Some of the customs mentioned are practiced in specific areas or by specific tribes, others may not be completely unique. Nonetheless, the list is longer than any Jew could hope to find among the tribes that left Judaism so long ago.
No mixed marriages
In modernized places like some big cities of Pakhtunkhwa, for example, it has become common to intermarry. In places like the Federally Administrative Tribal Area and rural areas of Afghanistan and Pakhtunkhwa, the intermarriage rate is close to 0%. The punishment for intermarriage is banishment, or in some extreme cases even death. It should be noted that we aren’t talking about interfaith marriages, but about international marriages, meaning that even marrying other Muslims is forbidden if they aren’t Afghans.
Covering slaughtered animal's blood
The custom is widespread in Afghanistan and rural areas of Pakhtunkhwa. Afghans don't separate between different types of animals.
Prohibition to count people
The custom is very widespread. If children or family members are counted, the families get upset and fear that something bad may happen.
Lighting candles on Friday night
Widespread custom.
No work on Saturday
Rare custom. For the majority of Afghans Friday replaced Saturday as a sacred day due to Islam. Some refrain from doing things that are completely permitted on Fridays according to Islam, but forbidden to do on Shabbath in Judaism since they are considered Melakha (craft). Among them are cooking, laundry and detaching plants from the ground.
Ritual hand washing using a special jug
Even though the sink is still there, Afghans wash their hands with a special jug called koza prior to eating their meal. While this custom is widespread in Afghanistan, in Pakhtunkhwa this custom is rare. We should mention that Koza is an Aramaic word that appears in the Talmud to refer to tools such as the Pashtun's Koza (Talmud Eruvin 15, Yerushalmi Avoda Zara 13).
Avoiding crabs, lobsters, shrimps and other shellfish
Widespread custom, even though it is considered halal in Islam.
Avoiding camel meat and milk
Rare custom. Some Afghans consider camel meat forbidden even though it is permitted in Islam and very popular among some neighboring nations. Some Afghans consider camel milk forbidden even though it is permitted in Islam.
Not mixing meat with dairy
Rare custom. Some Afghans believe it is forbidden to consume meat and dairy together, even though it is permitted in Islam.
Not mixing bird meat with dairy
Rare custom. Some Afghans consider it forbidden even though it is permitted in Islam.
Separate dishes for meat and dairy products
Rare custom.
Waiting for some time between meat and dairy meals
Rare custom.
Not mixing fish with dairy
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Rare custom. Some Afghans consider it forbidden even though it is considered Halal in Islam.
Salting meat to get the blood out
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Spread of the custom is unknown.
Avoiding meat of an animal slaughtered by a non-Israelite
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Rare custom.
Preparing special flatbread in spring
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Afghans make flatbread called patira using only flour, water and salt. Such bread is also eaten by other nations, but only Afghans have a custom to eat it specifically in spring.
Sheep are called pesah in Pashto, goats are called oza
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Rubbing blood of animals by the doorposts
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Widespread custom in rural areas.
Rocking while learning and praying
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Another similarity between Jews and Pashtuns is that the Pashtuns rock their bodies when reading religious texts.
Rotating chickens or money over people’s heads
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Afghans rotate chickens (or money when chickens aren't available) 3 or 7 times above people's heads to protect them from evil eye.
Not shaving above the cheekbone and growing sidelocks (peot)
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Rare custom. Some Afghans don't shave their sidelocks and leave at least short hair above the middle of the ear (above the cheekbone). While other people don't shave this part of the beard for their looks, for Afghans it is a part of their culture. In addition, even though it has become rare lately, some elderly Afghans grow long sidelocks just like Jewish peot.
Wearing a kippah
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Widespread custom. While covering one’s head isn't a unique Jewish custom, some Afghans put on a kippah which is identical to the Jewish one. While wearing a kippah specifically is noticeable in old Afghan photos, according to Afghan' culture Afghans must cover their heads with something. It can be a kippah, a hat or turban.
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Talith/Shawl/Saadar
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Afghans wear rectangle garments called Saadar or Shawl, commonly made from wool, usually decorated with short fringes around its edges (but no tzitzith).
Weekdays are named by their sequential number, starting Sunday.
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In Pashto, the language of Afghans, Sunday is called "number one", Monday is "number two", etc. Friday has a special name because it is sacred in Islam; Saturday is called Khaali and Pelanay.
Circumcision on the 8th day
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Most Afghans circumcise their boys when they are very small. They often do it during the first two weeks from birth, unlike other Muslims who get circumcised at a much older age. Although rare, some Afghans circumcise their sons specifically on the 8th day.
