Share
Israel Story
Short: The Last "Rabbi" of Baghdad - A Thanksgiving Special
Jews have been in Iraq for more than two-and-a-half millennia. Today, the entire Jewish community of Baghdad can fit in a single car. In this special Thanksgiving bonus, we bring you a conversation between Mishy Harman and Emad Levy, the last "rabbi" of Baghdad.
It's a busy week. Many of you will be traveling, and those of you staying put will probably be cooking turkeys and preparing cranberry sauce. And while you are doing all that, we wanted to keep you company.
With the kind of storytelling we do, most of our interviews end up on the proverbial "editing room floor." And we're often sorry about that, since we'd like you to hear them too. So today, in a new experiment for us, we bring you an edited version of an interview we recently recorded. Want to know what the last "rabbi" of Baghdad is thankful for? Listen and find out.
Zev Levi edited this special. The end song, "Tahdini" is by Dudu Tassa & The Kuwaitis.
Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For more, head to our site or Tablet Magazine.
Stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For more, head to our site or The Times of Israel.
More episodes
View all episodes
92. 167: Flower Power
27:05||Season 1, Ep. 92Black markets, propaganda, and ... wildflowers - the story of the most successful marketing campaign in Israel's history.Our end song is Waltz Lehaganat HaTzome'ach ("Waltz for the Protection of the Flora") by Jane Bordeux and Aya Zahavi Feiglin.
91. 166: Frankly, My Deer
53:10||Season 7, Ep. 91Fine caviar, Persian carpets, the malignant presence of a possibly former-Nazi zookeeper, a cameo from a sensuous Mossad agent and cold-blooded murder. This is the improbable, totally true story of a flying Dutchman and some of the last "olim" to leave Iran before the Revolution. Our end song is Gan Eden Shel Ha'Adam ("Man's Paradise") by Gilad Segev.Image licensed from Dragan Ilic at Dreamstime.com
90. 165: Sorry, Not Sorry
43:52||Season 7, Ep. 90A never-aired Yom Kippur episode from before the war that asks what does it mean to be sorry?Our end song is Lu Yehi ("Let It Be") performed by HaGashash HaHiver.
89. 164: Wartime Diaries - Pazit Noyberger and Radwan Abu Arara
22:13||Season 7, Ep. 89In the messy tension of war, Pazit had to make a life-or-death decision for someone else.The end song is "Hymn to the Soul" by LAOR.
88. 163: Iran to Israel, Tehran to Tel Aviv
16:17||Season 7, Ep. 88In the middle of a war, we reached out to the other side. They answered.Note: The content in this episode was written by real people. To protect the anonymity of participants, some audio voices were produced by AI.Episode art credit: Reuters.The end song is Dror Yikra ("Proclaim Freedom") performed by Mike Rauss, Yael Dagon, and Ardavan Hatami.
87. Bonus: 90 Seconds
06:05||Season 7, Ep. 87Just a moment to decide what's most important.The end song is Od Chozer HaNigun ("The Melody Returns") by Chava Alberstein.
86. 162: Israel to Iran, Tel Aviv to Tehran
11:34||Season 7, Ep. 86We thought the people of Iran should get the chance to hear the voices of regular Israelis, describing daily life in this war within a war.And we want to hear from Iranians too. What is your daily life like right now? What do you want us to know? Send us your voice notes on social media, Whatsapp (+972-58-540-8822), or Signal (@JayLevi.59).Episode art photo credit: Yossi ZamirThe end song is Boker Tov Iran ("Good Morning Iran") by Aviv Geffen.
13. 34: The Hasbara Hero
33:35||Season 3, Ep. 13While all kinds of very unwanted things are flying to Israel from Iran these days, we wanted to remind you of someone wonderful who came here from Iran.
85. 161: Wartime Diaries - Amir Ofer
17:11||Season 7, Ep. 85An unlikely intergenerational friendship between two soldiers tasked with freeing civilian hostages.The end song is HaCholmim Achar Hashemesh ("Those Who Dream of the Sun") performed by David Lavi and Tamar Philosof.