For First Time, Arabic-Speaking Jews Will be Exposed to Mitzvos of Purim

Not resting on its laurels, Yad L’Achim has followed up on its success with special films on Pesach, Sukkos and Chanukah, and this week released an Arabic-language film on Purim.

Like its predecessors, the film is meant for Jews living in Arab countries, or in Arab communities in Israel. It is also meant for Arabic-speaking Jews around the world.

“Every year we discover hundreds more Jews living in Arab countries, some in enemy states, or in Arab communities around Israel where they are sons, grandsons or great-grandsons of Jewish women who married Muslims and assimilated,” a Yad L’Achim official said. “At one stage or another, these people develop an interest in returning to their Judaism and hearing more about it. For this reason, we opened a special division called Shorashim (Roots) that helps them make the journey back to their people.”

These efforts include Torah classes over the phone, the delivery of holy items for the holidays and additional activities.

The new film was produced by the channel “Yahaduton,” which provides spectacular visual material explaining the holidays and their main mitzovs. Yad L’Achim’s cooperation in the project led to the film being translated into Arabic and sent to families the organization is in touch with. The films are being distributed via WhatsApp and the social media and include information on how Jews can contact Yad L’Achim.

“As in the previous films, we are confident that the new project we will cause additional lost Jews to connect anew to the G-d of Israel and to the Jewish people,” a senior Yad L’Achim official said. “We will use the film to explain the holiday to Jews we are already in touch with – in a clear, condensed way. It is our hope that they will celebrate this Purim as do Jews around the world, and that they will merit the joy described in the Megillah: ‘And for the Jews there was light and joy and rejoicing…”