List of Jews from the Arab World

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This page is a list of Jews.
For more on who is considered Jewish, see Who is a Jew?.

From the Arab Expansion until the 1960s, Jews were a significant part of the population of Arab countries. Before 1948, an estimated 900,000 Jews lived in what are now Arab states. Here is a list of some prominent Jews from the Arab World, arranged by country of origin.

[edit] Algeria

• Alexandre Arcady, film director
• Yvan Attal, film director, actor (Jewish-Algerian parents)
• Jacques Attali, economist, writer
• Baruj Benacerraf, immunologist, Nobel prize (1992) (Jewish-Algerian mother)
• Paul Benacerraf, philosopher (Jewish-Algerian mother)
• Jean Benguigui, actor
• Eric Benhamou, CEO of 3COM
• Lili Boniche, musician
• Patrick Bruel, singer, actor
• Alain Chabat, actor
• Hélène Cixous, feminist writer
• Robert Cohen, boxer: World Bantamweight Champion
• Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, physicist, Nobel prize (1997)
• Cy Curnin, lead singer of The Fixx (Jewish-Algerian mother, non-Jewish father)
• Gérard Darmon, actor
• Jacques Derrida, deconstructionist philosopher
• Alphonse Halimi, boxer: World Bantamweight Champion^[1]
• Roger Hanin, film actor & director
• Claude Lelouch, film director (Jewish-Algerian father)
• Enrico Macias, singer
• Patrick Timsit, humorist, actor

[edit] Bahrain

• Ebrahim Daoud Nonoo, former member of parliament
• Houda Ezra Nonoo, human rights activist & member of parliament

[edit] Egypt

• Alain de Botton, writer (Jewish-Egyptian father)
• Eli Cohen, celebrated Israeli spy
• Sir Ronald Cohen, Egyptian-born businessman
• Aura Herzog
• Eric Hobsbawm, historian (Jewish-Polish & -German parents living in Cairo)
• Ishtar (singer), singer in Alabina (Jewish-Egyptian mother, Jewish-Moroccan father; Israeli born)
• Edmond Jabès, poet
• Benny Levy, author & secretary to Jean-Paul Sartre
• Ranan Lurie, political cartoonist
• Mosheh & Aharon ben Amram
• Moshe Marzouk, Dr.
• Philo
• Edgar Harari
• Isaac Mizrahi (1961 - ) fashion designer^[1]
• Layla Murad, singer (converted to Islam)
• Onkelos, the Proselyte (converted)
• Claudia Roden, chef
• Haim Saban, TV producer
• Sylvain Sylvain, guitarist for New York Dolls
• Ignaz Tiegerman, lived in Egypt
• Bat Ye'or, historian
• Kaley Zeitouni, founder of Youth Against MS (Jewish-Egyptian father, converted American mother)
• S'adyah ben Joseph, Gaon (born on Egypt)

[edit] Iraq

• Adiabene people
• Many Tannas and Amoraim, including:
  • Abba Arika, "Rabh", amora
  • Shmuel Yarchina'ah, "Mar Samuel", or Samuel of Nehardea, amora
  • Rav Huna
  • Rav Chisda
  • Abaye, amora
  • Abba bar Yoseph bar Hama, "Rabha", amora
  • Rav Papa, amora
  • Huna ben Joshua, amora
  • Huna ben Nathan
  • Rav Ashi (Abana), rav, amora
• Anan ben David, founder of Qara'ism
• Ari Ben-Menashe
• Dodai ben Nahman
• Eli Amir, Israeli novelist
• Shimon Ballas, writer
• Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, politician
• Ya'qub Bilbul, poet
• Mordechai Eliyahu, rabbi
• Naeim Giladi, writer
• Shlomo Hillel, Israeli Interior Minister
• Moshe Houri (Moussa Houri)
• Hakham Yosef Chayyim of Baghdad, "Ben Ish Chai"
• Dalia Itzik, speaker of the Israeli Knesset and Acting President of Israel (Iraqi parents)
• Jack F.R. Jacob, Jewish-Indian general & politician
• Lawrence Elly Kadoorie, famous industrialist, hotelier, and philanthropist.
• Sir Michael Kadoorie, business executive, one of the world's foremost tycoons and philanthropists.
• Elly Kadoorie, Shanghai-based businessman
• Yitzchak Kadouri, rabbi and kabbalist
• Anish Kapoor, sculptor (Baghdadi mother, non-Jewish father)
• Layla Murad, Singer (iraqi father)
• Elie Kedourie, historian
• Yosi (Saffi) Levy, Israeli singer in L.A. (Iraqi heritage)
• David Saul Marshall, Chief Minister of Singapore (Jewish-Iraqi parents)
• Sami Michael^*, Israeli writer

