Jewish agency’s secret rescue of Yemenite Jews dovetails with local event

Every year at Passover we gather around a table for our seders and talk about the Jewish exodus from Egypt thousands of years ago. We discuss the leader, Moses, who rallied the Jews and led them out of slavery. By eating certain foods, we remember the hardships that the Jews faced when they were slaves.  We rejoice that we are no longer enslaved. What we don’t usually realize is that Jewish exoduses from oppressive nations are still happening. 

In 1949 and 1950, the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) began Operation Magic Carpet, which brought almost all of the Jews in Yemen  – some 51,000 – to Israel to start a new life. Yemenite Jews have long been oppressed and attacked, and, in recent years, the attacks have increased, starting with the murder of a Jewish teacher in the city of Raydah in 2008. Turbulence, especially in the capital city of Sanaa and the neighboring city of Raydah, has escalated into murders, abductions and forced marriages. The Houthi rebel military movement has taken over these cities. Its slogan is, “God is great. Death to America. Death to Israel. A curse on the Jews. Victory to Islam.”

A few weeks ago, JAFI completed a clandestine mission to rescue the last few Yemenite Jews. Nineteen Jews, including a rabbi with a 500-year-old Torah scroll, secretly arrived in Israel. The group included 14 from Raydah, and a family of five from Sanaa. The chairman of the Jewish Agency, Natan Sharansky, remarked that “Yemenite Jewry’s unique, 2,000-year-old contribution to the Jewish people will continue in the State of Israel.”

The rescue mission dovetails with “Novel Conversations,” an upcoming Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island event. The program, co-chaired by Cara Mitnick and Jeanie Charness, will take place at 7 p.m. on May 24 at Temple Beth-El, in Providence, and features author Nomi Eve and her novel, “Henna House.” According to Eve’s website, the book tells the “enthralling story of a woman, her family, their community, and the rituals that bind them.” It is described as “an evocative and stirring novel about a young woman living in the fascinating and rarely portrayed community of Yemenite Jews of the mid-twentieth century.” “Henna House” also touches on the beginnings of Operation Magic Carpet, and the rescue of these Yemenite Jews. 

The event will also feature a Middle Eastern spice tasting and a henna artist. Rick Hirschhaut, the senior director of External Relations at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, will also be on hand to share a few words about the recent rescue and about Jewry in Arab countries. 

Both JAFI and the Joint Distribution Committee receive core funding from the Jewish Alliance Annual Campaign. These funds helped support this secret mission to bring the Yemenite Jews to safety. 

The cost to attend the May 24 event is $10, plus a gift of any amount to the Alliance. The $10 cover charge will be used to assist the JDC’s continuing efforts to ensure the rescue and safe passage of Jews living in Arab countries.

The Jewish Alliance will sell copies of “Henna House” at the event, and Eve will be available to sign them. 

Co-chair Mitnick expressed excitement about the evening, saying, “This women’s event will be artistic, enlightening and a great opportunity for us to come together and hear from an insightful author. Our speaker’s focus on Yemen is especially timely, as refugees seek safety from many parts of the Middle East, including Yemen.” 

Co-chair Charness agreed, saying, “This yearly women’s author’s evening has become a much anticipated event on our community calendar. We look forward to greeting new faces and welcoming back past participants.”

For more information about this event, or to RSVP, go to jewishallianceri.org, or contact Danielle Germanowski at dgermanowski@jewishallianceri.org, or 401-421-4111, ext. 109.

HILLARY SCHULMAN is a development associate at the Jewish Alliance.