Raydah

Raydah
Raydah

Location in Yemen

Coordinates: 15°49′24″N 44°2′19″E / 15.82333°N 44.03861°ECoordinates: 15°49′24″N 44°2′19″E / 15.82333°N 44.03861°E
Country Yemen
Governorate 'Amran Governorate
Time zone Yemen Standard Time (UTC+3)

Raydah is a large market town located 11 miles north of Amran, northwestern Yemen. In previous years, before most Yemeni Jews emigrated, the Suq al-ahud or Jewish market was held here.[1]

As of 2009, the Jewish community numbers 266 persons.[2] The community operates three synagogues and two schools.[3] During the Gaza War tensions with local Muslims increased and an Islamic extremist murdered a Jewish teacher and kosher butcher, Moshe Ya'ish al-Nahari, after demanding he convert to Islam. The last time an incident of this kind occurred in Raydah was in 1986 when two Jews were killed. Following Nahari's murder, the Jewish community expressed how vulnerable they felt, and complained that they had been harassed and threatened by extremists. They requested assistance from the government. In June 2009, 16 Jewish families in that reside in the town left for Israel.[4] Nahari's wife and nine children also moved to Israel.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Vogel, Dieter. Yemen, Insight Guides, 1997. pg. 197. ISBN 962-421-091-8
  2. ↑ Arrabyee, Nasser. Blood money for Killing Yemeni Jew, Yemen Observer, 03-03-2009. Retrieved on 2009-03-08.
  3. ↑ Fear grips Yemen's Jewish minority after murder, AlArabiya.net, 19-02-2009. Retrieved on 2009-03-08.
  4. ↑ Olim from Yemen arrive to Israel (in Spanish). Aurora Digital