From the Arab Expansion until the 1960s,

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...

s were a significant part of the population of

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

countries. Before 1948, an estimated 900,000 Jews lived in what are now Arab states. Here is a list of some prominent Jews from the Arab World, arranged by country of birth.

Al-Andalus

* Dunash ben Labrat, commentator, poet, and grammarian * Mūsā ibn Maymūn, medieval philosopher and Torah scholar * Abu Harun Musa bin Ya'acub ibn Ezra, philosopher and linguist *

Hasdai ibn Shaprut Hasdai (Abu Yusuf ben Yitzhak ben Ezra) ibn Shaprut ( he, חסדאי אבן שפרוט; ar, حسداي بن شبروط, Abu Yussuf ibn Shaprut) born about 915 at Jaén, Spain; died about 970 at Córdoba, Andalusia, was a Jewish scholar, ph ...

, scholar, physician, and diplomat

Algeria

Isaac Alfasi Isaac ben Jacob Alfasi ha-Cohen (1013–1103) ( ar, إسحاق الفاسي, he, ר' יצחק אלפסי) - also known as the Alfasi or by his Hebrew acronym Rif (Rabbi Isaac al-Fasi), was a Maghrebi Talmudist and posek (decider in matters of ...

, Talmudist and posek; best known for his work of ''

halakha ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...

''Leonard Levy, ''R. Yitzhaq Alfasi's application of principles of adjudication in Halakhot Rabbati'', footnotes 11-27 *

Jacques Attali Jacques José Mardoché Attali (; born 1 November 1943) is a French economic and social theorist, writer, political adviser and senior civil servant, who served as a counselor to President François Mitterrand from 1981 to 1991, and was the firs ...

, economist, writer *

Cheb i Sabbah Cheb i Sabbah"Jewish DJ Captivates Arab Ears"
''

Lili Boniche, musician * Patrick Bruel, singer, actor * Alain Chabat, actor *

Hélène Cixous Hélène Cixous (; ; born 5 June 1937) is a French writer, playwright and literary critic. She is known for her experimental writing style and great versatility as a writer and thinker, her work dealing with multiple genres: theater, literary a ...

, feminist writer *

Claude Cohen-Tannoudji Claude Cohen-Tannoudji (; born 1 April 1933) is a French physicist. He shared the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics with Steven Chu and William Daniel Phillips for research in methods of laser cooling and trapping atoms. Currently he is still an activ ...

, physicist, Nobel prize (1997) * Jacques Derrida, deconstructionist philosopher See also . *

Alphonse Halimi Alphonse Halimi (February 18, 1932 – November 12, 2006) was a French boxer. He took the World Bantamweight Championship on April 1, 1957, in Paris, and the European Bantamweight Championship three years later. Early life He was born in Consta ...

, boxer; World Bantamweight champion *

Roger Hanin Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ...

, film actor and director *

Bernard-Henri Lévy Bernard-Henri Lévy (; ; born 5 November 1948) is a French public intellectual. Often referred to in France simply as BHL, he was one of the leaders of the " Nouveaux Philosophes" (New Philosophers) movement in 1976. His opinions, political acti ...

, French philosopher * Enrico Macias (Gaston Ghrenassia), French singer *

Line Monty Line Monty, born as Éliane Serfati, also known by her stage name Leïla Fateh (1926 in Algiers – 19 August 2003 in Paris), was a Jewish Algerian singer who sang in Arabic and French. Career She first appeared on a short movie by Alberto Spado ...

(Eliane Sarfati), Algerian singerLine Monty - La Française qui chante si bien l'arabe
at jechantemagazine.net, retrieved May 10th 2019 *

Reinette l'Oranaise Sultana Daoud (also known as Reinette l'Oranaise; 1918 in Tiaret, French Algeria – 17 November 1998, in Paris) was an Algerian Jewish singer, who helped preserve Arab-Andalus music, as well as introducing the genre to European audiences. Early l ...

, famous Algerian singer from Oran. Known as one of Oran's respected artists. Best known for Nhabek Nhabek and Mazal Haï Mazal''

Bahrain

Menasheh Idafar Menasheh Idafar (born 13 March 1991) is a British-Bahraini racing driver with dual citizenship. In 2010 he competed in the British Formula 3 Championship and won the National Class. Menasheh is part of the small Jewish community of Bahrain. His ...

