Join us to mark the Departure and Expulsion of Jews from the Arab Countries and Iran.
November 30 is the official memorial in Israel to mark the departure and expulsion of more than 850,000 Jews from Arab countries and Iran in the 20th century.
JW3 is hosting the official commemoration in partnership with Harif, the UK Association of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa, Sephardi Voices UK, and the S&P Sephardi Community. This year our theme will be ‘The Last Jews of Iraq’.
By 1970, just 3,000 Jews remained in Iraq from a community of 150,000; today there are only three. We will hear testimonies from those who became hostages to a regime of terror under Saddam Hussein and witnessed the Baghdad hangings of nine innocent Jews in January 1969. But we will also hear stories of hope and adventure: how 2,000 Jews escaped from Iraq in a daring smuggling operation - until it became possible to leave the country legally in 1972.
Harif
Harif (www. Harif.org) is a volunteer-run, UK charity founded in 2005 to raise awareness of the history and culture of MENA Jews. It has arranged and participated in hundreds of events, nationally and internationally, and its online programme of ‘Lockdown Lectures’ attracts a global audience. This year will be the ninth that Harif has marked the Exodus of Jewish Refugees from Arab Countries and Iran.
Sephardi Voices UK
Sephardi Voices UK (sephardivoices.org.uk) have recorded and captured the experiences of Jews from the Middle East North Africa and Iran who settled in the UK. They have carried out over 100 interviews.
The S&P Sephardi Community
The S&P Sephardi Community (sephardi.co.uk) – originally founded as The Spanish and Portuguese Jews’ Congregation of London – was founded in 1657 as a consequence of the famous petition to Cromwell in 1656. The community is comprised of Synagogues in Bevis Marks, Lauderdale Road and Wembley as well as many sister and affiliated Synagogues. They have a wide range of programming and activities open to all.