Drawing extra blood after the circumcision
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Widespread custom in Afghanistan and in the tribal area, but rare in Pakhtunkhwa. We still haven't witnessed it so we aren't sure if the process called murdara weena (ganda weena in some dialects) is similar to Jewish peria or metzitza. According to the sacred book of Zohar, the peria and metzitza are what separates between the circumcision of the children of Yishmael and the one of the children of Israel.
Sandaq
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Widespread custom. The baby is circumcised on the laps of the sandaq, who is usually his grandfather or his uncle.
Fixed age to start following all religious commandments
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It isn't practiced by all, but it is common that at the age of 13 the boy is required to follow all of the religious commandments of Islam.
Levirate marriage
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Widespread custom. When an Afghan dies without children, the brother of the deceased must marry the widow. Afghans do not have halitza, a process that would free the widow from the obligation to marry her late husband’s brother.
Chuppah/Dolaye/Canopy
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Afghans get married under a piece of fabric similar to the Jewish Hupa.
Breaking glass or clay at weddings
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In some areas of Afghanistan and Pakhtunkhwa the groom or the bride break a glass or a clay plate at their wedding.
Not sleeping in the same bed with the wife during menstruation
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Rare custom.
Immersing in a river or pool after menstruation
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Practiced in places located near rivers and lakes in rural areas of Afghanistan. We should mention that theoretically it might be a result of not having showers in the house in some areas; requires further investigation.
Not calling babies over people who died premature or violent death
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Spread of the custom is unknown
Tearing the shirt in grief
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Widespread custom. Please note, that this custom is also widespread among other nations in Asia.
Praying at graves
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Widespread custom. Although it is forbidden in Islam, Afghans visit graves to pray and ask God to have mercy on the living because of the merit of the dead. They also ask the souls of the dead to pray to God for the living. Islamic scholars try to stop this practice.
Lighting candles for the soul of the dead;
praying for the well-being of the soul of the dead;
giving charity for the well-being of the soul of the dead
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All three are widespread customs.
No sexual relations during the first week of grieving the loss of a family member
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Widespread custom.
Not shaving and not cutting hair during the first month of grieving the loss of a family member
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Widespread custom.
Not listening to music and not buying new clothes during the first 12 months of grieving the loss a family member
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Widespread custom.
Fasting every year in memory of the dead and for their soul’s benefit
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Rare custom.
Putting stones on graves
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Widespread custom.
Cemeteries only for the Bani Israel
Widespread custom. Some families also have their own private cemeteries.
"Shema Israel Hashem Elokenu Hashem Ehadh"
Rare custom. Some elderly Afghans write amulets for good luck or protection. Some of those amulets contain words which are believed to be names of angels, and while some are indeed names of angels in Hebrew, the words Shema Israel also appear. You can see an example written in Latin letters by a person who was taught how to make such amulets. In the Latin version, our friend wrote Shome instead of Shema, but Pashto doesn't have vowels, so Shoma and Shema are written the same in Pashto.
Kameah in English
Not selling lands permanently; preserving the right of the first owner to get the land back
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In some areas (like Mohmand agency) it is preferred to sell lands to people of the same family or tribe. When a piece of land is sold to a stranger the first owner has the right to get it back. After a certain period of time the land automatically returns to its first owner. We should note that people from other ethnicities in Afghanistan are also following these rules.
Not cutting hair and nails at night
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Widespread custom.
Not blowing out candles
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Rare custom.
Not leaving shoes upside down
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The vast majority, if not all, Afghans keep this customs.
Touching the eyes and then kissing the hands
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Afghans have a custom to kiss their hands after rubbing the eyes. We should note that people of other ethnicities in Afghanistan are also following this custom.
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Og Melech haBashan
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In his book The History of the Afghans the writer mentions a tradition of Aj, who fought the people of Israel. Aj was a giant who was so tall he managed to hang on to the ark of Noah and survive the flood. The source of this story is Talmud Zevahim 113 about Ogh, king of Bashan. It is of course possible that Jews once told this story to Afghans and they believed it, but it is still worth mentioning.
Pashtuns and Jews look alike
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While it was never scientifically proven (although a research is actually possible), Afghans look very similar to Jews, and a lot of times it impossible to know the difference. Other people living in Southeast Asia like Persians, Punjabis, Tajiks, Uzbeks and others, do not resemble the Jews. Even Arabs, who share a common ancestor with Jews, do not appear even remotely as similar to Jews as Afghans.