, of Iraqi descent, former Bahraini/British racing driver with dual citizenship *

Nancy Khedouri Nancy Dinah Elly Khedouri ( ar, نانسي دينا إيلي خضوري; he, נאנסי ח'דורי; born 1975) is a Bahraini politician, businesswoman and writer. She has been a National Assembly of Bahrain member since 2010. Biography The Kh ...

, of Iraqi descent , current member of parliament, of Iraqi originIsmaeel Naar
Retracing Bahrain’s Jewish contributions to Gulf economics and politics
''Alarabiya.net'', 26 February 2017 * Ebrahim Daoud Nonoo, of Iraqi descent , former member of parliament *

Houda Ezra Nonoo Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo ( ar, هدى عزرا نونو; born 7 September 1964) served as the Bahraini Ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2013. She was appointed to the position by decree of Foreign Affairs Minister Khaled Ben Ahmad Al ...

, of Iraqi descent, former member of parliament and former Ambassador of Bahrain to the US *

Misha Nonoo Misha Nonoo is a US-based British-Bahraini fashion designer, best known for her eponymous line of women's ready-to-wear. Early life Nonoo was born in Bahrain to an Iraqi father of Jewish descent and an English mother. Her family moved to Londo ...

, of British-Iraqi descent, US-based British-Bahraini fashion designer

Egypt

André Aciman André Aciman (; born 2 January 1951) is an Italian-American writer. Born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, he is currently a distinguished professor at the Graduate Center of City University of New York, where he teaches the history of litera ...

, writer and academic *

Guy Béart Guy Béhart-Hasson (; 16 July 1930 – 16 September 2015), known as Guy Béart, was a French singer and songwriter. Life and career Béart was born Guy Béhart-Hasson (originally spelled Béhar-Hassan) in Cairo, Egypt, to a Sephardic Jewish f ...

, French singer *

Eli Cohen Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen ( he, אֱלִיָּהוּ בֵּן שָׁאוּל כֹּהֵן‎, ar, إيلياهو بن شاؤول كوهين‎; 6 December 1924 – 18 May 1965), commonly known as Eli Cohen, was an Egyptian-born Israel ...

, celebrated Israeli spy * Sir Ronald Cohen, Egyptian-born businessman * Jacques Hassoun, psychoanalyst, writer *

Aura Herzog Aura Herzog (Hebrew: אורה הרצוג) ( Ambache, 24 December 1924 – 10 January 2022) was an Israeli social and environmental activist, who served as the First Lady of Israel from 1983 to 1993; she was the wife of Chaim Herzog, the sixth P ...

, widow of

Chaim Herzog Major-General Chaim Herzog ( he, חיים הרצוג; 17 September 1918 – 17 April 1997) was an Irish-born Israeli politician, general, lawyer and author who served as the sixth President of Israel between 1983 and 1993. Born in Belfast and ...

, sixth President of the State of

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 ...

* Eric Hobsbawm, historian (Jewish-Polish and -German parents living in Cairo) *

Isaac Israeli ben Solomon Isaac Israeli ben Solomon (Hebrew: יצחק בן שלמה הישראלי, ''Yitzhak ben Shlomo ha-Yisraeli''; Arabic: أبو يعقوب إسحاق بن سليمان الإسرائيلي, ''Abu Ya'qub Ishaq ibn Suleiman al-Isra'ili'') ( 832 &ndas ...

, physician and philosopher living in the Arab world * Edmond Jabès, poet * Paula Jacques, writer, journalist, radio show producerAlan Astro (2009)
Paula Jacques
''Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia'' * Jacqueline Kahanoff, writer * Ranan Lurie, political cartoonist *

Moshe Marzouk Moshe Marzouk ( he, משה מרזוק; or Musa Lieto Marzuk, ar, موسى ليتو مرزوق; born 20 December 1926 – 31 January 1955) was an Egyptian Karaite Jew, hanged in 1955 for his involvement in a series of bombings in Cairo coden ...

, doctor *

Roland Moreno Roland Moreno (11 June 1945 – 29 April 2012) was an Egyptian inventor, engineer, humorist and author who was the inventor of the smart card. Moreno's smart card, or ''la carte à puce'' in French, was little known internationally. However, he b ...

, engineer, inventor of the Smart Card * Layla Murad, singer *

Haim Saban Haim Saban (; he, חיים סבן; born October 15, 1944) is an Israeli-American media proprietor, investor, and producer of records, film, and television. A businessman with interests in financial services, entertainment, and media, and an e ...

