About

HARIF is a UK charity representing Jews from North Africa and the Middle East (UK no.1186454), and dedicated to promoting their history, culture and heritage. Few know that ancient Jewish communities, predating Islam by a millennium, produced the Babylonian Talmud, great rabbis, doctors, thinkers and poets. In modern times, Jews made important economic and cultural contributions to their home countries. Few in the West are aware that Jews were an integral part of the Middle East and North Africa before they were were driven out of their homes in the second half of the 20th century.

Over 2,000 years of history in the Middle East and North Africa came to an abrupt  and tragic end just 50 years ago. Jews departed for Israel and the West, leaving an enormous cultural  and economic void behind.  In another 20 years, few Jews who were born in these countries will  still be alive. A vital chapter of Jewish identity, history and culture – an entire civilisation –  will be lost. HARIF is here to make sure it is not forgotten.

If you are under 35  please consider joining YOUNG HARIF, so that our legacy is passed on to the younger generation. For further details email info@harif.org.

SUBSCRIBE

Please subscribe to our mailing list and  you will receive information about our events, both online and in-person and a monthly newsletter. It's all FREE.

EXHIBITIONS

For details of what Harif can offer for schools and universities click here.

BROCHURE

To request a Harif brochure please write to info@harif.org

 

Thank you

To all the photographers whose images we have been fortunate to be able to use.

  • Special thanks to Josh Korn for colourising the amazing photograph of the Zviv family who left Yemen for Israel in 1949.

Upcoming Events

Screenshot 2026-02-19 at 08.56.13
Home, exile and food (in-person)
Screenshot 2025-11-10 at 20.43.55
Jews in the declining Ottoman empire
Screenshot 2026-02-01 at 19.09.13
The stateless Central Asian merchant

Donate

Please consider making a donation via PayPal to our cause, however large or small.

Subscribe to Harif

Receive our monthly email newsletter with our events, talks and videos.

Your data is safe with us and will not be shared with anyone else. Your email will only be used to receive our monthly newsletter or information about our events.

Stay in touch

For further enquiries please contact Harif at the email address below.

info@harif.org
07506 033 848

Registered Charity Nº 1186454.
All donations gratefully received.