([2]; not -Amin al Shammas)

• Layla Murad, Singer (Iraqi father)
• Samir Naqqash, novelist
• Daniel Pearl, journalist (Iraqi mother)
• David & Simon Reuben, businessmen (Jewish-Iraqi parents)
• Maurice & Charles Saatchi, advertising executives
• David Sassoon, Anglo-Indian merchant, and Sassoon family
• Eizabeth Shammash, US soprano singer (Jewish-Iraqi mother)
• Ella Habiba Shohat, Israeli-American academic (Jewish-Iraqi parents)
• Yaakov Chaim Sofer, rabbi
• Alan Yentob, television executive
• Ovadia Yosef, rabbi
• Khedoury & Selim Zilkha, businessmen

See also:

• Academies(early Yeshivahs) in Babylonia - JE
• The Jews of Baghdad and Zionism: 1920-1948, PDF

[edit] Lebanon

• Yfrah Neaman, violinist (Lebanese-born)
• Nasim Nisr, Revolutionist (Muslim father, Jewish mother)
• Edmond Safra, banker (Lebanese-born)

[edit] Morocco

• Michel Abitbol, an academic at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• Isaac Alfasi, a Talmudist and posek. Best known for his work of halakha
• Shlomo Amar, Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel
• Arthur, radio and TV host
• Robert Assaraf, a historian and writer
• Natacha Atlas, singer (Belgian born; partly Jewish-Moroccan father, non-Jewish mother)
• André Azoulay, advisor to Kings Hassan II and Mohammed VI
• Shlomo Ben-Ami Israeli diplomat, politician and author born in Tangier
• Baruj Benacerraf, immunologist, Nobel prize (1992) (Jewish-Moroccan father)
• Paul Benacerraf, philosopher (Jewish-Moroccan father)
• Raphael Berdugo, a dayan, a scholar, and a rabbi
• Salomon Berdugo, poet and rabbi from Meknes
• Emmanuelle Chriqui, actress (Jewish-Moroccan parents)
• Aryeh Deri, a former leader of Shas Party
• Albert Devico, Owner and CEO of Nora Foods - which operates in consortium with his brother's companies: Vittal, Aicha, Marocapres
• André Elbaz, a paniter and filmmaker from El Jadida
• Edmond Amran El Maleh, writer
• Gad Elmaleh, humorist, actor
• David Hassine, a liturgic poet and Rabbi
• Ishtar (singer), singer in Alabina (Israeli born; also of Egyptian heritage)
• Dunash ben Labrat, grammarian, poet
• David Levy, Israeli politician
• Maurice Lévy, head of Publicis Groupe
• Paul, Georges, Maurice & Armand Marciano, founders of Marciano and GUESS [3]
• Chalom Messas, the Grand Rabbi of Morocco until 2003
• David Messas, the Grand Rabbi of Paris since 1995
• J.S. Nachmani Real Estate, currently lives in Downtown, New York.]]
• Amir Peretz politician, leader of the Labour Party
• Monique Powell, singer in Save Ferris (Jewish-Moroccan mother)
• Baba Sali Famous Rav
• Sapho (singer), singer
• Abraham Serfaty, political activist
• Avi Toledano, a singer who competed at the Eurovision Song Contest
• Ralph Toledano, Chairman and CEO of Chloé
• Mordechai Vanunu, Israeli dissident (converted to Christianity)
• Yossi Benayoun, Israeli football player (Moroccan mother)
• Isaac Benayon Sabbá, brazilian owner of more than 42 industries in Manaus, the Amazonas