, TV producer * Saadia ben Yosef, rabbi *

Sylvain Sylvain Sylvain Mizrahi (February 14, 1951 – January 13, 2021), known professionally as Sylvain Sylvain, was an American rock guitarist, most notable for being a member of the New York Dolls. Early years Sylvain was born in Cairo, Egypt, to a Jewish ...

(Sylvain Mizrahi), guitarist for New York Dolls *

Bat Ye'or ) , birth_date = , birth_place = Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt , death_date= , death_place= , occupation = Writer , nationality = British , signature= , alma_mater = University College LondonUniversity of Geneva , genre= , notableworks = '' The Declin ...

, historian * Avraham Yosef, rabbi *

Yaakov Yosef Ya'akov Yosef ( he, יעקב יוסף; 18 October 1946 – 12 April 2013) was an Israeli rabbi and politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Shas between 1984 and 1988. Early life Ya'akov Yosef (Jacob Joseph) was born in Jerusale ...

, rabbi *

Ahmed Zayat Ahmed Zayat (; ar, أحمد الزيات), (born August 31, 1962) is an Egyptian American businessman and owner of Thoroughbred race horses. He is the CEO of Zayat Stables, LLC, a Thoroughbred horse racing business which bred and owns the 20 ...

, entrepreneur and owner of Zayat Stables LLC

Iraq

* Many

Tannaim ''Tannaim'' ( Amoraic Hebrew: תנאים , singular , ''Tanna'' "repeaters", "teachers") were the rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishnah, from approximately 10–220 CE. The period of the ''Tannaim'', also referred to as the Mis ...

and Amoraim, including: **

Abba Arika Abba Arikha (175–247 CE; Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: ; born: ''Rav Abba bar Aybo'', ), commonly known as Rav (), was a Jewish amora of the 3rd century. He was born and lived in Kafri, Asoristan, in the Sasanian Empire. Abba Arikha establis ...

, "Rabh", amora ** Shmuel Yarchina'ah, "Mar Samuel", or

Samuel of Nehardea Samuel of Nehardea or Samuel bar Abba, often simply called Samuel (Hebrew: שמואל) and occasionally Mar Samuel, was a Jewish Amora of the first generation; son of Abba bar Abba and head of the Yeshiva at Nehardea, Babylonia. He was a teacher ...

, amora **

Rav Huna Rav Huna (Hebrew: רב הונא) was a Jewish Talmudist and Exilarch who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the second generation and head of the Academy of Sura; he was born about 216 (212 according to Gratz) and died in 296-297 (608 of ...

Rav Chisda Rav Ḥisda ( he, רב חסדא) was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Kafri, Asoristan in Lower Mesopotamia near what is now the city of Najaf, Iraq. He was an amora of the third generation (died c. 320 CE at the age of ninety-twoMoed Kattan 28a) ...

Abaye Abaye ( he, אַבַּיֵי) was a rabbi of the Jewish Talmud who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the fourth generation. He was born about the close of the third century, and died 337 CE. Biography His father, Kaylil, was the brother ...

, amora **

Rav Papa Rav Pappa ( he, רַב פַּפָּא) (c. 300 – died 375) was a Babylonian rabbi, of the fifth generation of amoraim. Biography He was a student of Rava and Abaye. After the death of his teachers he founded a school at Naresh, a city near ...

, amora **

Rav Ashi Rav Ashi ( he, רב אשי) ("Rabbi Ashi") (352–427) was a Babylonian Jewish rabbi, of the sixth generation of amoraim. He reestablished the Academy at Sura and was the first editor of the Babylonian Talmud. Biography According to a trad ...

(Abana), rav, amora * Anan ben David, founder of Qara'ism *

Alan Yentob Alan Yentob (born 11 March 1947) is a BBC presenter and retired British television executive. He stepped down as Creative Director in December 2015, and was chairman of the board of trustees of the charity Kids Company from 2003 until its colla ...

, television executive, broadcaster * Avi Shlaim, Oxford Professor *

Binyamin Ben-Eliezer Binyamin "Fuad" Ben-Eliezer (, he, בנימין "פואד" בן אליעזר; 12 February 1936 – 28 August 2016) was an Iraqi-born Israeli politician and general. He served as a member of the Knesset between 1984 and 2014, and held several min ...

