{"id":145203,"date":"2023-11-30T10:17:56","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T08:17:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/?p=145203"},"modified":"2024-06-24T11:37:03","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T08:37:03","slug":"yavnieli-yemenite-aliyah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/en\/yavnieli-yemenite-aliyah\/","title":{"rendered":"Yavnieli and the Yemenite Aliyah"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">On November 30, we remember the mass departure and expulsion of Jews from numerous Arab and Islamic countries \u2013 the migration, in many cases forced, of literally hundreds of Jewish communities as they were harshly persecuted and left to flee in the mid-1900s. It is no secret that as antisemitism and discrimination towards Jews spread like wildfire across the Arab world, governments all the way from Morocco to Iraq adopted anti-Jewish measures, sometimes actively expelling Jewish citizens, most of whom eventually sought refuge in Israel.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">One such country that contributed to the displacement of some of these Jewish Arabs was Yemen. Yemen actually had one of the oldest Jewish communities in the whole Arab world, with roots dating back thousands of years. On top of this, historically, the Jews of Yemen were successful as business-owners and respected members of the community, contributing to both economic and religious growth in the area. However, as the Arab persecution of Jews rose in the mid-20th century, anti-Jewish sentiment intensified in Yemen too, and Jewish life became increasingly precarious as their communities faced discriminatory measures, violence, and economic restrictions, peaking in the 1940s.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145215\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145215\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145215\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"473\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145215\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nli.org.il\/en\/archives\/NNL_ARCHIVE_AL997009636588805171\/NLI#$FL169975502\">Shmuel Yavnieli<\/a><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\"> (right) with a friend,\u00a01910s, the Israel Archive Network, accessible thanks to the efforts of the Yad Ben Zvi Archive, the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage and the National Library of Israel<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The unbearable situation for the Jews of Yemen eventually led to Operation Magic Carpet in 1949: a clandestine operation to airlift Yemenite Jews out of danger and bring them to Israel. This covert mission was widely seen as a success, and by its completion, over 50,000 Yemenite Jews were resettled in the new Jewish state.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">But what many people do not know is that this was not the first time a mass emigration from Yemen to the Land of Israel took place, despite it being the most significant. The wave of Yemenite <em>Aliyah <\/em>that took place just a few decades earlier is in fact a largely untold story\u2026<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145218\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145218\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145218\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"429\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145218\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nli.org.il\/en\/archives\/NNL_ARCHIVE_AL997009696108305171\/NLI#$FL73601073\">Shmuel Yavnieli<\/a><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, the\u00a0Israel Archive Network project, made accessible thanks to the Kvutzat Kinneret Archive, the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage and the National Library of Israel<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">When the Zionist Organization was founded in 1897, they set out almost immediately to increase the rate of global immigration to the Land of Israel, then still part of the Ottoman Empire. However, despite their best efforts, there was a group of Jews who seemed untouchable: the rich and powerful Yemenites. Yemenite Jews, often jewelers, dealers of precious metals, and coffee merchants by trade, were overwhelmingly well-to-do. While of course not every Yemenite Jew was rich, it certainly seemed that the community had the economic resources to thrive in the Middle Eastern landscape. The Yemenite Jews tended to be religious and often highly mystical, prizing their kabbalistic knowledge, messianic beliefs, modest dress codes, and pious nature. It was also known that much of the community\u2019s accumulated wealth was spent in Judaic pursuit. For example, in the city of Sana\u2019a, where roughly 7,000 Jews resided, no less than 28 synagogues were built by the city\u2019s Jews.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">But as new waves of <em>Aliyah<\/em> were taking place from around the world, the Zionist Organization firmly believed that these Yemenite Jews with their wealth and talents should not be left behind. Their solution to this matter came in the form of one Shmuel Varshovsky (more commonly known as Shmuel Yavnieli). Yavnieli was a young Zionist living in Ottoman Palestine. In the early 20<sup>th<\/sup>-century, when the Zionist Organization unveiled plans to send an undercover agent into the depths of Yemenite society and promote a mass emigration, 29-year-old Yavnieli seemed like a good choice for the job: he spoke many languages, could vaguely pass as a Yemenite, and was an ardent Zionist willing to prove his worth.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145297\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145297\" style=\"width: 398px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145297 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy3-2-398x600.