Kurdish Jews in

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

are immigrants and descendants of the immigrants of the Kurdish Jewish communities, who now reside within the state of Israel. They number between 200,000 to 500,000.

History

Immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, ...

of Kurdish Jews to the

Land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Isr ...

initiated during the late 16th century, with a community of rabbinic scholars arriving to

Safed Safed (known in Hebrew as Tzfat; Sephardic Hebrew & Modern Hebrew: צְפַת ''Tsfat'', Ashkenazi Hebrew: ''Tzfas'', Biblical Hebrew: ''Ṣǝp̄aṯ''; ar, صفد, ''Ṣafad''), is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elev ...

Galilee Galilee (; he, הַגָּלִיל, hagGālīl; ar, الجليل, al-jalīl) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and Lower Gali ...

, and a Kurdish Jewish quarter had been established there as a result. The thriving period of Safed however ended in 1660, with Druze power struggles in the region and an economic decline. Many Kurdish Jews, especially the ones who hail from

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

, went through a

Sephardic Jewish Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefa ...

blending during the 18th century. Since the early 20th century, some Kurdish Jews had been active in the

Zionist Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after '' Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...

movement. One of the most famous members of

Lehi Lehi (; he, לח"י – לוחמי חרות ישראל ''Lohamei Herut Israel – Lehi'', "Fighters for the Freedom of Israel – Lehi"), often known pejoratively as the Stern Gang,"This group was known to its friends as LEHI and to its enemie ...

(''Freedom Fighters of Israel'') was

Moshe Barazani Moshe Barazani, also Barzani ( he, משה ברזני; June 14, 1926 – April 21, 1947), was an Iraqi-born Kurdish Jew and a member of Lehi ("Freedom Fighters of Israel," aka the "Stern Gang") underground movement in pre-state Mandate Palestin ...

, whose family immigrated from Iraq and settled in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

in the late 1920s. In 1939, there were 4,369 in Jerusalem, growing to 30,000 in 1972. The vast majority of Kurdish Jews were forced out by Iraqi authorities, being evacuated to Israel in the early 1950s, together with other

Iraqi Jewish The history of the Jews in Iraq ( he, יְהוּדִים בָּבְלִים, ', ; ar, اليهود العراقيون, ) is documented from the time of the Babylonian captivity c. 586 BC. Iraqi Jews constitute one of the world's oldest and mos ...

community. The vast majority of the Kurdish Jews of

Iranian Kurdistan Iranian Kurdistan or Eastern Kurdistan ( ku, ڕۆژھەڵاتی کوردستان, translit=Rojhilatê Kurdistanê) is an unofficial name for the parts of northwestern Iran with either a majority or sizable population of Kurds. Geographically, it ...

relocated mostly to Israel as well, in the 1950s.

The Times of Israel ''The Times of Israel'' is an Israeli multi-language online newspaper that was launched in 2012. It was co-founded by Israeli journalist David Horovitz, who is also the founding editor, and American billionaire investor Seth Klarman.

reported on September 30, 2013: "Today, there are almost 200,000 Kurdish Jews in Israel, about half of whom live in Jerusalem. There are also over 30 agricultural villages throughout the country that were founded by Kurdish Jews." Today, the large majority of the Jews of "Kurdistan" and their descendants live in Israel.

Settlements

* Agur *

Avital Avital ( he, אֲבִיטַל) is a moshav in northern Israel. Located ten kilometers south of Afula, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gilboa Regional Council. In its population was . History The village was founded in 1953 by immigrants from ...

* Azaria * Beit Yosef * Givolim *

Ein HaEmek Ein HaEmek ( he, עֵין הָעֵמֶק, ''lit.'' Eye of the Valley) is a community settlement in northern Israel. Located near Yokneam, it falls under the jurisdiction of Megiddo Regional Council. As of it had a population of . History The vi ...

* Ein Ya'akov * Even Sapir * Meitav * Mlilot *

Nes Harim Nes Harim ( he, נֵס הָרִים, ''lit.'' Banner of the Mountains) is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Judean foothills near Beit Shemesh and eight kilometers west of Jerusalem,Neve Michael Neve Michael ( he, נְוֵה מִיכָאֵל, ''lit.'' Michael's Haven) also known as Roglit, is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Adullam region and built upon an eminence in the far south-east end of the Elah Valley, it falls under th ...