[edit] Saudi Arabia

• Samaw'al ibn 'Adiya (Samuel ibn 'Adiya), poet, warrior
• David Reubeni, false messiah

[edit] Sudan

• Nessim Gaon, financier

[edit] Syria

• Carlos Zarur, writer (Syrian-Lebanesse father, Turkish Mother)
• Paula Abdul, singer & dancer (Syrian father)
• Eddie Antar, the owner of Crazy Eddie electronic stores (Syrian father).
• Roxanne Assoulin Jewelry Designer, founder of Lee Angel (Syrian Parents)
• Ezra Attia, Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva
• Dan Hedaya, actor (Syrian parents)
• Jerry Seinfeld, TV actor (Syrian mother, Hungarian father), see also Seinfeld
• Moshe Safdi, Architect (Syrian Parents)

[edit] Tunisia

• Senator George F. Allen (French-Tunisian Jewish mother)
• Max Azria, fashion designer, founder of BCBG
• Roger Bismuth, Tunisian senator
• Alain Boublil, lyricist
• Michel Boujenah, actor
• Dany Brillant, singer
• Claude Challe, club impresario and DJ
• David Charvet, TV actor (Tunisian father)
• Pierre Darmon, tennis player
• Agnès Jaoui, director & actress (Tunisian parents)
• Albert Memmi, novelist & sociologist
• Raphaël Mezrahi, humorist
• Victor Young Perez, boxer: World Flyweight Champion
• Nick Valensi, guitarist for The Strokes (Tunisian father)
• Silvan Shalom, Israeli politician and former Foreign Minister of Israel
• David Jemmali, a Jewish Tunisian football player (He played World Cup 2006 with Tunisia's national team.)

[edit] Yemen

• Yigal Amir, religious activist, murderer of Yitzhak Rabin
• Nethanel ben Isaiah
• Jacob ben Nathanael
• Yosefa Dahari, Israeli singer (Jewish-Yemenite parents)
• Ofra Haza, Israeli singer (Jewish-Yemenite parents)
• Margalit Oved, dancer, choreographer, entertainer
• Abdullah ibn Saba, converted to Islam (born Jewish)
• Makeda Queen of Sheba (converted)
• Ahinoam Nini (Noa), Israeli singer (Jewish-Yemenite parents)
• Rabiah ibn Mudhar & Dhu Nuwas, kings of Himyarite
• Sara Levi-Tannai^*, Israeli musician (Jewish-Yemenite)
• Wahb bin Munabbih (?-732), converted to Islam (born Persian Jew)
• Izhar Cohen - Suleiman's son, Israeli winner of Eurovision song competition
• Dana International- Born Yaron Cohen, Israeli transexual winner of Eurovision song competition (Yemenite parents)
• Shoshana Dhamari born 1923 in Yemen, very famous Israeli singer
• Shalom Shabazi, poet
• Tomer Yosef, Israeli modern singer/musician
• Zion Golan, Israeli singer (Jewish-Yemenite parents)

[edit] See also

• Jewish exodus from Arab lands
• Jewish refugees
• List of Jews
  • List of Asian Jews
  • List of South-East European Jews

• List of Egyptians
• List of Lebanese people
• List of Syrians

• History of the Jews in Tunisia
• History of the Jews in Morocco
• History of the Jews in Algeria
• History of the Jews in Yemen

[edit] Footnotes