Yahya ben Yosef, one of the last Jews of Yemen, passed away last Thursday, and was buried by Muslim neighbors in his community, Israeli media reported on Sunday.
Ben Yosef was reportedly buried in the village of Madar, north of Sana’a in Yemen, Ynet noted in their report. He had family in Israel.
Reports indicated that the announcement of ben Yosef’s death was written in a Facebook group of Yemenite Jews, where the announcement noted that he was buried by his Muslim neighbours as he had no remaining family to bury him in Yemen.
Yemenite community commends religious connections
The post also read, “Today, there are not enough Jews in Yemen to perform the burial ceremony or say Kaddish, so his neighbours volunteered to ensure that he would receive a dignified farewell. This powerful moment highlights the power of humanity and compassion that still exists in the few places in the world that transcend religious boundaries, especially in challenging times.”
ביום חמישי האחרון הלך לעולמו בתימן יחיא בן יוסף מאחרוני היהודים שנותרו שם שלא הסכים לעזוב את ארצו. מי שקבר אותו הם המקומיים הלא יהודים pic.twitter.com/OGbE9ZNOaS
— roi kais • روعي كايس • רועי קייס (@kaisos1987) June 16, 2024
Roi Kais, a reported at KAN News, wrote that sources familiar with ben Yosef’s life and story said that in the past, ben Yosef refused to immigrate to Israel, but later in life changed his mind, though unfortunately, the immigration process was stuck on Israel’s side.
