Magda Haroun occupies a rare and demanding place in Egypt’s cultural life. As president of Cairo’s Jewish community, she carries responsibility for preserving the physical and human traces of a community that once numbered tens of thousands but is now represented by only a handful of residents. Her work has given international visibility to an endangered part of Egyptian history while consistently advancing one central idea: Egypt’s Jewish heritage belongs to Egypt and to every Egyptian.

Born in Alexandria in 1952, Haroun grew up in Cairo in a family whose identity was deeply Egyptian. Her father, Shehata Haroun, was a prominent lawyer and nationalist who remained committed to his country when many members of the Jewish community departed. His attachment to Egypt profoundly shaped his daughter. She has described inheriting his intense love of the country, a commitment visible in her decision to remain and protect a heritage whose surviving community has grown exceedingly small.

Haroun became head of Cairo’s Jewish community in 2013, succeeding Carmen Weinstein. The position involved far more than representing a religious group......