, politician *

Dodai ben Nahman Dodai ben Nahman (Hebrew : דודאי בן נחמן or Rav Dorai, Hebrew: רב דוראי) was a Babylonian-Jewish scholar of the 8th century and gaon of the Talmudic academy at Pumbedita (761–764). Little is known of his life. He was a bro ...

, scholar * Shlomo Hillel, diplomat and politician * Ya'qub Bilbul, poet * Sir Sassoon Eskell, statesman and financier *

Marcus Samuel, 1st Viscount Bearsted Marcus Samuel, 1st Viscount Bearsted, (5 November 1853 – 17 January 1927), known as Sir Marcus Samuel between 1898 and 1921 and subsequently as The Lord Bearsted until 1925, was a Lord Mayor of London and the founder of the Shell Transport and ...

, Lord Mayor of London, businessman * Naeim Giladi, writer * Sir Naim Dangoor, entrepreneur and philanthropist * N.J. Dawood, translator of Koran *

Hakham ''Hakham'' (or ''chakam(i), haham(i), hacham(i)''; he, חכם ', "wise") is a term in Judaism, meaning a wise or skillful man; it often refers to someone who is a great Torah scholar. It can also refer to any cultured and learned person: "He ...

Yosef Chayyim of Baghdad, "

Ben Ish Chai Yosef Hayim (1 September 1835 – 30 August 1909) ( Iraqi Hebrew: Yoseph Ḥayyim; he, יוסף חיים מבגדאד) was a leading Baghdadi ''hakham'' (Sephardi rabbi), authority on ''halakha'' (Jewish law), and Master Kabbalist. He is best ...

" * Yitzchak Kadouri, rabbi and kabbalist * Yitzhak Yamin, painter and sculptor *

Hila Klein Hila Klein (; born December 12, 1986) is an Israeli-American YouTuber, designer, and businesswoman. She is known for co-creating the channel h3h3Productions—on which she is a host alongside her husband, Ethan Klein—and is also the founding ...

, member of American-

i husband and wife duo

h3h3Productions h3h3Productions is a YouTube channel hosted by Ethan Klein and Hila Klein, an Israeli-American husband-and-wife duo. The majority of their content consists of reaction videos and sketch comedy in which they satirize internet culture. The ''H3 ...

, best known for their

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

channel of the same name. Family is of mixed Libyan and

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 ...

heritage *

Elie Kedourie Elie Kedourie (25 January 1926, Baghdad – 29 June 1992, Washington) was a British historian of the Middle East. He wrote from a liberal perspective, dissenting from many points of view taken as orthodox in the field. From 1953 to 1990, he t ...

, historian * Jessica Meir, astronaut, physiologist *

Sami Michael Sami Michael ( he, סמי מיכאל, ar, سامي ميخائيل; born August 15, 1926) is an Israeli author, having migrated from Iraq to Israel at the age of 23. Since 2001, Michael has been the President of The Association for Civil Rights ...

^*, writer * Shafiq Ades, wealthy businessman * Samir Naqqash, novelist *

Selim Zilkha Selim Zilkha (born 1927) is an Iraqi-born British entrepreneur, who founded Mothercare, one of the UK's largest retail chains until it was put into administration in 2019. Early life Zilkha was born in 1927 in Baghdad to an Iraqi Jewish family, t ...

, entrepreneur *

Maurice Maurice may refer to: People * Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr * Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and ...

& Charles Saatchi, advertising executives * Yona Sabar, scholar, linguist and researcher * David Sassoon, merchant, and Sassoon family *

Yaakov Chaim Sofer Yaakov Chaim Sofer (1870–1939) (Hebrew: יעקב חיים סופר) was a Sephardi rabbi, Kabbalist, Talmudist and ''posek''. He is the author of ''Kaf Hachaim'', a work of halakha that he came to be known by. Biography Sofer was born in Bagh ...

, rabbi *

Ovadia Yosef Ovadia Yosef ( he, , Ovadya Yosef, ; September 24, 1920 – October 7, 2013) was an Iraqi-born Talmudic scholar, a posek, the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1973 to 1983, and a founder and long-time spiritual leader of Israel's ultra-Orthod ...

