Recommended
The Forgotten Refugees
A film about the mass exodus of Jews from Arab countries and Iran in the 20th century.
Buried beneath the headlines of the Middle East conflict is the nearly forgotten story of the region’s indigenous Jewish communities. In 1945, up to one million Jews lived in the Middle East outside of the Palestine Mandate. Within a few years, only a few thousand remained.
The Forgotten Refugees explores the history and destruction of Middle Eastern Jewish communities, some of which had existed for over 2,500 years. It chronicles the impact of the Arab Muslim conquest, the development of Judeo-Arab culture, and the modern rise of Arab nationalism that drove out hundreds of thousands of Jews from their homes and communities. This destruction is a significant loss for the Jewish people and for the Middle East.
Featuring testimony from Jews who fled Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Morocco and Iran, the film explores the rich heritage and destruction of the Middle East’s age-old Jewish communities. Personal stories of refugees are interspersed with dramatic archival footage, including the mission to rescue Yemenite Jews.
Winner of the Warsaw Jewish Film Festival 2006; Winner of the Marbella International Film Festival 2007
The film represents a unique approach to educating the public about an integral but little known aspect of Middle East history.
Running time: 49 minutes, color.
Publisher: The David Project
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