[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
In a secret operation involving the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Absorption, 17 Yemenite Jews arrived in Eretz Yisrael on Wednesday, 8 Elul 5773. Four parents from Yemen arrived in Ben-Gurion International Airport to be united with their children who were living in Argentina as members of the Satmar community. They will all be living in an absorption center in southern Israel.
The operation began in August 2011. Satmar Chassidim reportedly persuaded a group of 30 Jews in Yemen to come to London, promising they would receive refugee status. After they left Yemen they learned they would not be permitted to enter the UK and they would have to come to the Satmar community in Argentina. Among the members of that group were the six children of Yechiyah Karni and four children of Chaim Karni. Now they are all united in Eretz Yisrael.
The situation for Yemenite Jewry has continued to deteriorate since 2008, when Moshe Nahari HY”D was murdered. In 2012, another member of the community, Rav Aaron Zandani HY”D was murdered as well. Following the murders the pace of aliyah from that country has picked up and with the assistance of the Jewish Agency for Israel, 151 Jews have arrived in Israel. Since Rosh Hashanah 5773, 45 Jews arrived in Israel from Yemen. Officials estimate less than 90 Jews remain in Yemen today.
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(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
Glad they are united as ONE in Israel rather than Argentina. Thank you Israel for uniting the family, may they see success in spiritual and material paths.
i would like to hear more about their fitting in eretz yisroel?
wow! emotional indeed. But gotta figure this out. Those kids look like they left a while ago; earlier. And their reuniting with their father. But the women at the sides don’t have that emotional reunion or reaction like the men. Very interesting!!! Hopefully, all yidden in yemen cud have hatzlacha in slipping out of their soon. Umein!
can someone knowlegable explain their customs to me? Why do the women wear burquas? is it because they are forced to in Yemen, or will they continue that in ISrael? or is it by choice? Were they “assimilated” as Arabs> ? also why were the men dressed so “western”. forgive my ignorance, but do they live “western” lives in Yemen? or have they constantly been persecuted? and if so, why havent they been able to be smuggled to Israel sooner? Also, were they seperated from their children for an entire year? Also, do they speak arabic,? they dont seem from the interview, to speak much Hebrew… thanks i am very curious to know about their culture. We live in such a (frum) vacuum that i always associated the “typical” Israeli “taimani” with long curled payos and dark skin Sfardi , Hebrew speaking Israeli, as a typical Jew from Yemen, and these people look much different..
from the look of their family who have been in the ”zionist paradise” for some time, they would be better off in Argentina
Kolemes: I dont understand your comment.
#5 what are you talking about, you can go to argentina
Hello hello.
The kids have been in Argentina for 2 years and are now reuniting with their parents (why are the mothers so unemotional???). There are many successful Teimani kehillos in Israel #5, #2, yes it will take some time to adapt as it does for most olim to Eretz Yisroel. Try to sometimes think positive!!!