, rabbi

Kuwait

* Saleh and Daoud Al-Kuwaity, singers of Iranian-Iraqi descent

Libya

* George Borba, footballer * Hila Klein, member of American-

i husband and wife duo

, best known for their

channel of the same name. Family is of mixed Libyan and

heritage * Moses Hacmon, Israeli artist and architect. Family is of mixed Libyan Jewish, Turkish Jewish and

heritage

Lebanon

David Nahmad David Nahmad (born 1947) is a Monegasque billionaire and former fine art dealer.
A descendant of a

, backgammon champion and art dealerPeter Aspden (December 21, 2012)
Art dealer who bought and sold with immaculate timing
''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Ni ...

''. *

Yfrah Neaman Professor Yfrah Neaman, OBE FGSM (13 February 1923 – 4 January 2003), was a concert violinist and an instructor. Early life Neaman was born in Sidon, Lebanon. He lived in Tel Aviv until 1932 when he moved to Paris to study at the Paris ...

, violinist * Gad Saad, evolutionary behavioral scientist *

Edmond Safra Edmond J. Safra ( ar, ادموند يعقوب صفرا; 6 August 1932 – 3 December 1999) was a Lebanese-Brazilian banker who continued the family tradition of banking in Brazil and Switzerland. He was married to Lily Watkins from 1976 until ...

, billionaire banker *

Jacob Safra Jacob Safra ( ar, يعقوب صفرا; 1891 – 27 May 1963) was a Syrian-Lebanese banker. The Safras were bankers and gold traders engaged in the financing of trade between Beirut, Aleppo, Istanbul and Alexandria. Biography The Safra family w ...

, founder of Jacob E. Safra Bank *

Joseph Safra Joseph Safra ( ar, يوسف صفرا‎; 1 September 1938 – 10 December 2020) was a Swiss-based Lebanese Brazilian banker and billionaire businessman, who ran the Brazilian banking and investment empire, Safra Group. Joseph Safra was the ch ...

, chairman of all Safra companies

Morocco

Michel Abitbol Michel Abitbol ( he, מיכאל אביטבול; born 14 April 1943 in Casablanca, Morocco) is a Moroccan-Israeli historian. He is considered an expert on the history of Morocco and the history the Jews of North Africa. In the 80s, he gave cour ...

, academic at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem *

Amram Aburbeh Amram Aburbeh ( he, עמרם אבורביע, 1892– 1966), also spelled Abourabia and Aburabia, was the Chief Rabbi of the Sephardic congregation in Petah Tikva, Israel and author of ''Netivei Am'', a collection of responsa, sermons, and ...

Sephardi 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 ...

Dayan, Scholar Chief Rabbi of Petah Tikva born in Tetouan. Best known of his work ''Netivei-Am'' *

Shlomo Amar Shlomo Moshe Amar ( he, שלמה משה עמאר; ar, سليمان موسى عمار; born April 1, 1948)Gantz, Nesanel. "A Chief Rabbi of the Past and Future". '' Ami'', November 5, 2014, pp. 26-27. is the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Isra ...

Chief Rabbi of

* Robert Assaraf, historian and writer *

André Azoulay André Azoulay ( ar, أندري أزولاي, Berber: ⴰⵏⴷⵔⵉ ⴰⵣⵓⵍⴰⵢ, born 17 April 1941) is a Moroccan Jewish senior adviser to king Mohammed VI of Morocco.

, advisor to Kings

Hassan II Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to: People * Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name *Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scotti ...

and

Mohammed VI Muhammad VI may refer to: * Muhammad Imaaduddeen VI (1868–1932), sultan of the Maldives from 1893 to 1902 * Mehmed VI (1861–1926), sultan of Ottoman Empire, from 1918 to 1922 * Mohammed VI of Morocco Mohammed VI ( ar, محمد الساد ...

Shlomo Ben-Ami Shlomo Ben-Ami ( he, שלמה בן עמי; born 17 July 1943) is a former Israeli diplomat, politician, and historian. Biography Shlomo Benabou (later Ben-Ami) was born in Tangiers, Morocco. He immigrated to Israel in 1955. He was educated at T ...

, Israeli diplomat, politician and author born in

Tangier Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the capi ...

Ralph Benmergui Raphael "Ralph" Benmergui (born 1955) is a Canadian television and radio personality, a writer, an ordained spiritual director, and a strategic advisor in political, environmental, and academic realms. Early life and education Born to a Sephard ...

, Canadian media personality, born in Tangier * Raphael Berdugo, dayan, scholar, and rabbi * Salomon Berdugo, poet and rabbi from

Meknes Meknes ( ar, مكناس, maknās, ; ber, ⴰⵎⴽⵏⴰⵙ, amknas; french: Meknès) is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco, located in northern central Morocco and the sixth largest city by population in the kingdom. Founded in the 11th c ...

