Jews of Egypt

The Jews of Egypt in modern times formed one of the most dynamic diasporas in Jewish history. Many of the records have been made unavailable by the Egyptian government, but it is still possible to research Egyptian Jewish family history.

Historic Timeline of the Jews of Egypt (1798-1967)

  • 1798: Napoleon invades Egypt, finding established Jewish communities
  • 1805: Muhammad Ali comes to power, beginning modernization process
  • 1840s: Muhammad Ali invites Jews to settle in Egypt
  • 1869: Suez Canal opens, catalyzing Jewish migration to Egypt
  • Late 19th – Early 20th century: Flourishing of cosmopolitan Jewish communities in Cairo and Alexandria
  • 1882: British occupation of Egypt begins
  • 1914: Egypt becomes a British protectorate; many Jews acquire European nationalities
  • 1922: Egypt gains nominal independence; period of prosperity for Egyptian Jews
  • 1937: Peak of Jewish population in Egypt, estimated at 63,500-80,000
  • 1948: Establishment of Israel; beginning of tensions for Egyptian Jews
  • 1952: Egyptian Revolution; Nasser comes to power
  • 1956: Suez Crisis; many Jews expelled or pressured to leave
  • 1957: Jewish community’s assets sequestrated; more Jews leave Egypt
  • 1967: Six-Day War; most remaining Jews expelled or detained

Overview of the Jews of Egypt

Muhammed Ali invited Jews to settle in Egypt

Muhammed Ali of Egypt

When the dust settled after Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of Egypt, the country found itself ruled by the Albanian, Muhammed Ali, a man of equivalent drive and brilliance. Nominally subject to the Ottoman sultan, in reality Muhammed Ali ruled an independent Egypt. But for the intervention of the Great Powers he would have conquered the Ottoman Empire.

Muhammed Ali’s encouraged modernisation in Egypt, as well as encouraging immigration, including Jews. Longstanding Jewish communities living along the Nile in Upper Egypt followed both rabbinic and Karaite Judaism. They were subsumed by Jews from the around the Mediterranean and beyond. His dynasty’s rule could fairly be described as a Golden Age for Jews, with a unique Egyptian-Jewish identity being forged.

The Jews of Egypt were an integrated community comprising people from all over the Jewish world. Here we shall look at them as a whole, not just the Sephardim.

The Opening of the Suez Canal

The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 shortened trade routes between the east – including India – and Europe. This meant that the old overland trade routes through what are now Iran, Iraq and Syria became uncompetitive. Cities on these historic trade routes declined economically. Many families from the region migrated to Egypt.

Jews also migrated from Italy, Greece, Turkey, India, Morocco and North Africa, Yemen and Ashkenazi lands. Egypt was a land of opportunity. Out of this disparate group, a new community – one is temped to say, a new civilisation – emerged. From the perspective of the early 21st Century it is almost impossible to recall how cosmopolitan and modern Egypt’s cities were. And it was not just Jews, but Italians, French, Greeks and others.

Jewish Contribution to Egypt

Unusually for the Middle East, most Jews in Egypt had arrived from elsewhere. It was a sophisticated multi-lingual immigrant community that made a major contribution to the country’s development.

Yaqub Sanu (Abou Naddara) opened Egypt’s first theatre in 1870. Egypt’s film industry, now dominant in the Arabic-speaking world, is largely a Jewish creation. Leila Mourad remains one of the most famous singers in the Arab world. Dawood Hosni composed songs still popular, including for Umm Koulthoum, Abdu al-Hamuli, Ashman and Leila Mourad

In the economic sphere, families like the Qattawi (Cattaui) and Suarès made substantial contributions. Modern Alexandria is largely the creation of Joseph Smouha. Les Grands Magasins Cicurel in Cairo was Egypt’s leading department store.

Egypt’s Jewish Exodus

The 1952 Egyptian Revolution increased anti-Jewish sentiment. The 1954 Lavon Affair and 1956 Suez Crisis further worsened conditions for Jews in Egypt.

Post-Suez Crisis, the Egyptian government initiated “Egyptianisation,” nationalising businesses and targeting Jewish-owned enterprises. On 22 November 1956, a proclamation said all Jews were “Zionists and enemies of the state.” Those with foreign nationality were forced to leave within days or face imprisonment and asset confiscation. Jewish Egyptian passport-holders were also pressured to emigrate.

There was a mass exodus. Many were coerced to “donate” property to the state, or simply abandon possessions. Between 1957 and 1967, most remaining Jews left Egypt with minimal belongings. The 1967 Six-Day War resulted in arrests of Jewish men aged 18-60, some held in detention camps. By the late 1960s, Egypt’s Jewish population had plummeted from 80,000 in 1948 to just a few thousand.

Today there is a handful of native-born Jews in Egypt. The Egyptian Jewish diaspora has made a significant contribution to their countries of resettlement.

