After three years: Yemenite Jewish family reunited in London

A full circle: three years after seven family members who escaped from Yemen - were absorbed in the Haredi community in London, the family unites these days, and the other brothers and sisters along with their parents left behind in Yemen, also come to London

Their story of absorption, integration and now the unification of the Yemenite family, can enter a complete novel.

Local activists led by activists of the 'Rav Tov' of Satmar who handled the affair, unroll a long bumpy road, which the family passed on the way to the final stop. "The situation in Yemen is worsening with regards to rights of the Jews, so we had no choice but to get them out, and the sooner the better," they say.

The story begins when seven years ago, seven children of one father came to London.

They are of two mothers. The first mother committed suicide, having previously been married to the father of the family, but a Muslim tyrant kidnapped her after September 11.

The mother first stayed alone at the Muslim, but after a short time, the Muslim who felt smug by his success, demanded that she brings her four children, who remained with the father, in order to register them as Muslims. After she refused, he threw her onto the street. In despair, and out of fear of being abused by Muslims, she took her own life.

The father remarried, they had more children. The four children of the first marriage and three of the second mother, arrived in London a few years ago.

Now came the rest of the family. But even this was not a simple story: activists initially failed to arrange visas to the UK, except for Argentina, where several Yemenite families have been absorbed into the Haredi community.

The activists arranged visas for Argentina, and booked tickets with a stopover in London. One of the activists dressed up as a tourist and came to the airport while the children were waiting for the next flight was supposed to leave a few hours later.

He told the security guard that those waiting have an uncle in England, but do not know the way to him, and wish to take advantage of the break time remaining until the flight to visit him and eat lunch at him.

The harbor master gave his approval and the children joined the 'volunteer' tourist who wanted to help and take them to their uncle.

Chasidic avreich with Arab girls
"When I walked away from the port," said the activist, "I took off my costume and went back to my original Hasidic image. Only the girls who sat in my car were still in their Arab dress. Standing in one of the traffic lights, waiting for the green light, my eye caught a hareidi couple wishing to cross the road, staring at me and my strange passengers with puzzling eyes.

Suddenly I heard the lady express aloud to her husband: I never saw such a thing, a Chasidic avreich driving a group of Arab girls. I tried not to laugh. "

The children of the family came to the house of the uncle, and after lunch at his home, remained there permanently and did not return for the next flight.

At this point, the activists went into action and succeeded after efforts to arrange the status of children as refugees. Today, the eldest daughter is married to her cousin and family housing was found in an appropriate place by the uncles.

After a prolonged legal saga, which took place in court against the immigration authorities of the United Kingdom, and after considerable efforts, in which a leading lawyer was involved, the legal counsel of activists, they managed to convince the court that the family reunification law requires to allow the arrival of parents of the children in England, whose status is defined as refugees, because of the tense situation in Yemen.

The lawyer also managed to convince the consular officer that a visa will also be granted to a sister of the father, who is not yet married. The lawyer explained that although she is only an aunt, due to the fact that she is single, there is great concern for her safety, because if she remains alone in Yemen, Muslims might kidnap her and convert her to Islam.

Another family survived
At this point, the family tries to be most discreet and secretive for fear that they will suffer.

A number of local Muslims who suspected that they plan to leave, tried to break into their home to steal valuables. Burglars have already started cutting the bars around the windows, but lucky enough the father who holds arms, heard the pounding of welding equipment, and went up to the roof to chase them away. A number of shots fired from his pistol into the air, were enough to scare the attackers.

In this case, the story has a happy ending. In the past, intruders broke into the home of a Yemenite Jew who planned to leave the country. They drilled into one of the walls until it collapsed completely. They then went inside and during the absence of family, emptied the contents.

These days, as said, the family members are supposed to arrive in London and reunite with their families.

The father of the family, has an elderly father. Activists are currently working vigorously to try to come up with another visa for him and his other sons, all done legally.

This case adds to another case of saving a family last year: the activists learned of a widow and five orphans whom Muslims planned to kidnap from the little village where they lived. They were able to arrange for the mother and three of her children visas to Argentina and for two other children visas to Britain.

Even in this case, this activist was involved up to his neck and he was the one to take them from the airport to the house.

"The cousin offered to remove the veils at the moment they arrived." This is not a Jew dress and you do not need it, he said.

But due to caution, it was important to us that they will continue to wear the veils until they arrive safely. I remember that when I passed in a street near the church, just as Christian worshippers came out, I flinched. I was afraid they would call the police to arrest me for helping smuggle Muslims. But with G-d's help, here as in all cases we have seen the hand of God, everything went by in peace. "

Three days after the girls were smuggled, Muslims went into their home in Yemen to abduct them, but they was already safely away in Europe.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!