A new wave of Israel-bound immigrants will be leaving Persian Kurdistan this spring as soon as the inclement weather lets up, it was reported here today. It is anticipated that as many as 5,000 Kurdish Jews will travel overland through Turkey to Istanbul where they will board Israeli vessels for the last leg of their journey.
This week a group of Kurdish Jews arrived here from eastern Turkey where they were marooned for over a month by heavy snows which blocked all roads. Also, in Van, in easternmost Turkey, 100 members of the ancient Jewish community of Van–the oldest in the country–are waiting for a change in weather so that they can make the trip to Istanbul and thence to Israel.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.