Frida Boccara Danielle Frida Hélène Boccara (29 October 1940 – 1 August 1996) was a Moroccan-born French singer of Italian descent, who performed and recorded in a number of languages, including French, Spanish, English, Italian, German, Dutch and Russ ...

, singer from Casablanca * Aryeh Deri, Israeli politician, a former leader of

Shas Shas ( he, ש״ס) is a Haredi religious political party in Israel. Founded in 1984 under the leadership of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a former Israeli Sephardi chief rabbi, who remained its spiritual leader until his death in October 2013, it primarily ...

Party * Edmond Amran El Maleh, writer * André Elbaz, painter and filmmaker from

El Jadida El Jadida (, ; originally known in Berber as Maziɣen or Mazighen; known in Portuguese as Mazagão) is a major port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, located 96 km south of the city of Casablanca, in the province of El Jadida and the ...

Gad Elmaleh Gad Elmaleh ( ar, جاد المالح, Latn, ar, Gād el-Māleḥ; born 19 April 1971) is a Moroccan-Canadian stand-up comedian and actor who achieved fame in France, Morocco and the United States. He is best known in the French-speaking wor ...

, humorist, actor * Serge Haroche, Nobel-winning physicist * David Hassine, liturgic poet and rabbi * Dunash ben Labrat, grammarian, poet * David Levy, Israeli politician *

Nahum Ma'arabi Nahum Ma'arabi ( he, נחום מערבי, literally "Nahum of the west"; also called Ma'aravi or Maghrabi) was a Moroccan Hebrew poet and translator of the thirteenth century. His poems are found only in Moroccan collections. Two of his liturgical ...

, Hebrew poet and translator of the 13th century *

Chalom Messas Shalom Messas (Hebrew: שלום משאש) was a Sephardic rabbi and scholar who served as Chief Rabbi of Morocco, and later as Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. Biography Messas was born in Meknes, Morocco in 1909. He was the son of Rabbi Mimoun Mess ...

, Grand Rabbi of

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

until 2003 * David Messas, Grand Rabbi of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

since 1995 *

Amir Peretz Amir Peretz ( he, עָמִיר פֶּרֶץ; born on 9 March 1952) is an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Labor Party. A Knesset member almost continuously from 1988 to 2021, he has served as Minister of Defen ...

, Israeli politician, leader of the Labour Party * David Rebibo, congregational rabbi and Jewish day school dean in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...

Baba Sali Israel Abuhatzeira ( he, ר׳ יִשְׂרָאֵל אַבּוּחַצִירָא), known as the Baba Sali ( ar, بابا صلى, he, בַּאבָּא סָאלִי, lit. "Praying Father") (1889–1984) was a leading Moroccan Sephardic rabbi and ka ...

, rabbi * Abraham Serfaty, political activist *

Meir Sheetrit Meir Sheetrit ( he, מאיר שטרית, born 10 October 1948) is an Israeli politician. He served as a member of the Knesset in two spells for Likud between 1981 and 1988, and again from 1992 until 2005, when he joined Kadima. He remained a Kne ...

, Israeli politician of

Kadima Kadima ( he, קדימה, lit=''Forward'') was a centrist and liberal political party in Israel. It was established on 24 November 2005 by moderates from Likud largely following the implementation of Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement pl ...

* Avi Toledano, singer who competed at the Eurovision Song Contest *

Mordechai Vanunu Mordechai Vanunu ( he, מרדכי ואנונו; born 14 October 1952), also known as John Crossman, is an Israeli former nuclear technician and peace activist who, citing his opposition to weapons of mass destruction, revealed details of Israe ...

, Israeli dissident (converted to Christianity)

Arabia

Samaw'al ibn 'Adiya As-Samaw’al bin ‘Ādiyā’ ( ar, السموأل بن عادياء بن رفاعة بن الحارث بن كعب / he, שמואל בן עדיה) was an Arabian poet and warrior, esteemed by the Arabs for his loyalty, which was commemorated ...

(Samuel ibn 'Adiya), poet, warrior *

David Reubeni David Reubeni (1490–1535/1541?) was a Jewish political activist, described by the ''Shengold Jewish Encyclopedia'' as "half- mystic, half-adventurer." Although some scholars are reluctant to believe his claims to nobility, citing suspicions ...

