Les Juifs de Kaboul (Afghanistan)

Kabul was home to the principal Jewish community of Afghanistan, heir to an ancient Jewish presence in the region and strengthened in the nineteenth century, notably by Jews from Bukhara and Persia fleeing persecution. Its members were primarily active in trade, particularly in carpets, textiles, wool and precious stones, and lived gathered around their synagogues. Subject to increasing restrictions in the twentieth century, the community emptied through waves of emigration, principally to Israel, between the 1940s and 1970s. Only a handful of individuals remained until the end of the twentieth century.

Sources & resources

• Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World — Brill
• Jewish Virtual Library ↗