Who are the Mizrahi Jews?

In the second century CE, the Romans exiled the Jews of Judea and created a far flung diaspora which saw many Jews make their way to Europe, Asia and North Africa.

In the second century CE, the Romans exiled the Jews of Judea and created a far flung diaspora which saw many Jews make their way to Europe, Asia and North Africa.

Those who ended up in the East in countries like Iraq, Iran, and Syria and in North African countries like Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia would later become known as Mizrahi Jews.

Mizrahi Jews often prospered under Muslim rule in these countries, however by the twentieth century, as Nazi ideology spread to the Middle East, they found themselves facing violent attacks from their once peaceful neighbors.

By the mid-twentieth century, Mizrahi Jews were in desperate need of a safe haven. From 1948 to 1972, nearly 600,000 immigrated to Israel alongside other Jewish refugees from around the world. Though they faced a difficult transition and discrimination in their new home, Israel today is known for its richly-integrated Mizrahi culture.

Related Articles

More From Heritage

Am I the Enemy?

Growing up in a Muslim, Palestinian-refugee home in Kuwait, how could he have ever known that…
Am I the Enemy?

Lessons From Mrs Bleach

Mrs. Bleach actually could have been a male, I don’t really know, but I loved “her.” As a child…
Lessons From Mrs Bleach

Prayer and Teshuvah

GOD WANTS YOUR HEART, AND PRAYER IS THE MEANS by which your heart is offered to Him. "When you…
Prayer and Teshuvah

Rabbi David Saperstein

The White House announced on July 28, 2014 that Rabbi David Nathan Saperstein would be…
Rabbi David Saperstein

Sarah Halimi

The Court of Appeal in Paris, France just excused the criminal trial of Kobili Traore, accused…
Sarah Halimi
Photo: the Kotel, the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem

Discovering the Kotel

The Western Wall, also known as the Kotel, is located in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is a…
Discovering the Kotel

Publish the Menu module to "offcanvas" position. Here you can publish other modules as well.
Learn More.


donation