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"398\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy3-2-398x600.png 398w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy3-2-199x300.png 199w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy3-2.png 522w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 398px) 100vw, 398px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145297\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nli.org.il\/en\/archives\/NNL_ARCHIVE_AL997007935511205171\/NLI#$FL200302705\">Shmuel Yavnieli\u2019s summary of his life<\/a><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\"> and missions found amongst his personal belongings, 1958, the National Library of Israel<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yavnieli\u2019s first job was to grow out his sidelocks, as he would be immediately uncovered as an outsider if his haircut didn\u2019t fit in with the common hairstyle of Yemenite Jewry. As a matter of fact, fitting in with Yemenite society was crucial to his plan, as he needed to integrate deep into their community before he could earn their trust and gain some influence. Of course, the sidelocks were not enough. He also purchased some traditional Yemenite items of clothing, including their unique style of <em>tallit<\/em>, which they wrapped around their shoulders and wore all day like a scarf. He also started practicing Yemenite greetings and local phrases and gestures, slowly improving his skillful imitation.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145224\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145224\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145224\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"311\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145224\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/merhav.nli.org.il\/primo-explore\/fulldisplay?vid=NLI&amp;id=990018553310205171&amp;inst=972NNL_INST&amp;context=L\">Shmuel Yavnieli dressed as a Yemenite Jew<\/a><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, with Rabbi Ishack and another respected member of the Aden community, 1911, <\/span><em style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">Shmuel Yavne&#8217;ely, The Foreseer<\/em><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, Shimon Kushnir, 1972<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">His final step was to collect some money from the Zionist Organization so that he would fit in with the lavish lifestyle enjoyed by the elite Yemenite Jews. But Yavnieli wasn\u2019t done yet \u2013 he also decided to change his name.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yemenite Judaism, as mentioned, was highly kabbalistic and messianic, and the Yemenite Jews held an integral belief that the Messiah would be ushered in by a messenger by the name of \u2018Ben Yosef\u2019 (Son of Joseph). This idea of a pre-messianic messenger is not found in most Ashkenazi or Sephardi teachings, but for the Yemenite Jews, the presence of Ben Yosef was a canonical event which would certainly occur before the Messiah could arrive. Thus, Yavnieli decided to change his last name to \u2018Ben Yosef\u2019 to give himself legitimacy when encouraging the Yemenite Jews to help usher in a new age and begin the messianic global return of Jews to the Land of Israel. His first name Shmuel had to be changed too, as it sounded far too Ashkenazi, and would have revealed him as an outsider within seconds. So, Yavnieli left Israel in November 1910 as \u2018Eliezer Ben Yosef\u2019, a man who looked and acted so Yemenite that truly no one would doubt his pedigree.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145227\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145227\" style=\"width: 200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145227\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy5.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"424\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145227\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/merhav.nli.org.il\/primo-explore\/fulldisplay?vid=NLI&amp;id=990018553310205171&amp;inst=972NNL_INST&amp;context=L\">Signed photograph of Yavnieli<\/a><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, <\/span><em style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">Shmuel Yavne&#8217;ely, The Foreseer<\/em><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, Shimon Kushnir, 1972<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yavnieli knew that he had to be subtle if he was to earn any influence in this new land, so the plan was for him to pose as a messenger of the great Rabbis of Israel, who had ostensibly sent him out to learn about Yemenite culture. To give this ruse legitimacy, he carried with him two letters of recommendation which could not be refuted: a letter from Rav Abraham Isaac Kook, a renowned Jewish religious leader who would later become the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Mandatory Palestine; and Jerusalemite Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel\u00a0who would become the first Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel. This was a serious misunderstanding of Yemenite Jewry, which Yavnieli assumed would subscribe to one of the two mainstream branches of Judaism, and thus be impressed by at least one of these sponsors.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the help of Rav Kook, Yavnieli had also composed a list of 26 questions which he would ask the local Yemenite Jews as part of his \u2018research\u2019 &#8211; questions such as \u201cdo you forbid marrying more than one wife?\u201d or \u201cdo you practice Jewish custom in accordance with the <em>Shulchan Aruch<\/em> or the <em>Rambam<\/em>?\u201d Such questions gave Yavnieli legitimacy as an agent of the two esteemed Rabbis, and also served as a tool to validate the authenticity of the Yemenites\u2019 Judaism in the eyes of their co-religionists.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145285\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145285\" style=\"width: 461px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145285 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy6-1-461x600.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"461\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy6-1-461x600.png 461w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy6-1-230x300.png 230w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy6-1.png 626w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145285\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/web.nli.org.il\/sites\/nli\/hebrew\/digitallibrary\/pages\/viewer.aspx?docid=NNL03_EDU700276364&amp;presentorid=NLI_EDU\">Newspaper article<\/a><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\"> from 1912 describing how Yavnieli encouraged a wave of <\/span><em style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">Aliyah<\/em><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\"> from Yemen to pre-state Israel, <\/span><em style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">Emigration of Yemenite Jews, The Young Worker<\/em><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, June 21 1912, the National Library of