There are about 80 Jews left in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and their situation is not bad, although a number plan to leave the country which was invaded by Soviet forces last month. That information was reported by Meir Akashloma, an Afghani Jewish textile merchant who arrived in Israel from Kabul two weeks ago to join his wife and the four of his 10 married children who live here.
According to Akashloma, the Jews in Kabul live in a closely knit community and do not experience hostility on the part of their Moslem neighbors. Kabul has returned to normal since the Soviets installed the new pro-Moscow regime. Shops have reopened but business is very slow, he reported.
There is one synagogue in Kabul but no rabbi. A shochet (ritual slaughterer) serves the needs of the Jewish community. Akashloma said that eight Jewish families who hold passports intend to leave the country as soon as they get exit visas. The families who do not possess passports may run into difficulties if they wish to leave, he said.
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.