Jewish Genealogy in Egypt

Jewish Archives in Egypt

Unfortunately Jewish genealogy has been politicised in Egypt. I think the root concern is that the Egyptian government worry that Jews who lost their property will seek restitution through the American courts. This is not a baseless concern.

Most of the Jewish archives remain in Egypt. They were officially held by the skeleton Jewish community, but they have now been moved to the Egyptian national archives where, effectively, they are out of reach. Association Nebi Daniel and partners have unsuccessfully sought permission to make copies.

Some of the records from Cairo, especially those for 1920=1960, form the Jamie Lehmann Memorial Collection of Records of the Jewish Community of Cairo at Yeshiva University in New York.

Jewish Cemeteries in Egypt

The International Jewish Cemetery Project website lists Jewish cemeteries in Egypt.

Cairo Jewish Cemeteries

Most Jews in Cairo were buried in the massive Bassatine Cemetery, although some families had private cemeteries. The Bassatine Cemetery has suffered considerably over recent decades.

The Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) is a project of the United States embassy in Cairo. Together with the Drop of Milk Foundation, they are working to restore the Bassatine.

The Bassatine News website ceased activities in 2014. This is a link to their Bassatine cemetery map. I have a partial list (maybe 5-10%) of burials in the Bassatine, that I believe comes from this source.

Alexandria Jewish Cemeteries

There are three Jewish cemeteries in Chatby, Alexandria. They are in much better condition than the Bassatine.

The Ministry of Antiquities has a Central Administration of Jewish Antiquities headed by Muhammad Mahran. They are reported to have created a list of Jewish graves in Alexandria.

Port Said Jewish Cemetery

A cemetery survives, possibly because it is massively overgrown.

Videos on Jewish Genealogy in Egypt

Egyptian Jewish Resources

Associations representing the Jews of Egypt

Jewish Newspapers, Books and Publications

Archives

Vital Records in Egypt

Egyptian Citizens

Civil registration in Egypt began in the late 19th century, around 1878, during the reign of Khedive Ismail. However, the system wasn’t comprehensive or universally applied at first. The system was modernised and became more standardised in the early 20th century, particularly after Egypt gained nominal independence in 1922.

Generally, Birth and Death records were the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior, while religious communities (in a carry-over from the Ottoman millet system) were responsible for marriage and divorce records.

I have heard that Jews have faced challenges in obtaining Egyptian documents.

Citizens of other Countries

Many or most Egyptian Jews had foreign citizenships. This was not a problem until after the Revolution when people were required to abandon foreign citizenships. This forced them to choose between Egypt and the foreign nationality, causing many to leave.

The most common foreign passports were Italy, France and the United Kingdom. Sometimes languages spoken in the family can offer a clue to the citizenship. Births, Marriages, Deaths and Wills were registered at the consulate. The consulate records are safely outside Egypt. The major ones are listed below:

French Consular Archives for Egypt
Italian Consular Archives for Egypt

Remember that Italy unified late, so records may not be in the Italian national diplomatic archives.

British Consular Archives for Egypt

The British National Archives has a massive collection. Some of the items are series below:

Netherlands Consular Archives for Egypt
Spanish Consular Archives for Egypt
Egyptian Jews under Spanish protection

Under Orden Circular nº 2217 de 11 de febrero de 1949, many Egyptian Jews qualified for Spanish protection. This is a link to the list.

Egyptian Census

Sir Moses Montefiore, the Anglo-Jewish philanthropist, conducted a census of the Jews of Alexandria in 1840.

There were two pre-colonial censuses, in 1848 and 1868, which have been studied by Professor Mohamed Saleh, but I do not know about Jewish representation in these studies. See also.

Further census were conducted in 1897, 1907, 1917, 1927, 1937, 1947, 1960 and 1966. The British Library has summary documents for some of them, which give the number and location of Egyptian Jews. It is not known if any of the original census returns survive.

Jewish Schools in Egypt

The Alliance Israélite Universelle managed schools in Egypt. Their archives are in France, but generally don’t include student lists. Many Jewish children were sent to schools run by Christian groups, notably French, and possibly some of the archives survive in France.

Cadastral Surveys

It is speculated that the Egyptian government’s goal in denying access to Jewish records is to impede claims by those seeking to recover their property. Property maps (Cadastral Survey) survive outside Egypt, including in the collections of several major international libraries.

Freemasonry Archives

Many of the Jews of Egypt were freemasons. Freemasons attend Lodges which, in turn, belong to Grand Lodges or Grand Orients. Sometimes the records of Egyptian lodges are in archives outside Egypt. The major Grand Lodges are:

See also: The History of Freemasonry, Volume 6, by Robert Freke Gould, 1882

Directories for researching the Jews of Egypt

  • The Egyptian Directory
  • Le Guide Sam
  • Le Mondain Égyptien

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