Ari and Ari bake matzah with the Jews of Bahrain and Kuwait

We didn’t think we’d ever see our friend Muhammed again, since our mysterious encounter in 2009. Now, we joined together like old buddies.

ITwas to be a first. In 2020 the Abraham Accords that would soon open diplomatic relations with numerous countries in the Persian Gulf were still a dream, but there were a handful of brave Jews living in the Muslim countries of the Persian Gulf — and they would be eating matzah for Pesach.

We’ve been baking matzah together for many decades, and over the years have visited a range of Jewish communities around the world where we’ve shared the experience and education of matzah baking. And so, we had the idea of doing an experiential, hands-on matzah baking with the communities of the Persian Gulf to produce handmade shemurah matzos that could be eaten at the Seder, while at the same time connecting these scattered Jews living in the Gulf states to community, mesorah, and Jewish education.

It had all the elements of a suspense novel. Some danger, a worthwhile cause, and heroes and heroines who despite great odds and difficulties remained strong in their Jewish identities. We had initially connected with Jews in the Gulf states two years ago, prior to the Abraham Accords, and planned this educational bake then; but once Covid arrived and closed down the world, we were forced to postpone those plans indefinitely.

Yet who could have imagined that by the time the world reopened, the Persian Gulf would become a changed place vis-à-vis the Jewish world? Now, we realized, our matzah-baking adventure would be even more worthwhile.

We have traveled and returned home, the matzos are baked, and we can now share most of what happened, although some names and places will have to be changed to protect various individuals. And all in pursuit of the ancient mitzvah of matzah, a Jewish symbol that has connected Jews to their heritage throughout the generations.

When we reconnected in 2022, our Gulf contact suggested a “tour” of Gulf communities, all under the umbrella of the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities, founded in 2021. The AGJC was a great match for us as we partnered to bake matzah in several of the countries in which they operate.

Bahrain, which we visited and wrote about for Mishpacha back in 2009, is the oldest and most established of the Jewish communities. Kuwait, which does not have relations with Israel, has some Jews as well. They keep a very low profile and often even their neighbors and friends don’t know about their religion. And Oman, also a country with no official relationship with Israel despite Bibi Netanyahu having visited the king in 2018, also has a small group of Jews who, like the ones in Kuwait, make sure to remain below the radar. For various reasons the bake in Oman didn’t happen, but the other two did.