The Forgotten Refugees (Justice for Jews from Arab Countries)

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

High School (Grades 9-12)

A two session unit from Justice for Jews from Arab Countries and The David Project on the roughly 850,000 Jews who left or were forced out of Arab countries and Iran, built around the documentary The Forgotten Refugees.

Overview

Between the 1940s and the 1970s, roughly 850,000 Jews left or were forced out of Arab countries and Iran, ending communities that had existed for more than 2,000 years. Most found refuge in Israel. Yet their story is rarely taught. This two session unit from Justice for Jews from Arab Countries, developed with The David Project and approved by the New York Board of Jewish Education, introduces students to the history of these communities, the causes of their flight, and the lives refugees rebuilt, using the documentary The Forgotten Refugees (2005), testimonies, maps, and population data.

Questions Students Explore

  1. Who are the Jews of the Middle East and North Africa, and how long did their communities exist?
  2. Why did so many Jews leave Arab countries and Iran after 1948?
  3. Why has this history been overlooked, and how can it be remembered?

What Students Do

  • Watch excerpts of The Forgotten Refugees and complete an advance organizer.
  • Analyze population charts and maps of Jewish flight from Arab countries.
  • Gather the stories of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews in their own families or communities.

At a Glance

Grade level: Grades 6 to 12; written for Jewish schools
Time: Two 50 minute sessions, plus optional activities
Source: Justice for Jews from Arab Countries and The David Project

About this resource

This unit was created by Justice for Jews from Arab Countries (JJAC) and The David Project as a pilot edition in 2007. It is not a JIMENA lesson. JIMENA recommends it alongside our own lesson, Forgotten Refugees: Jewish Refugees from Arab Lands. The full unit is free on JJAC’s website.

Downloads

  • Introduction  Introduction and table of contents (PDF, JJAC)
  • Part 1  Teacher’s Guide with lesson plans for Sessions I and II (PDF, JJAC)
  • Part 2  Educational materials for Sessions I and II (PDF, JJAC)
  • Part 3  Registration and research activity (PDF, JJAC)
  • Part 4  Resource and reference materials (PDF, JJAC)

View the full unit on Justice for Jews from Arab Countries  Opens on justiceforjews.com

Procedures
weight:600;letter-spacing:.1em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#B8912F;margin:0 0 6px 0;padding:0;">Before You Teach

  • Preview the Teacher’s Guide (Part 1) and print the handouts in Part 2: the glossary, advance organizer, population chart, and map.
  • Plan for the film. The unit was built around a 15 minute version of The Forgotten Refugees (2005), directed by Michael Grynszpan and produced by The David Project. Check with JJAC or your school library for an authorized copy.
  • Build background. JIMENA’s Cultural Heritage pages offer a short history of each country’s Jewish community.

Session I: Jews from Arab Countries

Students explore the history of Jews indigenous to North Africa, the Middle East, and the Gulf region, examine life under Muslim rule, and build understanding of and empathy for the refugees, using the film, glossary, advance organizer, population chart, and map in the Teacher’s Guide.

Session II: Follow Up

Students deepen their understanding through discussion and research, and begin collecting the personal stories of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews displaced from their homes.

Reflection

Students write a short response: Why are these refugees called “forgotten”? What can we do to make sure their stories are remembered?

Assessment Ideas

  • Formative: the advance organizer, chart and map analysis, and discussion.
  • Summative: the reflection, or a short presentation of a refugee’s story gathered through the research activity.