Israel<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As Yavnieli arrived and settled into life in Yemen, he met two great influences, who would seriously help boost his social and political standing within this foreign community. The first was the heavily Zionist, and incredibly wealthy, Banin family. This aristocratic family already had close contact with the Jews in the Land of Israel, as they were major philanthropists of Zionist pursuits and had even donated enough money to build at least one large synagogue in Tel Aviv. With their support, Yavnieli\u2019s life in Yemen was made considerably easier. His other vital contact was Rabbi Ishack Ben-Ishack Cohen \u2013 the leading Rabbi of the Aden Jewish community. \u201cThis man deserves to be written in the book of gold\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nli.org.il\/en\/books\/NNL_ALEPH990019278060205171\/NLI\">he wrote<\/a> of the great Rabbi, who immediately boosted Yavnieli\u2019s esteem, and as we shall see, went on to help Yavnieli significantly with his mission.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Once Yavnieli, with the help of these valuable contacts, had earned both the trust and respect of the Yemenite Jews, he was finally able to start working on his real goal, which was of course initiating a new wave of <em>Aliyah<\/em> \u2013 Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145282\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145282\" style=\"width: 401px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145282 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy7-1-401x600.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"401\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy7-1-401x600.png 401w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy7-1-201x300.png 201w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy7-1.png 492w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145282\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nli.org.il\/en\/archives\/NNL_ARCHIVE_AL997012331897405171\/NLI#$FL206448989\">Notes from Shmuel Yavnieli\u2019s personal notebook<\/a><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, the Habshush Family Archive, the National Library of Israel. The archive was cataloged with the generous support of the Samis Foundation, Seattle, Washington, dedicated to the memory of Samuel Israel<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This process began with a pamphlet, which he wrote and published during his stay in Aden. The pamphlet opened with a description of pre-state Israel, then still known as Ottoman Palestine, promising that it was a progressive and successful country with wonderful doctors, an above-average schooling system, where there were lots of games, sports and leisure activities to participate in. He continued to promote this idealistic vision of a land in which everyone spoke the language of the biblical forefathers, and no other nations would interfere in Jewish matters. Instead of a sultan, the Jews were described as the leaders of their own society!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145236\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145236\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145236\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy8-300x208.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy8-300x208.png 300w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy8-865x600.png 865w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy8-768x533.png 768w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy8.png 902w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145236\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/merhav.nli.org.il\/primo-explore\/fulldisplay?vid=NLI&amp;id=990019277640205171&amp;inst=972NNL_INST&amp;context=L\">Sections from Yavnieli\u2019s pamphlet<\/a><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\"> describing the jobs and lives available in pre-state Israel for the Yemenite Jews, <\/span><em style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">Writings<\/em><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, Shmuel Yavnieli, 1951<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yavnieli\u2019s pamphlet explained that there were many Jewish landowners and farmers who needed help managing their businesses. The idea was not for the Yemenite Jews to become laborers, but instead to help with the financial and business initiatives of the existing farmers and factory owners. The pamphlet proclaimed that any Jew who truly loves Zion, is of workable age and ability, and has the funds to do so, should immigrate to the Land of Israel. Yavnieli\u2019s pamphlet promised that if they were to do so, their needs would be entirely taken care of once they arrived, and they would also be assured of life-long employment. To appeal to their religious instincts, Yavnieli concluded with quotes from the Bible to persuade the Yemenite Jews that the time had come for an ingathering of the exiles and a messianic rebirth of a Jewish sovereign nation. He strongly encouraged the Yemenite Jews to be part of this redemption story.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145267\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145267\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145267 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy9-1-300x103.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"103\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy9-1-300x103.png 300w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy9-1.png 614w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145267\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">Biblical quote in <\/span><a style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/merhav.nli.org.il\/primo-explore\/fulldisplay?vid=NLI&amp;id=990019277640205171&amp;inst=972NNL_INST&amp;context=L\">Yavnieli\u2019s pamphlet<\/a><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, <\/span><em style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">Writings<\/em><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, Shmuel Yavnieli, 1951<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The pamphlet had its desired effect.