The travails of the Yemenite Jews in Israel

 

There was individual Jewish immigration from Yemen for many years, but the first organized wave was in 1881 with the immigration of 200 Yemenite Jews. By 1915 about 10% of the community had left for Palestine. A major airlift beginning in 1949, Operation Magic Carpet, brought 50,000 Yemenite Jews to Israel, which was almost the entire remaining Jewish community.

 

The movie shown does mention that the Yemenite immigrants experienced difficulties during their immigrations, but does not elaborate on this, although they can certainly be discussed during group tours. However, without discussion of the absorption issues faced by the immigrants the story of their immigration is only half complete.

 

For example, when the Yemenite Jews arrived in Jerusalem in the 1880s, they were not welcomed into the Old City and were forced to live in caves in the nearby village of Silwan. They were finally supported by evangelical Christians who appreciated the messianic implications of this Yemenite immigration. If one wishes to be generous, one could say that the Jews of the Old City could not place these simple, impoverished Jews with different customs and who looked more like Arabs than Europeans into their image of what Jews should be like. If one did not wish to be so generous one could say that the Jews of the Old City were not willing to share their limited resources and charitable contributions with these newcomers.

 

During the 1900s, they were also often treated poorly. A group living in the moshava Degania Aleph, for example, helped clear the swamps, often with their lives and that of their children from malaria. Yet after many years they were told to leave. The generous explanation is that they were not felt to be suitable material for kibbutz life. A less generous explanation is that they were exploited.

 

Upon their arrival in Israel may Yemenite immigrants were placed in temporary transit camps, which were often overcrowded and lacking in basic amenities. Many were settled in underdeveloped areas or in poorer neighborhoods, which contributed to their socioeconomic challenges. An issue still discussed without resolution is the allegation that Yemenite children were taken from transit camps and hospitals and put up for adoption by Ashkenazi families without the parents’ permission. They often had difficulty in obtaining quality education. The different customs and culture and their language difficulties made it difficult for Yemenite Jews to integrate smoothly into Israeli society. They also arrived in Israel at a time of limited resources and Ashkenazi Jews controlled these resources.

 

On the other hand, these are generalizations and many Yemenites were able to integrate very successfully and make significant contributions to Israeli society. In recent years there have been efforts to address these historical injustices and to promote a greater awareness of Mizrahi Jewish culture. This museum is but one example.

 

This predominantly religious community also had tremendous faith and internal resources that helped them overcome their difficulties. They believed that the airplanes that came to collect them after the pogroms in Yemen following the 1948 War of Independence were truly the “eagles wings” of redemption. This biblical phrase (Exodus 19:4) signifies the miraculous deliverance from Egypt experienced by the Jewish people and the providence and close relationship God has with His nation.