The “Olive Branches” delegation came to retrieve Jewish bodies and transfer them to burial, ancient scrolls and ancient Torah books were retrieved from the ruins. Senior officer: “This community has finished its historical journey, everyone who remains alive has moved to Istanbul and they are not expected to return to this place”
As part of Operation ‘Olive Branches’, a rescue force from the Home Front Command arrived at the weekend in the town of Antakya, where there was an ancient Jewish community of 15 families. The force began by locating and rescuing the late Shaul and Fortuna Janudi, one of the local community leaders. At the end of a mission that lasted 48 hours, their bodies were recovered.
During their work in the field, the delegation met the people of the ancient synagogue, who presented seven Torah scrolls and a number of ancient scrolls, which they asked to be transferred to Istanbul for fear of looting and out of a desire to preserve the ancient finds.
A population officer in the ‘Olive Branches’ expedition, deputy deputy Yuval Klein, from the force that was there said: “This is one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world, we estimate it to be something like 1,500 years that the Jewish community has stood here. The brother of the deceased head of the community, Ezra, who is In fact, the heir handed over the holy utensils to the rescue force and asked us to keep them.
“This community has finished its historical journey, everyone who remains alive has moved to Istanbul and they are not expected to return to this place. In fact, the release of the scrolls is the final chord of the last 1,500 years here in this place. The ending is sad and exciting at the same time when at the end of its journey – the IDF comes to rescue the the bodies of the Jews and transfer them to burial, while at the same time taking responsibility for the holy utensils that were in the possession of the Jewish community that was destroyed.”
The holy tools and the Torah books
Photo: IDF spokesman
The holy tools and the Torah books
Photo: IDF spokesman
The holy tools and the Torah books
Photo: IDF spokesman
The holy tools and the Torah books
Photo: IDF spokesman