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Soon, Yavnieli had rebranded himself as an \u2018immigration officer\u2019 and started to manage the emigration of Jews from Yemen to Israel. Yavnieli began traveling from city to city, stopping wherever he found a Jewish community, now preceded by his well-known reputation. He would come with a glowing recommendation from Rabbi Ishack Ben-Ishack Cohen and, using his recently affirmed high status, he would seek out an influential person in each community to help deliver his pamphlet and recruit potential <em>Aliyah<\/em> pioneers. The Yemenite Jews were a receptive crowd. Yavnieli <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nli.org.il\/en\/books\/NNL_ALEPH990019278060205171\/NLI\">described them<\/a> as having a collective \u201cawakening\u201d to the call of Israel, and soon he had queues of Jews waiting to sign up and board boats headed for the promised land.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145294\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145294\" style=\"width: 893px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145294 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy10-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"893\" height=\"571\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy10-1.png 893w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy10-1-300x192.png 300w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy10-1-768x491.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 893px) 100vw, 893px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145294\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/merhav.nli.org.il\/primo-explore\/fulldisplay?vid=NLI&amp;id=990018553310205171&amp;inst=972NNL_INST&amp;context=L\">Yavnieli\u2019s route through Yemen<\/a><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, 1911, <\/span><em style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">Shmuel Yavne&#8217;ely, The Foreseer<\/em><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, Shimon Kushnir, 1972<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rabbi Ishack helped immensely with this newfound demand, and the two men got to work compiling lists of potential immigrants. Once they had gathered enough people to fill a boat, they would send a letter containing the identities of the Yemenite Jews to Dr Arthur Ruppin, the director of the Palestine Office of the Zionist Organization, to arrange their papers. These lists can actually still be found in the Zionist Archives, and to this day they are helping Yemenite Jews discover their heritage.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145291\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145291\" style=\"width: 878px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145291 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy11-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"878\" height=\"407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy11-1.png 878w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy11-1-300x139.png 300w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy11-1-768x356.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 878px) 100vw, 878px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145291\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nli.org.il\/en\/archives\/NNL_ARCHIVE_AL990037282550205171\/NLI#$FL197273261\">Letter written by Shmuel Yavnieli<\/a><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, Samuel Hugo Bergmann Archive, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures at Universita\u0308t Hamburg<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">But this wave of <em>Aliyah<\/em> was not turning out to be what Yavnieli and the Zionist Organization had expected. While their initial goal was to bring the able, working-age men to the Land of Israel, Yemenite culture places a strong importance on family values, and none of the Yemenite husbands would leave their wives, children, or parents behind. Instead of the desired wealthy young men, the boats were quickly filling up with grandparents, children, aunties and uncles! So many families arrived at Yavnieli\u2019s make-shift emigration centers that he had to persuade most of the families to wait until the next Jewish holiday before they made their move! Hence it came to pass that during the <em>Sukkot<\/em> festival of 1911, roughly 1,500 Yemenite Jews set sail for Ottoman Palestine.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145270\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145270\" style=\"width: 596px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145270 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy12-1-596x600.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"596\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy12-1-596x600.png 596w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy12-1-298x300.png 298w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy12-1-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy12-1.png 699w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 596px) 100vw, 596px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145270\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/en\/hoi-jews-fleeing-arab-world\/\">Preparations at the port in Aden<\/a><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\"> to bring Yemenite immigrants to Israel, Benno Rothenberg, the Meitar Collection, the Pritzker Family National Photography Collection, the National Library of Israel<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">There was lots of enthusiasm for this mass-departure. In fact, Yavnieli <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nli.org.il\/en\/books\/NNL_ALEPH990019278060205171\/NLI\">documents a story<\/a> of a family who were so eager to move that they tried to sell their house to raise the funds to travel. When they couldn\u2019t sell their home in time, they dismantled the house instead, and sold the individual planks of wood, in order to get the quick cash that they needed to board the next <em>Aliyah<\/em> ship.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145273\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145273\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145273\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy13-1-300x165.