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Egyptian Jewish History

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There has been a virtually continous Jewish presence in the vicinity of Cairo for more than 2,000 years. An even more ancient Jewish presence in Egypt is recounted in The Bible. After the Biblical Exodus from Egypt, Jews started coming back over the years, when many Jews in Eretz Yisrael who were not deported to Babylon sought shelter in Egypt, among them the prophet Jeremiah. More Jews arrived during the time of Alexander The Great and at that time, The Ben Ezra Synagogue was built. During this period, The Bible was translated into Greek for Egyptian Jews who spoke Greek.


In The 1st Century C.E., the Jewish presence declined but a renaisssance occured Rambam arrived in Egypt in The 12th Century. He wrote most of his books in Cairo and his yeshiva still exists in The Jewish Quarter. From then on, The Jewish Community expanded and florished.


Over the years, refugees from pogroms arrived in Egypt. By 1897, there were more than 25,000 Jews in Egypt, concentrated in Cairo and Alexandria. More refugees arrived during World War I. In 1937, the population reached 63,500. Refugees again arrived during World War II. In 1945, with the rise of Egyptian nationalism and the cultivation of Anti-Western and Anti-Jewish sentiment, riots erupted. In the violence, 10 Jews were killed, 350 injured, and a synagogue, a Jewish hospital, and an old-age home were burned down. Before 1948, there were about 70,000 Jews in Egypt. The establishment of The State of Israel led to still further Anti-Jewish feeling. 2,000 Jews were arrested and many had their property confiscated. Rioting over the next few months resulted in many more Jewish deaths. Under these circumstances, most Egyptian Jews fled the country, and the majority settled in Israel. In the wake of The Sinai Campaign, a war that again resulted in rioting and the arrest of Jews, the community declined considerably. By 1957 it had fallen to 15,000. In 1967, after The Six Day War, there was a renewed wave of persecution, and the community dropped to 2,500. Both wars encouraged Jewish emigration. By The 1970's, after the remaining Jews were given permission to leave the country, the community dwindled to a few families. Jewish rights were finally restored in 1979 after President Anwar el-Sadat signed The Camp David Accords with Israel. Only then was the community allowed to establish ties with Israel and World Jewry.


Today, the majority of Jews reside in Cairo, but there are still a handful in Alexandria. In addition there are about 15 Karaites in the community. Nearly all the Jews are elderly, and the community is on the verge of extinction. The community is small but the Jewish herriatge, mostly synagogues classified as antiquities, represent an inestimable treasure worth visiting. The 800 year old Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo, the site of the famous Cairo Genizah, has been restored to its former grandeur. Shaar Hashamayim is the only functioning synagogue in Cairo. Of the many synagogues in Alexandria, only The Eliyahu Nanavi Synagogue is open for worship.


Since the signing of the peace treaty in 1979, Israel and Egypt have maintained diplomatic relations with an Israeli embassy in Cairo and a consulate general in Alexandria. Since 1948, 37,518 Egyptian Jews have emigrated to Israel.

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