Keeping the Iraqi Hanucah traditions alive

For the first time since the pandemic broke out, a club of Iraqi Jews in Jerusalem meets face-to-face this Hanucah to light the candles and reminisce about the old days, reports the Media Line.

These Jews were among 120,000 Jews airlifted out of the country to Israel in 1950-51. They have unique traditions, and  hope to attract the younger generation to their club to perpetuate these.

Today, only three Jews remain in Iraq.

You would be hard pressed to find 10 Jews in Iraq, Kurdistan and Yemen.

This has not prevented an organisation called Yad Le’Achim from sending out hundreds of Hanucah kits composed of candles, coins and prayer texts to these countries, according to JNS News.

They will probably be distributed to mixed Jewish-Muslim families, or those with distant Jewish ancestry.

Yad Ve’Achim report large demand this year from Jews who practise their religion secretly.