Jewish Chaban: The Historical Journey Following the Forgotten Community

Some believe that Yemen is 'the end of the world,' the furthest exile. Indeed, for many years, it was considered the most remote permanent Jewish settlement in the southeast of the desert.

In 1912, the adventurer Shmuel Yavne'eli set out on a journey in Yemen. While being in Yemen, he heard about Jews sitting at a great distance deep in the desert, in the Hadramaut region - Jews known by the Yemeni Jews as 'El Mashrak,' Jews of the East. The location of the 'El Mashrak' Jews was three hundred kilometers east of Aden. 300 km is not such a great distance, but when it involves such a distance in the heart of the vast and terrible desert, things are different. The border of the Turkish kingdom was the city of Aden, where order was maintained at that time. East of there, in the heart of the desert, there is no law and order. Anyone who is not Muslim and passes there could be robbed.

Indeed, Yavne'eli, unable to resist the chance of discovering an unknown Jewish community, traveled towards the city of Chaban, the largest city among the Jewish cities in 'El Mashrak.' He was robbed on his way there and reached it with difficulty, naked and with nothing. The Jews of Chaban helped him and supported him, and he sent a letter to the Jews of the Land of Israel, describing what his eyes saw. And he writes, among other things: 'The Jews scattered in these lands are renowned and praised by all the people of Yemen and the people of Aden. It is said about them that they are brave men who always go armed, and their long hair grows wild... The names Bida, Chaban, are uttered by the inhabitants of Yemen with special reverence, and the Jews also relate to the Jews there respectfully.'

The first documentation that arrives to us is a hundred years old, but the Jewish community in Chaban has existed for many years. According to their tradition, they were exiled there during the days of the First Temple, and they call themselves 'Rosh Golim' (Head of Exiles). Their hair is long, they do not cut it, their clothing resembles the ancient drawings of the inhabitants of the Land of Israel in Biblical times, and on their heads are white turbans. Among them, there are no Kohanim and Levites. They have unique customs and do not know the Talmud. Only the books of Maimonides were found to them, which were sent to them by the Jews of Yemen at some point in time, and they follow them.

The Jewish quarter of Chaban is built in a circular shape around the king's palace. According to Chabani tradition, many years ago the city was under siege by very strong enemies. The king did not know how to manage the city against them, and a Jew named Solomon the Wise, who was blind but very wise, guided him and saved the city. In return, he asked to build a street for the Jews around the king's palace, and his request was granted. All the Jews of Chaban are silversmiths.

In 1945, the wise Jew of Chaban sent a letter to the Jewish Agency in Jerusalem, writing, among other things: 'I, Zachariah Chabani, inquire about your well-being, and after inquiring about your well-being, I must tell you about the situation of our brothers, the inhabitants of Chaban Hadramaut, who sit there with much sorrow and great danger from both hunger and the decree of the king of Chaban, Hussein Abdullah and his sons... We used to sit here in peace and the kingdom of Chaban honored us more than all the gentiles. They would ask us why don't you go up to the Land of Israel. We said here is the Land of Israel... What did Hashem do to us, He set up an evil king who imposed decrees on us more than Haman. Why? In order for us to fulfill 'And you shall return to Hashem your God...'

The agents of the Jewish Agency managed, in a special operation, to bring up the people of Chaban. They walked hundreds of kilometers on foot to the port of Aden, and from there they arrived in the Land of Israel. With the arrival of the first immigrants, it was written in the latest news in April 1945, thus: 'Two princes and one princess came from the land of the east to the Land of Israel a month ago, this is Zachariah Chabani and his wife and his nephew. Until now, only a select few heard about the existence of Jews in Chaban, this is Hadramaut, twelve days on camels through the desert to Aden. Upon their arrival in the country, they aroused great curiosity... Marvelous things have already been told about them, heroic tales of free Jews equipped with weapons and who know how to polish swords no less than the people around them... And where did they get this beautiful Hebrew from? Their well-wishers ask? And they reply that they have two synagogues and study Torah and they are counted among the tribe of Judah...'

In the country, the Chabanis gathered as one community in Moshav Bareket (near Shoham), and to this day they are distinguished by their uniqueness, their appearance, and their unique customs.