Contact InformationWHAT MAKES THE JEWISH YEMENITE TRADITION SPECIAL ?
* The Jewish Yemenite prayer book (the "Tiklal") is completely different from the Ashkenazi and Sephardic prayer books. rMb"M (Maimonides) always referred to the text in the Yemenite prayer book.
* The pronunciation of all Hebrew prayers, Torah reading, etc.,used by Yemenite Jews, is believed to be the pronunciation used by the Jews in the First Temple era.
* There is no established cantor or Torah Reader (Baal Kore) in the synagogue. Every Shabbat or holiday the Rabbi invites congregants to serve as cantors or Torah Readers.
* The Jewish Yemenite ancient tradition is rich with literature and poetry. The greatest Yemenite poet, Rabbi Shalom Shabazi, J.O.B.M., wrote religious songs, reflecting the longing of the Jews of Yemen for Jerusalem, and Yemenite folk songs.
* The Yemenite culture is a way of life which affects every activity, day and night, at home or school, and in the synagogue.
EVERY JEW IN THE USA IS WELCOME TO BECOME A MEMBER OF OUR ASSOCIATION,AND PARTICIPATE IN ANY OR ALL OF OUR ACTIVITIES
* You are invited to participate in our Association's activities, for which there is no fee. If, however, you make a nominal financial contribution to our Association, you will enjoy the following benefits:
- Information, mailed to your house, about all of our activities
- Newsletters
- Discounts on participation in holiday programs
- Priority in buying books having limited availability.
- Sunday school for children - teaching the weekly portion of the Torah
- Bar Mitzvah program
WHY YOU HAVE TO BE PROUD TO BE A YEMENITE JEW?
- You are member of the ancient Jewish tribe who had the insight to preserve the proverbial light of the Pentateuch, in the full sense of its glory, throughout 2000 years of exile.
- The Yemenite Jews have always taken their full share in the development of the Jewish religion and the Jewish culture. They have preserved many ancient Jewish religious ideas and practices. Famous scholars asserted that to understand the laws of the Mishna and Talmud, one has to live with Yemenite Jews.
- It is also known that many Yemenite Jews are great scholars of Jewish knowledge, individuals who know by heart the Torah, the prayers, and large portions of Jewish literature.
-The Yemenite Hebrew has been studied by researchers many of whom believe it to contain the most ancient phonetic and grammatical features, from the early days of the first Temple. Many ancient Hebrew manuscripts were copied and preserved in Yemen. The Yemenite community is the most literate of all Jewish communities when it comes to the Bible and the prayers.
- Yemenite wedding customs, which include the "henna" ceremony are nowadays accepted and combined with Sephardi and Ashkenazi rituals
- The Yemenite culture and art are especially famous for their garments and jewelry. The Yemenite embroidery, and of course the Yemenite food. The craft of weaving - the Yemenite weavers wove fabrics, carpets, and also prayer shawls
- Musical and artistic talents of the Yemenite Jewry are impressively represented. The "Yemenite step" is danced successfully in many Israeli folk dances. The Yemenite melodies and singers are today the most prominent elements in the Jewish and Israeli music.
How to Contact Us
Association of Jewish Yemenites in the United States Inc.
P.O.Box 300992
Brooklyn, NY 11230
jewishyemenites@aol.com