Israel recognized the Yemeni Jews who made aliyah and commemorated those who passed away during the journey, in an initiative led by Shas MK Yonatan Mashriki on Monday.
The law, passed in February, marks the 15th of the Hebrew month of Kislev, which falls ten days before Hanukkah, as a day to “commemorate the immigration of Yemenite Jews to Israel and to commemorate those who perished on the way to Israel,” according to the text of the law.
As part of the commemoration, the law stipulates that the Knesset will hold a special session and the Heritage Ministry will conduct a seminar on the topic. The law also instructs the Education Ministry to create educational material for schools to teach on the day.
Education Ministry official Yaniv Messinger promised that in addition to creating educational resources, the ministry is “trying to instill in teachers sensitivity to the different ethnic backgrounds that the children come from and to address each child's family tradition.”
Jewish roots in Yemen
Following Israel’s 1948 declaration of independence, Arab countries expelled close to one million Jews, despite the length of their history in their home countries. Yemen was no different, and in an operation known as “Operation Magic Carpet,” Israel brought roughly 50,000 Yemenite Jews to the newly established state.
Today, close to half a million Jews in Israel have Yemenite ancestry, making up around 5% of the country’s Jewish population.
During the frantic operation, plane after plane collected Yemenite Jews from locations within Yemen. The date chosen for the commemoration, the 15th of Kislev, corresponds to the day that the first plane in the operation departed.
Within two years, 50,000 community members had successfully arrived in Israel. Despite the relative success of the operation, hundreds died on the way due to the harsh conditions faced by the community.
Upon their arrival, Yemeni Jews were crammed into absorption camps known as ma'abarot, where thousands upon thousands of recently immigrated Jews, often from Sephardic or Mizrachi backgrounds, lived in tents and experienced substandard living conditions.
Despite contributions, Yemenite immigrants face problems
Despite challenges, Israel’s Yemenite Jews integrated into wider society, and today, Israelis of Yemenite ancestry are a crucial component of Israel. According to MK Yosef Taieb, “members of the Yemenite community distinguished themselves in combat units, in culture, and it is impossible to talk about Yemenite Jews without mentioning their music, poetry, and the new sounds they brought with them.”
“They are a wonderful example of how a community can integrate into Israel while maintaining its identity and tradition.”
Yemen’s Jewish population dates back to before the destruction of the Second Temple, and a Jewish kingdom even existed during the fourth century CE.
Despite religious oppression by Islamic rulers, the Yemenite Jewish culture thrived in its long and rich history. Today, however, only one Jew is known to live in Yemen.