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What defines Mizrahi Jews and which countries make up their origins?
Executive summary
Mizrahi Jews are broadly defined today as Jews whose families lived for many generations in the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Central and Central‑West Asia rather than in Europe; most migrated to Israel in the mid‑20th century (Britannica; AJC) [1] [2]. Modern Israeli usage typically groups Jews from Central and West Asian countries—many Arabic‑speaking and Muslim‑majority—under the Mizrahi label, though many individuals prefer national labels like “Iraqi Jew” or “Moroccan Jew” (Wikipedia; AJC) [3] [2].
1. What “Mizrahi” literally means — and why the label is relatively recent
“Mizrahi” derives from the Hebrew mizrach, meaning “east” or “Oriental,” and the umbrella term was popularized in Israel in the 20th century to categorize Jews from eastern lands; prior to that, most people identified by city or country of origin rather than by a single pan‑regional name [3] [4]. Some critics and historians argue the coinage flattened diverse, ancient communities into a convenient administrative or social category—an argument made explicitly in commentary about the term’s invention and its political uses [5].
2. Geographic core: which countries and regions are included
Authoritative overviews list Middle Eastern and North African countries as the core places of origin—examples commonly named include Iraq, Yemen, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia and Iran—and many accounts add parts of Central Asia and the North Caucasus such as Bukharan communities [1] [6]. Wikipedia frames modern Israeli usage as covering Jews from Central and West Asian countries and many Arabic‑speaking Muslim‑majority states [3] [7]. Different sources vary slightly in scope: some emphasize “North Africa and the Middle East” [1] [4], others explicitly include parts of Central Asia [6].
3. Cultural and religious identity: shared practices and important distinctions
Mizrahi Jews often share ritual and liturgical affinities with Sephardic practice—leading to frequent conflation of the labels—but historians and community organizations stress distinct heritages: Mizrahi communities trace continuous local roots in eastern lands that long predate medieval Sephardic migrations [1] [8]. Practically, many Mizrahi synagogues follow Sephardic rites; nevertheless, many families prefer country‑level identities (for example “Persian” or “Yemenite”) rather than the broad “Mizrahi” umbrella [3] [8].
4. Demographics and migration in the 20th century
The mid‑20th century saw mass departures of Jews from Arab and Muslim countries—often framed as expulsions, flight from violence, or choices to emigrate during the Arab–Israeli conflict—and the majority of those communities resettled in Israel, reshaping Israeli society; sources note hundreds of thousands migrated after 1948 and that Mizrahi Jews now form a large segment of Israel’s Jewish population [7] [2]. Estimates and framing vary by source, and some reports emphasize trauma and displacement while others stress preexisting ties and long histories in the region [7] [6].
5. Who resists the label and why — competing perspectives
Many Jews from these communities reject “Mizrahi” as an erasure of particular national or communal histories and instead prefer “Moroccan Jew,” “Iraqi Jew,” etc.; scholars and activists point out the term can homogenize groups that developed distinct languages, customs and legal traditions over centuries [3] [5]. Conversely, community organizations and educators use “Mizrahi” to reclaim regional identity and highlight shared experiences of marginalization in Israel, demonstrating that the label serves both descriptive and political purposes [9] [2].
6. Limitations and what the sources don’t settle
Available sources agree on the general regions (Middle East, North Africa, parts of Central Asia) but differ in exact lists of countries and in framing causes and consequences of mid‑20th century migration [1] [7] [5]. Specific country‑by‑country population counts, precise dates of communal decline, and contested claims about deliberate provocations or state policies are treated differently across sources; where a source explicitly disputes a claim (for example, political motive narratives), that dispute is noted in the source itself [5]. For any single‑country deep history or up‑to‑date population figures, available sources do not mention that level of detail in this dataset.
Summary: “Mizrahi” is a modern, umbrella Hebrew term for Jews rooted in Middle Eastern, North African and some Central Asian communities; it groups many historically distinct communities for analytical and political purposes, while many individuals continue to emphasize their specific national or communal origins [3] [1] [2].