1947 Riots

Until 1947 the 8,550-strong Jewish community in Aden, despite some underlying resentment from the Arabs, lived in relative tranquility. Eighteen years earlier in 1929 the disturbances in Palestine between Jews and Arabs had little to no effect on the Aden community, perhaps largely in part to there being no newspapers in Aden at the time, and little communication between Arabs in Aden and those in Palestine.

There were rare, religiously motivated, outbreaks of violence, and a relatively small riot in 1932, but these were of minor significance when compared to the terror unleashed three days after the 1947 UN vote on the partition of Palestine when the lives of the Adami (Aden Jews) were irreparably shattered.

Most Arab countries protested peacefully and declared a 3-day strike following the November 30th UN resolution. But the protests in Aden erupted into unrestrained bloody violence against the Jews, triggered by the false accusation of Jews for the murder of two local girls.

The horrors of December 3rd 1947 will remain forever etched in the minds of Adeni Jews who suffered terribly after Muslims, joined by the local police force, engaged in a bloody spree in the Jewish quarter of Crater that killed 87 Jews, wounded many more, and destroyed hundreds of Jewish homes.

King George V Boy's School on fire

With no British troops in Aden at that particular time the Jewish community felt some relief when they heard that the Aden Protectorate Levies were to be bought in to protect them. But the Levies, comprised of Arab Muslims, were seen to turn a blind eye to the violence and themselves fired indiscriminately on the Jews, killing many. There were reports of individual cases of heroism by some Muslims, who, at great personal risk, endeavoured to assist their Jewish friends by offering sanctuary.

Cars owned by Jews are torched

Chaos reigned for 4 days till a detachment of Royal Marines were brought in to quell the troubles. The Jewish quarter was cordoned off with barbed wire and for several months the penniless community, justifiably fearful of venturing outside, were supplied with food by the British authorities.

Aden's Jewish community was economically paralyzed as most of the Jewish stores and businesses were looted and destroyed.  Four synagogues and both the Jewish schools were burnt down.

The gutted King George V Boy's School