“Following the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, Zebulon Simantov was said to be the last Jew in the country. However, reports now name 83-year-old Tova Moradi, who fled Afghanistan last month, as the holder of that title. Whoever was the last to leave, what is now certain is that Afghanistan has no more Jews [thanks to the Islamic Taliban]. The country once hosted a healthy Jewish community numbering some 50,000. Boaz Arad reports, ‘Tova Moradi and 124 other Afghans boarded an extraordinary evacuation flight from Mazar-i-Sharif. This flight was the final lap of a nerve wrecking operation run by Israeli volunteers. What was originally supposed to be a land crossing through Tajikistan helped by Afghan contacts with the right connections in Taliban checkpoints went wrong fast–so plan B kicked into action. They fly out. Against all odds, the plane took off and arrived at Dushanbe. Albania’s PM, Edi Rama, was willing to help. There were female athletes and students on the flight. Young, motivated, with a very bleak future under Taliban. Human rights activists, female police officers, judges, all blacklisted. The Taliban’s return put Moradi and her family in danger. She is now at a small seaside resort in Albania that houses her and other Afghans, from where she hopes to continue to Canada’ (@aradboaz, Oct. 30). The Jerusalem Post reported that Moradi left Kabul in October with more than 20 grandchildren. Their escape was organized by the Israeli human rights organization IsraAid. Moradi was herself one of 10 children. At the age of 16, she ran off and married a Muslim. The Jewish community ostracized them. She never adopted her husband’s religion, but kept Jewish traditions, her daughter told the Associated Press. She was known as a Jew in her neighborhood. Several brothers live in Israel, and her parents are buried in Jerusalem. The elderly woman first flew to Albania before being taken to resettle in Canada. She also desires to visit relatives in Israel.”
“No More Jews,” Israel Today, Nov. 11, 2021