* Patish *

Prazon Prazon ( he, פְּרָזוֹן) is a moshav in northern Israel. Located in the Ta'anakh region, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gilboa Regional Council. In it had a population of . History The village was founded in 1953 by immigrants to Isr ...

* Sdei Trumot *

Shibolim Shibolim ( he, שִׁבֳּלִים, ''lit.'' Ears) is a religious moshav in southern Israel. Located near Netivot and covering 4,000 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Sdot Negev Regional Council. In it had a population of . Histor ...

Talmei Bilu Talmei Bilu ( he, תַּלְמֵי בִּיל"וּ, ''lit.'' Bilu Furrows) is a moshav in southern Israel. Located in the north-western Negev near Netivot and Rahat, it falls under the jurisdiction of Merhavim Regional Council. In it had a popula ...

Revaha Revaha ( he, רְוָחָה, ''lit.'' prosperity) is a religious moshav in south-central Israel. Located in the southern Shephelah near Kiryat Gat, it falls under the jurisdiction of Shafir Regional Council. In it had a population of . History R ...

Yardena Yardena ( he, יַרְדֵּנָה) is a moshav in northern Israel. Located on route 90, 13 kilometers north of Beit She'an, it falls under the jurisdiction of Valley of Springs Regional Council. In it had a population of . History Yardena was ...

Zekharia Zekharia ( he, זְכַרְיָה) is a moshav in central Israel. Located near Beit Shemesh, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council. In it had a population of . Geography Zekharia is located off the road between Beit G ...

Notable people

* Zvi Bar *

Yosef Shiloach Yosef Shiloach ( he, יוסף שילוח; July 9, 1941 – January 3, 2011) was an Israeli actor. Biography Yosef Shiloach was born in Kurdistan. He immigrated to Israel at the age of nine.Yitzhak Mordechai Yitzhak "Itzik" Mordechai ( he, יצחק מרדכי, born 22 November 1944) is an Israeli former general and politician. He served as a member of the Knesset between 1996 and 2001, and as Minister of Defense and Minister of Transport. He retire ...

Itzik Kala Itzhak "Itzik" Kala ( he, איציק קלה) is an Israeli singer of Kurdish-Jewish descent who sings in Aramaic, Kurdish and Hebrew. He has released over 30 studio albums. He is married to Ziona Kala. In late 2012 his wife was severely injur ...

Mickey Levy Mickey Levy ( he, מִיקִי לֵוִי, born 21 June 1951) is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid and is a former Speaker of the Knesset. He served as Deputy Minister of Finance between 2013 an ...

Mossi Raz Moshe "Mossi" Raz ( he, מֹשֶׁה "מוּסִי" רָז, born 19 December 1965) is an Israeli politician. He was a member of the Knesset for Meretz in three spells between 2000 and 2022. Early life Born in Jerusalem to Kurdish-Jewish parent ...

* Ran Raz *

Yona Sabar Yona Sabar ( he, יוֹנָה צַבָּר, born 1938 in Zakho, Iraq) is a Kurdistani Jewish scholar, linguist and researcher. He is professor ''emeritus'' of Hebrew at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a native speaker of Northeas ...

* Uri Malmilian * Haviv Shimoni *

Itzik Shmuli Yitzhak (Itzik) Shmuli (; born 8 February 1980) is an Israeli politician who served as the Minister of Labor, Welfare and Social Services and as a Member of the Knesset on behalf of the Israeli Labor Party; formerly chairman of National Union o ...

* Zvi Yehezkeli * Miki Geva *

Or Sasson Or "Ori" Sasson ( he, אור "אורי" ששון; born 18 August 1990) is a retired Israeli Olympic judoka. He won a bronze medal in the +100 kg category at the 2016 Summer Olympics and another one at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He is the se ...

Itamar Ben-Gvir Itamar Ben-Gvir ( he, אִיתָמָר בֶּן גְּבִיר; born 6 May 1976) is an Israeli lawyer and politician, who serves as the Minister of National Security. He is additionally a member of the Knesset and leader of Otzma Yehudit. He h ...

* Idan Amedi *

Yehezkel Zakai Yehezkel Zakai (; 24 April 1932 – 31 March 2021) was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Alignment between 1977 and 1984. Biography Born in Kurdistan in Iraq in 1932, Zakai made aliyah to Israel in 1950. He jo ...

References

Israeli Jews by region Ethnic groups in Israel Ethnic groups in the Middle East {{Israel-stub

History

Settlements

Notable people

See also

References