Jewish Rabbi Requests Saleh to Appoint Him as Advisor on Yemeni-American Jews Affairs

Media source mentioned that Rabbi Fayez Al-Garadi, head of Shebzi Jews, requested President Ali Abdullah Saleh to appoint him as advisor for the Jewish Yemeni Community in America.

Al-Garadi revealed that he sent an official letter to President Saleh in this respect; however, he has received no reply.

As early as 2001, Al-Garadi played important roles during the local elections in his homeland, Amran's Raydah area, but he traveled later to the United States of America.

Upon arrival, the Jewish Yemeni Community who traveled to America in the 1950s of the past century appointed him to be their Rabbi and now enjoys wide influence and popularity among Yemeni Jews.

Yemen used to accommodate over 50,000 Jews during the early half of the last century, but 90 percent of them were transferred to Israel in what was known to be the "Magic Carpet" where over 45,000 Jews were deported through Aden to the occupied lands in Palestine.

Others preferred to travel to America or European countries and very few remained in Yemen. Authorities' estimations put the number of Jews now living in the country at 1,000.