The Jews of Afghanistan:

A glimpse into a vanished community

Sunday, December 6

USA 12:00 pm PT / 3:00 pm ET

UK 8:00 pm / France 9:00 pm / Israel 10:00 pm

The talk will last approximately 90 minutes

About this talk

The Jewish community of Afghanistan developed along the Silk Road. By the year 700 CE, it flourished amidst the great cultural and religious diversity found when this nation was truly the crossroads of the world. By the 19th century, families survived through commerce, with men frequently traveling long distances to sell their wares. As a result, unusual domestic arrangements developed. Learn more about the daily life of this community, and how they survived the threat of forcible conversion and discriminatory economic policies while maintaining ancient, unique customs. We will also discuss the community's fate and decline in the 20th century, and what remains of it today.

Osnat Gad, born in Pakistan to Afghani Jewish parents, will also speak about her efforts to restore Jewish sites in Kabul and Herat, including cleaning and documenting the damaged graves in the Herat Jewish cemetery.

About Sara

Sara Koplik, PhD, attended Bryn Mawr College, where she majored in history, and later the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. There, she received a master's degree in Central Asian studies and a doctorate in Middle Eastern history. She is the author of A Political and Economic History of the Jews of Afghanistan (Brill, 2013) as well as journal articles and chapters on the Mizrahi Jewish experience. From 2016 to 2021, Dr. Koplik founded and directed the Sephardic Heritage Program at the Jewish Federation of New Mexico. Under her leadership, the program helped thousands of individuals across the globe. She also edited the New Mexico Jewish Link for over a decade. Currently, she is the executive director of the Aaron David Bram Hillel House at the University of New Mexico.

About Osnat

Osnat Gad was born in Peshawar, Pakistan, to parents from Afghanistan. In 1947, her extended family all moved to Bombay, India, to avoid mobs wanting to kill the Jews after the partition of India and Pakistan. In the early 1950s, her family moved to Israel, and by 1961, they settled in the US. In the early 1980s, Gad established a firm specializing in importing precious gems. Her jewelry line is now carried in more than 200 stores throughout the USA. Today, Gad runs four e-commerce businesses. She has led the effort to restore Jewish sites in Kabul and Herat.