In 1945 there were one million Jews living in the Middle East and North Africa. For over two millennia they lived under varying rulers as part of the diverse fabric of peoples native to the region. Yet, in 1948 with the establishment of the State of Israel, Jewish life in other countries in the region dramatically began to disappear. Anti-Jewish riots in reaction to the failure of the attempts of Arab armies to eliminate the infant state of Israel, as well as the rise of post-colonial pan-arabist movements set off a massive wave of Jewish immigration from the region.

From Casablanca to Baghdad, Jews abandoned their ancestral homelands often leaving behind their homes, communities and livelihoods suddenly becoming refugees. For decades, many Jews who fled their native homelands never shared their experiences of being forced into exile but in “The Forgotten Refugees” for the first time, stories of several Jewish Refugees including JIMENA co-founders Joseph Abdel Wahid from Egypt and Gina Waldman from Libya are told.

The movie will be followed by a conversation with Rabbi Albert Gabbai, the spiritual leader of Congregation Mikveh Israel, a Sephardic synagogue that is the oldest formal congregation in Philadelphia and one of the oldest in the United States. Rabbi Gabbai was born and raised in Egypt, and came to the United States in 1971 after enduring three years in Egyptian prisons. 

49 minutes. Learn more about the movie. This event is free and open to the community thanks to the generous sponsorship of StandWithUs.