History of the Jewish Community of Rafah in Gaza

Learn about the thriving Jewish community in Rafah during the Byzantine era, the attempt to establish a modern community and the detention of over 1,000 Jews by the British during Black Sabbath (Operation Agatha). Plus, the success of Kfar Darom, a kibbutz in Gaza populated by Holocaust refugees in the 1940s and Moshe Smilansky, the peace activist who purchased the land. Hear about their idealistic life, a dramatic Gazan Passover seder under Egyptian gunfire and their eventual evacuation.NOTES;* 222: The Days of Kfar Darom 1948 : The Height of Bravery in Israel’s Wars by Aryeh Itzhaki* The Forgotten Kibbutz - Kfar Darom - Israel HaYom news* The youth who stood in front of the Egyptian army for 222 days - Maariv news* Rafah land purchase - Ha-Tsfira news, 1910* Kfar Darom rebuilds outside Gaza - JTA news, 1949* The Jews in Egypt and in Palestine under the Fatimid Caliphs by Jacob Mann (discusses Jewish life in Rafah) Get full access to Jewish History Moment podcast with Ben Bresky at benbresky.substack.com/subscribe