Who Were the Last 2 Jews in Somalia? | Unpacked

In a nation that claims to be 100% Muslim, one teenager dared to say otherwise. In the heart of Mogadishu, a young man named Rami lit his menorah in secret, whispered prayers no one could hear, and blogged about being Jewish in a place that denied he could even exist. His story captivated a Jewish psychoanalyst halfway across the world—and then, just as suddenly, he vanished. Were he and his mother the last Jews in Somalia? Or merely the last ones willing to say so? Their brief flicker of connection defies erasure—and hints at a forgotten Jewish past buried beneath fear, silence, and sand. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:42 Brief modern history of Somalia 01:29 Dr. Hartevelt Kobrin's discovery of Rami's blog 02:52 History of Jews in Somalia 04:47 Rami's blog 05:52 Dr. Hartevelt Kobrin and Rami connect 07:51 Rami's disappearance 08:22 What Rami real? Sources: - Black Hawk Down (2001) Official Trailer 1 - Ewan McGregor Movie. YouTube, uploaded by Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers, 6 Feb 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GfBkC3qs78 - Jews Were Here - Kobrin, Nancy Hartevelt. The Last Two Jews of Mogadishu: Living Under Al-Shabaab's Fire, 2017. - Mordechay, Avraham (Rami). Greetings from Mogadishu. - National Counterterrorism Center. "Al-Shabaab," Counter T3rrorism Guide. - Omer, Ibrahim M. "Ethiopian Jews in Somalia: Tracing Remnants of the Yibir." Genetic Literacy Project, 3 Sept. 2013. - Pirates: "I'm the Captain Now" | Captain Phillips (Tom Hanks). YouTube, uploaded by Moving Pictures, 21 Aug. 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbEZk9tR4ZI - Superbad - Official Trailer [2007]. YouTube, uploaded by Sony Pictures Entertainment, 17 Aug 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvKvus3vCEY - tom and jerry clip. YouTube, uploaded by Sang Moon, 18 Dec 2007. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvKvus3vCEY Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads! https://www.youtube.com/UNPACKED?sub_confirmation=1 Recommended video—The Secret History of Ethiopian Jews | Unpacked https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wNRLf5gZgU&list=PL-DNOnm… We have merch! – http://shop.Unpacked.media/?utm_medium=youtube&utm_source… Let’s connect: Website — https://www.Unpacked.media Instagram — /unpackedmedia Twitter — /unpackedmedia TikTok — /unpackedmedia Facebook — /unpackedmedia ----------- Image and footage credits: Getty ----------- Executive Producer: — Barry Skolnick Co-Executive Producer: — Shmuel Katz ----------- Translation credits: Portuguese: Saymon Pires About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion. Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between. About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking. #somalia #history #people