, false

messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...

Sudan

Nessim Gaon Nessim David Gaon ( ar, نسيم جاعون, ; 22 February 1922 – 10 May 2022) was a Sudan-born Swiss financier who created the Noga SA. Outside the business world, he was very prominent in Jewish affairs, acting as president of the World Se ...

, financier

Syria

Ezra Attiya Ezra Attiya ( he, עזרא עטייה; ar, عزرا عطية; 31 January 1885 – 25 May 1970) was one of the greatest teachers of Torah in the Sephardic Jewish world during the 20th century. He was rosh yeshiva of Porat Yosef Yeshiva in Je ...

, rabbi and rosh yeshiva *

Émile Benveniste Émile Benveniste (; 27 May 1902 – 3 October 1976) was a French structural linguist and semiotician. He is best known for his work on Indo-European languages and his critical reformulation of the linguistic paradigm established by Ferdinand ...

, linguist

Tunisia

Dove Attia Jules Dove Attia (Arabic: جول دوف عطية) better known as Dove Attia (born in Tunisia on 8 June 1957) is a musical producer television personality. Beginnings Dove Attia is a French citizen born to a Tunisian father who was an electrici ...

, French-Tunisian musical television producer *

Max Azria Max Azria (January 1, 1949 – May 6, 2019) was a Tunisian-Jewish-born American fashion designer who founded the contemporary women's clothing brand BCBG MAX AZRIA. Azria was also the designer, chairman and CEO of the BCBG Max Azria Group,Musta ...

, French-Tunisian fashion designer, founder of BCBG * Roger Bismuth, Tunisian senator * Alain Boublil, French musical theatre lyricist and librettist * Michel Boujenah, French Tunisian comedian and humorist * Paul Boujenah, French-Tunisian film director * Dany Brillant, French singer * Claude Challe, French club impresario and DJ * Pierre Darmon, French tennis player * Jacques Haïk, French producer * Gisèle Halimi, Tunisian lawyer and essayist * Élie Kakou, French actor and humorist * Pierre Lellouche, French politician * Albert Memmi, French novelist & sociologist * Habiba Msika, Tunisian singer, dancer and actress * Victor Perez (Tunisian boxer), Victor Perez, Tunisian boxing world champion * Silvan Shalom, Israeli politician and former Foreign Minister of Israel * René Trabelsi, Tunisian Politician * Nissim Zvili, Israeli politician and diplomat

Yemen

* Nethanel ben Isaiah, Rabbi Nethanel ben Isaiah * Jacob ben Nathanael, Rabbi Jacob ben Nathanael * Shoshana Damari, was an Israeli singer.Encyclopedia of Jewish Women: Shoshana Damari
/ref> * Ofra Haza, famous Israeli singer * Yosef Qafih, Rabbi Yosef Qafih rabbi and leader of Baladi Yemenite Jewish community * Abdullah ibn Saba, converted to Islam (born Jewish) * Rabiah ibn Mudhar & Dhu Nuwas, kings of Himyarite * Wahb bin Munabbih (?–732), converted to Islam (born Persian Jew) * Shalom Shabazi, Rabbi Shalom Shabazi, rabbi and poet * Shalom Sharabi, Rabbi Shalom Sharabi * Yihya Yitzhak Halevi, Rabbi Yihya Yitzhak HaLevi * Rabbi Shlomo Korah, chief rabbi of Bnei Brak. * Rabbi Azarya Basis, chief rabbi of Rosh HaAyin. * Shimon Baadani, Rabbi Shimon Baadani, leading

rabbi and rosh kollel in Israel. * Avraham Al-Naddaf, Rabbi Avraham Al-Naddaf, One of the leaders of Yemenite Jews in Jerusalem and Israel. * Rabbi Chaim Kasar, was the head of the Beit Alshikh and Beit Sharabi yeshivas in Yemen and authored a commentary on "Shem Tov" on Maimonides. * Rabbi Yihya Al-Shech Halevi, Yemeni rabbi. * Amnon Yitzhak, Rabbi Amnon Yitzhak

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jews From The Arab World Mizrahi Jews topics, * Islam and Judaism, * Lists of Jews, Arab World Arab world-related lists Jews and Judaism in Western Asia, * History of the Jews in the Middle East, * Jews and Judaism in the Arab world, * Lists of people by ethnicity, Jews,Arab World