Let my people go

Egypt's Jews--now rumored to be no more than one hundred in number--are very likely the oldest community outside of Israel. After Moses led the Jews out of Egypt, many returned to this ancient land centuries later to escape persecution in Europe. Interestingly enough, at one point compared to Europe, the Islamic world was a much better option for religious minorities like the Jews. While there were still restrictions on their political rights, they were more or less free to practice their faith. They were even exempt from many taxes which gave them some considerable advantages establishing trade and commerce.

All this changed in 1948 with the formation of the state of Israel. Egypt's Jews were harassed and even killed by angry mobs, some of which were incited by the Muslim Brotherhood. With Gamal Abdel Nasser's coup in 1952, full-out anti-Zionism became the order of the day. The pivotal point was probably the 1956 Suez Crisis. Nasser's government issued a statement saying that "all Jews are Zionists and enemies of the state" and promised that they would soon be expelled. By the end of the 1967 war, almost the entire Egyptian Jewish community had emigrated elsewhere, either to Israel, Europe, South America, or the United States.

Today I passed by the only functioning synagogue in Cairo, called Shaar Hashamayim on Adly Street downtown (shown above). By "functioning" we're talking about it only being open for the high holidays: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Outside the temple were about a half dozen heavily armed policemen, one of whom waved me off after I snapped a picture (top left... not good quality but you can make out the Star of David above the front entrance). I guess they are afraid of Muslim radicals attempting to eradicate what's left of Egypt's all but defunct Jewish community. Sad.

There are divisions though among Jews about whether or not it is worth maintaining historical sites like the Shaar Hashamayim temple. Some say it is absolutely worth preserving Egypt's Jewish history, as Egyptian Jews contributed greatly over the years to Egypt's cultural, political, and economic vibrancy. Others say that the home of the Jews always has and always will be Israel and that they have only really been visitors of other countries... never citizens.

Nonetheless, the Shaar Hashamayim synagogue still stands at the ready, looking like it's waiting to breath easy once again.