History of Jews in Somalia

The history of Jews in Somalia refers to the historical presence of Jewish communities in the Horn of Africa country of Somalia.

Judaism in the Somali peninsula has received little attention in the historical record. However, there is evidence of a Jewish presence in the area for centuries, with some members of the community openly practicing their faith and others practicing in secret. Many of the Jews in the area were Adenite and Yemenite Jews, who came to the region as merchants and religious service providers. However, a report in 1949 states that there were "no Jews left in Italian and British Somaliland". While the traditional Jewry in Somalia is known, little is known about the crypto-Jews who practice their faith discreetly.^[1]