The Last Jew in Eritrea in Interview with Hidabroot: "Sometimes I Feel Lonely, But Hashem Is with Me"

Sami Cohen, 77 years old, is the last Jew living in Eritrea. His home is in the capital city, Asmara. Surrounded by millions of Christians and Muslims, Cohen is the only Jewish beacon shining light in the entire area.

So what is he doing there, in this foreign and remote country? How did he get there, and why doesn’t he move to Israel, to his people and land?

"Everyone Left One After the Other"

The story of the Jewish community in Asmara begins in 1905, when many families from the Aden region in Yemen came to the area for trade. They settled there and quickly began leading vibrant community life: they established a synagogue, children's educational centers, and even a Jewish cemetery. A civilian census conducted then in the country found that no fewer than 120 Jews lived there.

The community's disbandment began in the 1970s. Eritrea was affected by the socialist revolution, and the military forces began to impose a harsh regime that severely affected the Jewish community as well. "It got to the point where life in Asmara became unbearable," Sami Cohen recalls those days. "Most of the time, we were under curfew, electricity didn't flow, and the food supply was very minimal. In those days, much of our property was seized and nationalized, causing many families to lose everything in an instant."

These were fateful days for the Jewish community in Asmara, and indeed most of its members decided to leave and migrate to the USA. Some of them later moved to Israel, as part of the 'Wings of Eagles' operation. "Our family was among the few families that stayed here. Over the following years, everyone left one after the other, and even my family left everything behind and settled in Rome and Israel. Since then, I am the only one left in Asmara."

Here I Was Born. Sami Cohen's Home in Asmara

"I Don’t Have Much to Do Here"

Asmara has mostly old and neglected streets. The synagogue is located on the city’s main street. Cohen says that the synagogue was the first religious building established in the area, and only afterward were other religious buildings of various populations built. A magnificent sight is visible in the synagogue at sunrise when the sun's rays reflect the letter 'ה' on the front wall. "It is a clear sign that the Shechinah dwells in this place," Cohen says excitedly.

The Letter 'ה' Reflects on the Wall of the Synagogue in Asmara

In 2005, in celebration of the synagogue’s centennial, a festive and special event was held there. The city streets were decorated, chains of lights were hung, and an exciting orchestra greeted the arrivals. "Everyone who left the community came to participate in this celebration," he recalls. "It was a moving and unforgettable event."

The grand celebration effectively became the "swan song" of the Jewish community in Asmara. On that day, the synagogue held its last prayer quorum in its history. Since then, Cohen prays alone there, operates and maintains it, and guards it closely every day.

Describe your daily routine.

"I wake up early in the morning, go to the synagogue, open it, and pray. During the day, sometimes I clean the synagogue, and sometimes I visit the cemetery and visit the old graves. There isn't much to do in the place where I live."

Cohen says that in recent years, the Eritrean government has significantly reduced the job market. "The government doesn't give citizens the opportunity to work. It holds all the resources in its hands, without allowing the residents the option to progress and develop. This is part of the president's policy. Thus he manages to maintain the state's leadership and ensure his absolute and undeniable control over it."

From the Depths I Called You. The Prayer Platform in the Synagogue

"An Israeli Doctor Healed the President"

The president of Eritrea, Isaias Afwerki, is one of the military revolutionaries of the African continent. In 1966, when the struggle for Eritrea’s independence began, Afwerki joined the “People's Front for the Liberation of Eritrea” and became its leader. Over time, he allied with other organizations, such as the RLF, and fought for their country’s independence against the Ethiopian military forces. In 1993, the UN sponsored a referendum, after which Eritrea's independence was declared. Afwerki became the country's first president.

In 1996, the president contracted malaria and was flown to Israel for medical treatment. The one who treated him was Dr. Eli Schwartz, a leader in the field of infectious diseases in Israel. "He was on the brink of death, and a Jewish Israeli doctor healed him," Cohen describes proudly.

Cohen was among the few who accompanied the presidential entourage on its way to Israel. Although many years have passed, he still remembers the days when Afwerki was hospitalized in Israel: "Every evening, I would walk with him in the garden of the Sheba Hospital, and he would not stop thanking the Israelis who managed to heal him. In those days, he promised me that the state under his leadership would do everything to return the robbed property to the Jews who lived here, but today he ignores it."

Do you have any contact with him now?

"No. During the time the Israeli embassy was active in Eritrea, we would gather once a year and celebrate Israel's Independence Day together with him. Since the embassy closed, the connection with him has ceased and there’s almost no possibility of meeting him."

"Hashem Placed Me Here"

The Israeli embassy in Eritrea operated until 2010. The embassy days are remembered by Cohen as a refreshing period when there were those who kept him company. He now remains alone, the last Jew living in the country. Throughout the year, he flies several times alternately to Rome and Israel to visit his family and children.

How does it feel to live alone among non-Jews?

"I have no answer to this question," he sighs after a long silence. "I have a house to live in, I have a synagogue to pray in, and I divide my time between them. What can I do? Leave? And who will guard the synagogue? Who will visit the cemetery? Hashem is the one who placed me in this place, and He is who keeps me here. I believe it’s my mission in the world, and I’m here to stay.

"Sometimes, when I feel lonely, I go to the synagogue and pray," Cohen tearfully says. "I know I am not alone because Hashem is with me. I must stay here for the synagogue and the cemetery, and I pray that Hashem will hear my prayer and bring the Jewish community back to its glory days."

What’s your closing message?

"I call from here to the people of Israel: Come visit my home and pray with me. Every morning I pray to Hashem to send me ten Jews, and together we will take the Torah scrolls out from the ark. Our synagogue houses two beautiful and decorated Torah scrolls, and I hope soon I will be able to take them out with song and dance and read from them together with all the people of Israel."

The Ancient Torah Scrolls at the Synagogue