Yemen's Jews: From Ancient Tribes to Operation Magic Carpet

Long before the Himyarite kingdom embraced Judaism, Yemen was home to Jewish communities dating back to the time of the First Temple. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the deep roots of Yemeni Jewry, from the legendary arrival of Queen of Sheba's Jewish merchants to the brutal persecution under the Zaydi imams in the 17th century. They discuss the unique traditions of Yemenite Jews, their preservation of ancient Hebrew pronunciation, and the tragic story of the Mawza expulsion in 1679. The episode also covers the 20th-century exodus, including the 1949 Operation Magic Carpet that airlifted nearly 50,000 Yemenite Jews to Israel. Along the way, they touch on the role of Jewish craftsmen in Yemeni society, the impact of the 1905 Ottoman reforms, and the current status of the few remaining Jews in Yemen. This is a story of resilience, cultural exchange, and the slow erosion of one of the world's oldest Jewish diasporas.

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