"Afghanistan's Jewish community dwindles to two -- and they're feuding" by Steven Gutkin (Associated Press) . August 24, 2001. http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/082501/ath_0825010011.shtml [September 2002]
(also see write-up under Kabul below)

The "Other" in "Afghan" Identity: Medieval Jewish community of Afghanistan http://www.bukharianjews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=4&page=1

The History of Bukharian Jews http://www.bukharianjews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=2&page=1


BOOK: Afghanistan: The Synagogue and the Jewish Home. Zohar Hanegbi and Bracha Yaniv, editors. Jerusalem: 1991. 220 pages, 167 illustrations, 30 in color (English and Hebrew) ASIN: 9653910027

http://amyisrael.co.il/asia/afghan/index.htm [October 2000]
http://www.mindspring.com/~jaypsand/dispersed.htm [October 2000]
http://www.haruth.com/JewsAfghanistan.html [January 2002]
http://www.virtual.co.il/communities/wjcbook/afganist/index.htm [October 2000]
http://www.kosherdelight.com/Afghanistan.htm [August 2003]
Also click on Afghanistan at http://www.worldjewishcongress.org/comm_asia.html

• Cemetery: The site with a Judeo-Persian inscription was discovered through archeology in 1946. Scholars dated the tombstone from 1198. In 1956, three rock inscriptions ere found dating from 752-753. In 1962, more than twenty tombstones were discovered with Hebrew, Aramaic, and Judeo-Persian inscriptions dated between from 1012 to 1249. (Fischel, W. J. "Rediscovery of the Medieval Jewish community at Feireukeuh in Central Afghanistan." Journal of the American Oriental Society, 1965, vol. 85.). The 19 September 1249 tombstone, dated twenty-seven years after the Mongol invasion, may mark a Jew from the Kabul Jewish community that fled or was forced to convert. Many believe that the community fled to China. The tombstones include names, dates, and communal titles or honorifics. A Levite or Cohen was noted on the tombstone. From the titles listed, this Medieval Jewish merchant community had a synagogue, a Rabbinic court, and schools in this primarily merchant community. [January 2002]

  UPDATE: "...information and sources about the Jews of Afghanistan in the Middle Ages are few. However, since the discovery of a Jewish cemetery in Ghur, researchers were able to find out many details of communal life in the community of Ghur. It would seem plausible that most of the Jewish communites of the area resembled the structure and communal life of the community of Ghur.

  The first inscription was discovered in 1946. It was a tombstone which contained a Judeo-Persian inscription. Scholars dated the tombstone from 1198. A few years later, in 1956, three rock inscriptions made by one individual were found and dated at 752-753. In 1962, over twenty tombstones were discovered. These tombstones were inscribed with Hebrew, Aramaic, and Judeo-Persian (11). These were dated between 1012-1249. The last tombstone is from September 19, 1249 which would place it 27 years after the Mongol invasion. It is speculated that the community either fled, forced to convert, or was destroyed. Most scholars argue that the community fled into China since there is a significant influence from Persian speaking Jews from Khorasan on the Chinese Jewish community's texts and ceremonies (12).

  The tombstones include not only names and dates, but also communal titles and functions (4). 29 Tombstones includes the title (Alut). According to the hierarchy of the Talmudic schools in Babylonia, this title was given to five members who served as judges. It is believed that within the community, there was a Rabbinic judge who received his title from the Pubethita school in another title included on the tombstone, (Rosh Ha Sadranut). This title seems to be a translation of the Aramaic title given to head of schools (Raish Sidra) (13).

  Another 28 tombstones include the title of (Aluf). However, this individual by the nameof Tobia Hallevi does not have the title of a school head. It seems that he had an important religious function within the community. He must have had a judicial function also, since the term Aluf was given to Judges only.

  There are several tombstones which include the title of (Hakham). It seems that this title was reserved for those who served as Rabbis and teachers. It might have been an honourary title title like other Jewish communities in different Jewish communities.

  There are some tombstones with the title (Melamed). This title was probably given tothe teachers of the community, and those who lead public prayers (4). There wereother honourary titles given to the community's elders, and distinguished members. These titles are (Yashish), and (Zaken). These titles were given to people who had other communal functions as inscribed in tombstones 21 and 8.

  The title of the head of the community, and the title of the head of the congregation are found one next to each other in tombstones 23 and 27. The title of the communal leader was Rosh Kahal and the title for the head of the congregation was Rosh Kanesa. The term (Kanesa) is the Judeo-Persian translation of synagogue. However, these two terms in the Gaonite literature were used as synonyms (10). Therefore, it might be argued that these two titles have the same meaning." http://www.bukharianjews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=4&page=1 [October 2003]

• Cemetery: "...near the town of Herat in Tchcharan, old graves were found on which the writing was in Persian and in the Hebrew language. The graves date from the 11th to the 13th centuries." Source: http://www.moshiach.com/features/tribes/pathans.php [January 2002]

http://www.jewish.com/news/afghan1213.shtml - link no longer available : "Ishak Levin, a Persian Jew in his 70s, and 42-year old Zebulon Simantov live in separate rooms of Kabul's synagogue and are said to be the country's last remaining Jews. The community once numbered as many as 40,000, but by the mid-20th century, about 5,000 remained. Most of them, however, left in the 1950s and 1960s after the creation of the State of Israel. The rest left shortly after the Soviet occupation in the late 1970s and early 1980s." "The Jewish community in Afghanistan was once a proud one, with 40,000 people, flourishing businesses and a distinctive Torah design. ... Afghanistan's last two Jews -- Ishaq Levin and Zebulon Simentov -- live at separate ends of the same decaying synagogue in the Afghan capital and are feuding, each claiming to be the rightful owner of the synagogue and its paraphernalia." Source: http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/082501/ath_0825010011.shtml [January 2002]

 UPDATE: "In 2002, there are two Jews in Afghanistan. Zebulon Simentov and Isaac Levy live at separate ends of the same decaying synagogue in Kabul. They say they are protecting the synagogue, but their biggest threat is each other. Each claims to be the rightful owner of the Torah and accuses the other of stealing it. This feud is so heated that both men spent time in Taliban jails for charges they brought against each other. Meanwhile, the Taliban confiscated the Torah. The elder Levy relies on charity to get by, while Simentov, 41, owns a store that sells carpets, jewelry and handicrafts. Both men say they get along with their Muslim neighbors. Simentov is content in Afghanistan, saying he will visit Israel, but return to Kabul. Levy would like to join his family in Israel, but says he has no money.

        "The caretaker of Afghanistan's only functioning synagogue - and the country's second-last Jew - has died, officials said on Tuesday, after years of bitter feuding with the only other survivor of a once-thriving community. Ishaq Levin, aged about 80, passed away, apparently of natural causes, about a week ago in his quarters in the small synagogue in the Afghan capital, said his 45-year-old Jewish neighbour, Zebulon Simentov." The two lived for years in quarters at separate ends of the same synagogue. [January 25, 2005]

More than 10,000 Jews of Afghan descent now live in Israel. The second largest population of Afghan Jews is New York, with 200 families. They mostly live in Flushing, Jamaica and Queens. Rabbi Jacob Nasirov leads the Orthodox congregation of Anshei Shalom, the lone Afghan synagogue in the United States. Members have roots not only from Afghanistan, but also Yemen, Syria, Russia, Iraq, Morocco and Lebanon." Source: http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/vjw/Afghanistan.html [September 2002]