Zablon Simintov
Zablon Simintov | |
|---|---|
 Zablon Simintov in March 2005 | |
| Born | 1959 (age 65–66) |
| Other names | Zebulon Simentov
Zabulon Simintov Zabulon Simentov Zablon Simentov |
| Citizenship | Israeli |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Employer | Himself |
| Known for | The second last Jew in Afghanistan |
| Children | 2 daughters |
Zablon Simintov (born 1959) was thought to be the last Jew in Afghanistan until his distant cousin Tova Moradi was discovered in October 2021. Moradi also fled Afghanistan in October of 2021 with her 20 grandchildren to Albania. Moradi married a Muslim man yet still remained Jewish traditions. He was born in Herat. Simintov had lived with the third last remaining Jewish person in Afghanistan, Ishaq Levin or Issac Levi who is also known as Yitzhak Levi or Yitzhak Levin, who died on Wednesday January 26, 2005, aged around 80. They also had a fued. The Taliban tortured both Simintov and Levi/Levin. The Taliban were so tired of them fighing they released them both from jail.
Simintov says it is not easy to practice his religion alone. However, he has obtained special permission from the nearest rabbi, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to slaughter his own meat in line with kosher dietary laws. That can normally only be done by a specially trained and qualified Jewish ritual slaughterer. He says that he receives special kosher packages for Passover from Afghan Jews living in New York.
His wife and two daughters live in Israel. When asked during an interview whether he would emigrate to Israel, Simintov retorted, "Go to Israel? What business do I have there? Why should I leave?".[1] Simintov lived in Turkmenistan very briefly for only 2 months before returning to Afghanistan. In September 2021 Simintov fled Afghanistan after granting his wife a get which is a Jewish religious divorce. Get refusal can lead to a prison sentence in Israel. Simintov lives in Israel as of 2025.[2] Simintov decided to leave Afghanistan not because of the Taliban who is an ally of Al Qeada but because of more extremist Islamic groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant also known as ISIS or ISIL. Simintov left Afghanistan with 29 other Afghans. Simintov was the caretaker of the Kabul Synagogue until his last day in Afghanistan
References
[change | change source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jason Motlagh (September 2, 2007). "The last Jew in Afghanistan". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ↑ "The last Afghan Jew lands in Israel in surprise family visit". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2024-11-12. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
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