36 Jews in Bahrain — and at Least One in Afghanistan — Staying Put
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
In its second feature about Jews in the Arab-Muslim world as many days, the New York Times has a video about the “Last Jew in Afghanistan,” Zablon Simantov. Jews have a long history in the country — dating back at least to the 7th century Common Era — but today, the vast majority live elsewhere. In the five-minute documentary by Oliver Englehart, Simantov predicts that Jews won’t return to the country until Jihadist groups disperse, and until the nation has a stable government. He says that even though he cannot safely wear a kippah outside of his home, he has no plans to leave Afghanistan.
On Monday, the Times published a story about the Bahrain’s 36 remaining Jews. Among them is its to the United States, Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo. She (yes, she) is apparently the Arab world’s first Jewish ambassador posted abroad.
Below is a photo of Nonoo with former president George W. Bush.
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