Shapoor Saber Nilly Kohzad Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty October 13, 2020 HERAT, — Afghanistan’s western province of Herat was once home to a thriving Jewish community that has now all but vanished from the region. Its monuments and properties have either fallen into disrepair or disappeared completely, and murky rules of tenure and stewardship of
Al Jazeera: The narrow road that leads to the Yu Aw synagogue in the ancient city of Herat in western Afghanistan is lined with traditional mud homes that, despite their rough exterior, are fine examples of centuries-old architectural dexterity. Ghulam Sakhi, the caretaker of some of the heritage sites, leads the way, taking short quick
Al Jazeera: The war in Afghanistan is forcing people from religious minorities to leave the country. But not everyone can afford to escape persecution and seek a new life abroad. The Afghan government has said that protecting minorities and religious freedoms are part of its duties defined by the Constitution of Afghanistan. However, with the government occupied fighting
Tolo News: Afghanistan’s only Jewish national said he was once part of a thriving Jewish community. Zablon Simintov is the last Afghan Jew still living in the country and said he is extremely concerned about the future of Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Haaretz: The National Library of Israel has purchased the “Afghan Genizah” collection brought to Israel by Israeli antiquities dealer Lenny Wolfe some 10 months ago. The collection includes about 250 documents, most from the 11th century, and were most likely discovered in a cave in northern Afghanistan. About 100 of the manuscripts probably came from the archive
RT: Nearly 100 mysterious manuscripts thought to be 1,000 years old and written by a Jewish family that lived along the ancient Silk Road have been discovered in an Afghan cave. Scholars and historians are excited about this new cache of documents, which was purchased by Israeli antiquities dealer Lenny Wolfe six months ago. He came across