Did you know that November 30 was designated this year by Israel as an official “Mizrahi Day of Remembrance” to honour Jewish refugees from North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia?
I may not agree with all of the political implications behind “Mizrahi Remembrance Day” but I applaud the move to include non-Ashkenazi Judaism in educational and cultural programming. It’s been seven years since I began studying the history and culture of Jews in the Islamic world and I am so inspired every day to continue.
I thought I’d share some of my favourite photos of hennaed Jews from the MENASA (Middle East, North Africa, and South/Central Asia). As always, my research on Jewish henna traditions is available on my website and blog.
1. A Jewish girl from western Iranian Kurdistan, shortly after her wedding, with hennaed nails, circa 1875 (photo by Antoin Sevruguin).
2. Jewish Amazigh musicians in Tissint, southern Morocco, with hennaed hands, circa 1934 (photo by Jean Besancenot).
3. Hennaed Jewish couple after the first of three henna ceremonies, San'a, Yemen, circa 1930 (photo by Yehiel Haibi).
4. Jewish woman with hennaed hands in a pattern unique to Tunisian Jews, Djerba, 1955 (photo by Frank Scherschel).
5. Jewish bride with hennaed hands, shortly after ‘aliya from Central Yemen, circa 1950.
6. Jewish woman dressed in holiday clothes with hennaed hands and feet, Hamadan, Iran, circa 1893.
7. Jewish couple from the Hadramaut, with the typical henna pattern of Habbani Jews, shortly after ‘aliya, circa 1950.
8. Jewish bride having her index finger hennaed, a Bene Israel tradition, Karachi, circa 1959.
9. Jewish couple at henna ceremony with paper-wrapped hennaed fingertips, Baghdad, circa 1950.
10. Jewish groom and bride, wearing l-keswa l-kbira [the grand dress], with hennaed hands in the style of northern Morocco, Rabat, circa 1911 (photo by Jean-Baptiste Morana).
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