Cairo Jews gather in front of the elegant Temple Hanan on the occasion of a Bris in the late 1950s. Tall man in white is the reporter's father.  Cairo Jews gather in front of the elegant Temple Hanan on the occasion of a Bris in the late 1950s. Tall man in white is the reporter's father.  Jewish men at the Congregation Ahaba ve Ahava in Cairo, late 1940s. This synagogue was disbanded when Jews left Egypt, and has since been reconstituted in Brooklyn, N.Y.  Jewish men at the Congregation Ahaba ve Ahava in Cairo, late 1940s. This synagogue was disbanded when Jews left Egypt, and has since been reconstituted in Brooklyn, N.Y.  Twice-refugee Fortunee Abadie, 88, who left Aleppo and then Beirut, attended the recent UN conference on Arab-Jewish refugees. Here, she is flanked by her son Rabbi Elie Abadie and his wife (left), and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon.  Twice-refugee Fortunee Abadie, 88, who left Aleppo and then Beirut, attended the recent UN conference on Arab-Jewish refugees. Here, she is flanked by her son Rabbi Elie Abadie and his wife (left), and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon.  This photograph of three Beirut rabbis, taken in 1970, including Fortunee Abadie's husband, Rabbi Abraham was posted on mosques around Beirut with the inscription "Zionist-Jewish leaders," who were helping Jews escape to Israel. The Abadie family took that as a death warrant and made…  This photograph of three Beirut rabbis, taken in 1970, including Fortunee Abadie's husband, Rabbi Abraham was posted on mosques around Beirut with the inscription "Zionist-Jewish leaders," who were helping Jews escape to Israel. The Abadie family took that as a death warrant and made plans to leave Lebanon. Rabbi Abraham Abadie is on the left, in the hat.  The Suez war in 1956 led to major upheavals for the Jewish community of Egypt. Mark Cohen (pictured) fled Egypt in the fall of 1956.  The Suez war in 1956 led to major upheavals for the Jewish community of Egypt. Mark Cohen (pictured) fled Egypt in the fall of 1956.  Wedding of Elisa and Joseph Roumani, Benghazi, Libya, 1938.  Wedding of Elisa and Joseph Roumani, Benghazi, Libya, 1938.  Gathering at a Libyan synagogue, circa 1940  Gathering at a Libyan synagogue, circa 1940  Wedding of Mamus and Dora Rumani in Benghazi, Libya, circa 1955; man in dark glasses is the rabbi who officiated at the ceremony.  Wedding of Mamus and Dora Rumani in Benghazi, Libya, circa 1955; man in dark glasses is the rabbi who officiated at the ceremony.
Prior to 1948, nearly 850,000 Jews lived in the Arab world. There were flourishing communities in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Morocco, Algeria, among others. But the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 led to a massive exodus.  Below are photos of some of the families who lived there and left.