Association of Jewish Yemenites in the United States Inc.

אגודת היהודים התימנים בארצות הברית

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Below is a map of Yemen, surrounded by countries with which you may be more familiar.

Yemen map

Association of Jewish Yemenites in the United States Inc. is a Not-For-Profit organization concentrating on the thousands of Jewish Yemenite families in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area --
Seeking to:
* Preserve the Jewish Yemenite tradition.
* Transfer the pursuit of Jewish Yemenite culture to future generations.
* Expose the rest of the community to the beauty and wisdom of the Jewish Yemenite heritage.
* With a varied and exciting program of activities.

Most scholars believe that about 2500 years ago, the Queen of Sheba (Sheba being the name at that time for Ethiopia) had been visiting King Solomon in Jerusalem. A number of Jewish merchants followed her on her return to Ethiopia, through Yemen. They stayed in Yemen, recognizing it as the center for spices (including frankincense, which had been used in the Temple in Jerusalem). They succeeded in setting up trade routes for spices.
The Hebrew prophet Jeremiah had prophesied that the Chaldeans, who were fighting against Jerusalem, would go there and set fire to the city and its houses. Thousands of Jews went to Yemen to avoid this disaster – 30 years before the destruction of the First Temple in 585 B.C.E.
The Jews of Yemen used to bring their dead to the Holy Land, reflecting the close ties between Yemenite Jews and the Jews of Israel. In the 20th Century, the majority of the Yemenite Jews left Yemen to go to Israel. The first Yemenite families to come to the New York area did so about 1910. After 1948, many Yemenite Jews who had been living in Israel moved to America.

Here are the programs currently offered by the Association:

* Sunday Yemenite Talmud Torah for children:
Weekly Torah portion and Maftir
Aramaic translation
Special programs before holidays

* Weekly evening meetings for parents:
Talmud, Mishna and Harambam
A deeper insight into issues like Kashruth and Shabbat
Discussion on selected issues, from a Jewish perspective
Learning special prayers before holidays

* Special programs for Bar-Mitzvah boys, especially from non-observant families:
Preparation for Torah and Matfir
Special sessions with the Rabbi
Study of the Yemenite Pronunciation and melody

* Special gatherings of the entire community:
Rosh Chodesh celebrations
Special programs before Passover and Rosh Hashana
Seder program
Shovout night
Hoshana Rabba night
Simchat Torah special program

* Jewish Yemenite Choir:
Shabazi songs for Shabbat, weddings, Bar-Mtizvah, etc.
Special programs before the holidays
Special performances for the entire community

* Mailing of newsletters before Pesach and Rosh Hashanah

* Sale of Jewish Yemenite prayer books
and special Yemenite garments

Contact Information

How to Contact Us

Association of Jewish Yemenites in the United States Inc.
P.O.Box 300992
Brooklyn, NY 11230

jewishyemenites@aol.com

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