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Since the plight of the few remaining Jews in Yemen is starting to circulate I’ll gradually post information about Yemeni Jewish history, photos, videos and threads. This is a situation that hits very close to home as my paternal grandparents fled from there in the 1930s.
1/ https://twitter.com/immort4l_legacy/status/1282931305060212737
1/ https://twitter.com/immort4l_legacy/status/1282931305060212737
The best place to start off will be regarding origin stories and what we know based on archaeological and DNA studies.
Image 1: On a paper regarding the excavation of a synagogue in Qani
Image 2-4: DNA study done on Yemeni Jews to look into plausible origins.
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Image 1: On a paper regarding the excavation of a synagogue in Qani
Image 2-4: DNA study done on Yemeni Jews to look into plausible origins.
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A common misconception laid upon us is that we’re simply the descendants of converts from the Himyar kingdom, both archaeology and DNA studies debunk this theory. This doesn’t mean conversions didn’t occur, but more so that the Yemeni Jews today aren’t descendant from them.
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In either case as referenced in the archaeological paper there is evidence of Jews from the time of the Himyar kingdom being buried in the Land of Israel. Below is a thread about these graves.
4/ https://twitter.com/immort4l_legacy/status/1214665862059298817
4/ https://twitter.com/immort4l_legacy/status/1214665862059298817
Professor Yosef Yuval Tobi gives a general idea about what is known regarding the Jews in Yemen prior to Islam:
“...we know that there were synagogues, that there were cemeteries. There is even a comment that there was a mikvah for Jews.”
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“...we know that there were synagogues, that there were cemeteries. There is even a comment that there was a mikvah for Jews.”
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Next pit stop in our info tour is going to take place during the time of Maimonides where a Yemeni Rabbi turned to him for advice during a difficult period. See thread for the story of Netan’el al-Fayyumi, his son Yaakov, and the Epistle to Yemen
6/ https://twitter.com/immort4l_legacy/status/1226215547760775170?s=21
6/ https://twitter.com/immort4l_legacy/status/1226215547760775170?s=21
The next important figure worth mentioning in Yemeni Jewish history is Zechariah Dhahiri in the 16th century. He travelled to the land of Israel, one of the cities he visited being Tzfat (Safed) where he studied with Yosef Karo.
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Upon returning he was imprisoned under false allegations of collaborating with the Ottomans/Turks. It was there where he wrote one of his greatest literary works “the book of morals”.
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Zechariah Dhahiri is also attributed to being one of the primary influences for Kabbalah reaching Yemen
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In the end of the 16th century we have another worthwhile scholar by the name of Shlomo Adani; considered one of the greatest commentators on the Mishnah due to his work “Melechet Shlomo”. To read more about him check out the thread below
10/ https://twitter.com/immort4l_legacy/status/1217517792011919360?s=21
10/ https://twitter.com/immort4l_legacy/status/1217517792011919360?s=21
Next stop is an extremely important period for Yemeni Jews. It’s during the period of the greatest poet, whose grave is visited by both Jews and Muslims, Shalom Shabazi. Hundreds of poems are attributed to him and sung up to this day by Yemeni Jews.
He lived during one of the most tumultuous times for Yemeni Jews collectively; the Mawza Exile. This is when approximately 2/3rds of the community perished, and much of their literature, houses and synagogues were destroyed or confiscated.
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Next we have Yihya Tzalah (known as Maharitz); one of the greatest exponents of Jewish law in Yemen. He eventually became the chief jurist on the Beit Din in Sana’a and wrote Tiklal Etz Haim which helped preserve much of the ancient traditions.
During his lifetime, in 1761, 12 out of 14 synagogues in Sana’a were destroyed by order of the ruler at the time. This was less than a century after the Mawza Exile.
You can read more about his life and works here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiḥyah_Salaḥ
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You can read more about his life and works here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiḥyah_Salaḥ
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Another prominent scholar, during this time (18th century) was Shalom Sharabi, who came to the Land of Israel at a very young age as is buried at the Mount of Olives. You can find a thread about him below
15/ https://twitter.com/immort4l_legacy/status/1222985310084247558?s=21
15/ https://twitter.com/immort4l_legacy/status/1222985310084247558?s=21
Next we go into more modern times with Mori Haim Yihyeh Sinwani; a Yemeni Jewish Rabbi of halacha and kabbalah.
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The following 2 part video thread below is one of the diwans he wrote. He arrived to Israel on Operation “On Eagles Wings” or “Magic Carpet. He passed away in 1979 https://twitter.com/immort4l_legacy/status/1189840997984931840?s=21