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"275\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy13-1-300x165.png 300w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy13-1-768x423.png 768w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy13-1.png 971w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145273\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/merhav.nli.org.il\/primo-explore\/fulldisplay?vid=NLI&amp;id=990018553310205171&amp;inst=972NNL_INST&amp;context=L\">Yavnieli<\/a><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\"> with his wife Chaniah and children Ariella and Menachem, 1936, <\/span><em style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">Shmuel Yavne&#8217;ely, The Foreseer<\/em><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, Shimon Kushnir, 1972<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">But wealth remained a dividing factor in this process, despite the fact that the excluded poorer Yemenite families were keen to join in the exodus, too. Yavnieli did not want to leave even a single willing Jew behind. Instead, he sent <a href=\"https:\/\/merhav.nli.org.il\/primo-explore\/fulldisplay?vid=NLI&amp;id=990019277640205171&amp;inst=972NNL_INST&amp;context=L\">long letters<\/a> of appeal to Dr. Ruppin, and Rabbi Binyamin Feldman, the Secretary of the Palestine Office of the Zionist Organization. He encouraged them to find funding to bring over the disadvantaged families, stating that they could do farm work and manual labor upon their arrival, which was sorely needed during those years. With funding secured, extra boats were chartered from the Ostrich Shipping Company in order to bring even more Yemenite Jews to the Land of Israel. Rabbi Ishack helped verify which families would need reduced ticket fares and sent lists to Dr. Ruppin of families who would be taking the subsidized chartered shipping boats to Israel.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yavnieli stayed in Yemen, helping hundreds of Jewish families make the move, until the outbreak of World War II. When he finally left to return home, he departed as a true hero.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145276\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145276\" style=\"width: 970px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145276 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy14-970x351.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"970\" height=\"351\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy14-970x351.png 970w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy14-300x108.png 300w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy14-768x278.png 768w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy14-1536x555.png 1536w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy14.png 1765w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145276\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/merhav.nli.org.il\/primo-explore\/fulldisplay?vid=NLI&amp;id=990018553310205171&amp;inst=972NNL_INST&amp;context=L\">Yavnieli posing<\/a><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\"> with some of the Yemenite Jews he helped bring to Israel, 1917 (left) 1932 (right), <\/span><em style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">Shmuel Yavne&#8217;ely, The Foreseer<\/em><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, Shimon Kushnir, 1972<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Just a few years later, the tide turned in Yemen, and the remaining Jews found themselves fighting against a discriminatory and corrupt government armed with antisemitic rhetoric and bigoted rulings. As the country began to rally in earnest against the Jews, and almost all of the Arab world followed suit, most of the remaining Yemenite Jews were forced to await rescue in the form of Operation Magic Carpet, 35 years after the end of Yavnieli\u2019s efforts.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145279\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145279\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145279 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy15-1-761x600.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"505\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy15-1-761x600.png 761w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy15-1-300x237.png 300w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy15-1-768x606.png 768w, https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yy15-1.png 791w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145279\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/merhav.nli.org.il\/primo-explore\/fulldisplay?vid=NLI&amp;id=990018553310205171&amp;inst=972NNL_INST&amp;context=L\">Yavnieli with David Ben-Gurion<\/a><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, 1956, <\/span><em style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">Shmuel Yavne&#8217;ely, The Foreseer<\/em><span style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;\">, Shimon Kushnir, 1972<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">But as Yavnieli watched the tragedy of the expulsion of Jews from Yemen and the surrounding Arab lands, which we commemorate annually on November 30, he could at least clear his conscience, knowing that he single-handedly brought about an entire wave of Yemenite<em> Aliyah<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the birth of the State of Israel, over 850,000 Jews were forced to leave the Arab and Islamic world. In Yemen, however, this was not the first time a mass immigration to Israel had taken place. More than three decades earlier, with the help of a young man named Shmuel Yavnieli, over 1,500 Yemenite Jews started their own journey to the Land of Israel, and embarked on a voyage largely untold\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":336,"featured_media":145212,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[216],"tags":[1966,304,234,1232,1873,1601,238,1616,1969,1533],"tags2":[2712,2714],"class_list":["post-145203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diaspora","tag-aliyah","tag-antisemitism","tag-diaspora","tag-history-of-israel","tag-jewish-communities","tag-jewish-immigration","tag-land-of-israel","tag-middle-east","tag-yemenite-jews","tag-zionism"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Yavnieli and the Yemenite Aliyah<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With the birth of the State of Israel, over 850,000 Jews were forced to leave the Arab and Islamic world. In Yemen, however, this was not the first time a mass immigration to Israel had taken place. More than three decades earlier, with the help of a young man named Shmuel Yavnieli, over 1,500 Yemenite Jews started their own journey to the Land of Israel, and embarked on a voyage largely untold\u2026\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/en\/yavnieli-yemenite-aliyah\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Yavnieli and the Yemenite Aliyah\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With the birth of the State of Israel, over 850,000 Jews were forced to leave the Arab and Islamic world. In Yemen, however, this was not the first time a mass immigration to Israel had taken place. 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