Who Was the Last Jew in Afghanistan?

The history of Jews in Afghanistan is shrouded in myth. From the Pashtun legend of Lost Tribe origin to the Jewish communal escape from Iran, one thing is clear: Jews have had a presence in Afghanistan for at least 1,000 years. But the story of the last Jew in Afghanistan remains the most well known. Or so you thought.

Big Ideas

1. At one time there was a thriving Jewish community in Afghanistan.
2. Israel offered a safe haven for Jews who were being persecuted in Afghanistan.
3. Jewish history is full of both expulsions and new beginnings.

Essential Questions

1. Is there value to having a “last Jew” in a country?
2. Do entertaining stories about “last Jews” diminish the trauma they experienced for being Jews?
3. How much Jewish history is lost when Jews are forced to leave a country?