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.    • Black Hawk Down (2001) Official Trailer 1 ...  
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.    • Pirates: "I'm the Captain Now" | Captain P...  
Superbad - Official Trailer [2007]. YouTube, uploaded by Sony Pictures Entertainment, 17 Aug 2020.    • SUPERBAD – Official Trailer [2007] (HD)  
tom and jerry clip. YouTube, uploaded by Sang Moon, 18 Dec 2007.    • SUPERBAD – Official Trailer [2007] (HD)  

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Image and footage credits:
Getty
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Executive Producer:
— Barry Skolnick
Co-Executive Producer:
— Shmuel Katz
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Translation credits:
Portuguese: Saymon Pires

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