From Yemen to Israel: Conversations With My Grandmother

Sun, Jan 31, 2021, 7:30 to 9 pm Central European Time (UTC+1)

Tickets ($15) here.

The Jewish community of Yemen has existed since antiquity, but today comprises less than 50 affiliated members. Many traditions that were forgotten by the rest of world Jewry were preserved in their dedication to age-old customs in a country that took much longer to progress with the times.

The past century saw the largest waves of immigration to Israel, among which my grandmother took part. Through conversations with her, I learned both of her personal ordeal as a child thrust into the unknown, as well as the changing way of life for Yemenites in Israel.

While the isolated Yemenite Jews never took the lead in world Jewry, they and their descendants have made their mark in Israeli society and have contributed much to religious study, music, crafts and, of course, food.