Simintov was born and grew up in the western city of Herat, before moving to Kabul. His house was damaged during the bloody civil war (by which time almost all Jews left the country) forcing him to move into the synagogue. For a few years he was in Turkmenistan but he returned to Kabul in 1998, during the Taliban regime. He was put to detention and beaten several times by the Taliban. His carpets warehouse was robbed by them in 2001. Simintov had lived in the synagogue with the second last remaining Jewish man in Afghanistan, Ishaq (Isaac) Levin, who died on January 26, 2005, aged around 80. The story of Simintov and Levin was the basis for a British play. Simintov deprecated Levin in an interview with British journalist Martin Fletcher. Levin had initially welcomed Simintov but the two fell out permanently when Simintov offered the caretaker help to emigrate to Israel to join the rest of the former Kabul Jewish community. Simintov was adamant he made the suggestion only as he thought Kabul was too cold for the old man, but the older man took umbrage, claiming Simintov was trying to take over the synagogue. A feud ensued, with the Taliban becoming involved after both men reported each other to the authorities for alleged wrongdoings ranging from running a brothel to misappropriating religious objects. After Levin's death, Simintov said he was not sad and would not miss him.