tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677825.post6605559045225102058..comments2024-03-14T02:22:26.957+00:00Comments on Point of No Return: Jewish Refugees from Arab and Muslim Countries: How many Jews lived in Egypt?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677825.post-75695026624440767262014-11-16T17:45:14.234+00:002014-11-16T17:45:14.234+00:00I have always believed that there were more than 8...I have always believed that there were more than 80,000 Jews living in Egypt in the 1940s. The 80,000 figure was assessed from the records of the various rabbinates.<br />But, foreseeing the future, between the end of the war, in May 1945, and March 1948, several thousand Jews left Egypt. Among them were my uncle Abram Btesh, who founded the school, and his wife. At least a dozen of my school friends also left the country for good, several with their parents and siblings.<br />In 1949, many of the better off members of the Jewish community, my father among them, were invited to assist poorer members of the community to leave the country for Israel. Among those who appeared were a number of families who had never been registered with any of the various rabbinates and whose very existence had not previously been suspected. <br />These were peasants who had been living in some of the Delta villages and who, except for their adherence to the Jewish religion, were almost indistinguishable from other fellahin. Like many other fellahin, who did not want their sons to be enlisted into the army, these Jews had never had their births registered. This made it difficult for them to obtain the necessary exit permits but they could not return to their villages. <br />Because her Yemenite servants had left to make aliya, my aunt employed several of these Jewish peasants, who were still awaiting documents, as live-in servants. They helped to form a minyan for the family synagogue and not only participated in the services but were able to lead them. <br />Whether these village Jews amounted to several hundred or several thousand I do not know, but my father certainly knew of at least a hundred.<br /><br />Solomon GreenUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04529994824359836491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677825.post-62765315189363625712014-10-28T17:19:56.389+00:002014-10-28T17:19:56.389+00:00it's difficult to ascertain. I hear A hunfred ...it's difficult to ascertain. I hear A hunfred thousand, but if you eliminate the éthey saa we were ....<br />80,000 is nearer the truth!<br />sultanaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com