Israel Education Committee Jews of Bahrain During our recent visit to Bahrain, Rafi and Robin Upper House of the Bahraini Parliament’s Shura Council we visited the rebuilt House of the Santiago at the House of from 2001-2005, the first Ten Commandments. This small the Ten Jewish member. His niece, synagogue serves the Jewish CommandHouda Ezra Nonoo, was community there that has dwindled ments appointed Bahraini to about fifty members from a high Synagogue Manama, ambassador to the US from of some 1,500 in the 1920s. In Bahrain 2008-2013. She is the first Jew Talmudic writings the mention of 11/18/23 and third woman appointed ports and islands in the Persian to an ambassadorship. She is the first Jewish Gulf indicate a Jewish presence. They participated in ambassador of any Middle Eastern Arab country. In the pearl industry, crucial to this area’s economy until 2006, Ebrahim Nonoo 1930, with the advent of the financed the repairs to the Japanese cultured pearl. country’s only synagogue. Arabic sources speak of Jews The synagogue is now in Hajar, the old capital, in home to the Torah gifted 630 CE. Other communities by Jared Kushner to His existed in what is now Oman and Saudi Arabia. The current Majesty King Hamad Bin Ibn Al Khalifa community is in September descended from Kushner giving the Torah The land deed to His Majesty King granting this property Jewish traders 2020. Hamad Bin Ibn Al Khalifa to the Jewish from Iraq who In 2007, the Community in 1930 migrated to Jewish population numbered only about Bahrain in the late 1800s. Others arrived thirty-six. As is often the case with small from Persia and India. Many participated communities, many of the younger in the clothing business, such as the members are leaving. Nonoo is currently family of Ebrahim Daoud Nonoo, current the CEO of the Basma head of the Jewish community. Company and president of the On December 5, 1947, rioting broke out, Association of Gulf targeting the Jewish community. A mob Jewish Communities. looted Jewish homes and shops, The Covering They are happy to be murdering one elderly woman. The of the Ark able to worship publicly synagogue was destroyed along with the for the first time in almost 75 years. Torah. Some Jews found safety among their Bahraini Only time will tell what the future friends. About two-thirds of Jews left after the riots, View of the holds for this community. going first to India, then Israel (Pardes Hannasynagogue Karkur) and Britain. There was more rioting after the entrance ~ Robin Santiago 6 Day War in 1967 and most of the remaining 500+ Jews emigrated. Ebrahim Daoud Nonoo, Ebrahim Nonoo, a Jewish businessman CO-CHAIRS: Sharon Efron, 860-559-4010; 9/4/21, in the and community leader, sgredancer@yahoo.com; Robin Santiago, synagogue 860-490-7661, Robin@rsantiagodmd.com sat in the appointed
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