Last Jew in Afghanistan Celebrates Rosh Hashanah

Simantov celebrated the two-day Jewish New Year holiday of Rosh Hashanah, which this year started the evening of September 18th and ended the evening of September 20th, with a kosher holiday meal.

Only Magnier confused the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, in the fall, with the Jewish holiday of Pesach (Passover), in the spring, when Magnier wrote that Simantov welcomed “stranger to his Rosh Hashanah Seder replete with heaping plates of mutton kebabs, chicken, okra, squash and grapes.”

Seder is the special holiday service and meal at Pesach; at Rosh Hashanah Jews eat a holiday meal.

Magnier describes Simantov living in a “broken-down building that houses Kabul’s last synagogue.” Magnier reports:

“Legend has it that the first Jews arrived in Afghanistan 2,700 years ago, with historical records suggesting a continuous population since the 8th century. By the mid-19th century, the country had 40,000 Jews, many of whom had fled from forced conversion in Persia, now Iran.

“But the numbers dwindled, from 5,000 by the middle of the 20th century to a few hundred by the time the Soviets invaded in 1979, with many relocating in Israel. The last rabbi left in 1987.”

Now that Rosh Hashanah for the year 5770 has been ushered in by Jews all over the world, the solemn Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur – will take place this year from Sunday evening, September 27th, to Monday evening, September 28th.

If you would like more information about these fall Jewish holidays, including the upcoming week-long holiday of Sukkot, see Jewish holiday information.

Written by Phyllis Zimbler Miller
Los Angeles, CA
Exclusive to HULIQ.com