center of the capital, Manama.

The remaining Jews in Bahrain are well integrated in the society.
In 2015, and for the first time in 67 years, the King hosted a candle-lighting ceremony at his palace to celebrate Hanukkah. Even though the country does not recognize Israel,it has stopped being actively hostile.

Many Bahraini Jews, like the Nonoo and Khedouri families, originated from Iraq.
Bahraini Jews have kept some traditions from Iraq: a typical Bahraini Jewish dish is “Eruk samak” (fish patty) which is similar to the Iraqi version.

(Photo of the Khedouri family in Bahrain, 1930)

Jews contributed to the economic development of Bahrain.
They owned many shops on al mutanabi street and worked as bankers.
With the development of technology, Jews also worked in telecommunication and at the Bahrain Petroleum Company.

Many Jewish women worked as teachers or nurses.
“Um Jan” was a famous midwife who helped delivered many children. People loved her for her warmth, her kindness and for the comfort she provided mothers and children.
These are pictures of Um Jan and her child delivery kit in 1964.

Like in Egypt and Iraq, Jews contributed to the development of cinema in Bahrain in the mid 50s. Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo co-founded the Bahrain Cinema & Film Distribution Company in 1967

Click to read more about Jewish contribution in the Iraqi film industry:
https://twitter.com/jennibns/status/1136286718871703553?s=21

Today, the Khedouri family is Bahrain’s leading importer of tablecloths and linens.
95% of customers at “Rouben Rouben’s” electronics business are Bahraini and the government is their largest corporate consumer.
Ebrahim Daoud Nonoo is the current CEO of the Basma Company.

Ebrahim’s niece, Houda Nonoo, was appointed as the Bahrain ambassador to the US in 2008. She is the first Jewish woman in the Arab world to become ambassador!
Her cousin Nancy Khedouri has a seat at the Parliament and she represented her country at the World Jewish Congress.

: Raphael Ahren for the Time of Israel - تلفزيون البحرين (YT channel) - Sharifah Alhinai for Sekka Mag.

Further reading :

- Nancy Khedouri, “From Our Beginning to Present Day”

- https://sekkamag.com/2017/10/01/the-jews-of-bahrain-and-the-arabian-gulfs-only-synagogue/

- https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/bahrain-virtual-jewish-history-tour