After an exciting two days of intense discussions, fascinating sessions and a warm and cordial meeting with Turkish President Erdogan – today (Thursday) the first conference of the “Committee of Rabbis of Islamic States” ended in Istanbul, Turkey.
The thirty rabbis who participated in it – Sephardim and Ashkenazim as well as Chabad emissaries – are currently returning to the 14 Islamic countries where they live permanently, including Tunis, Morocco, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and more.
It is estimated that more than 100,000 Jews live in these 14 countries. Azerbaijan has the largest community of about 38,000 Jews, Kazakhstan 20,000, Turkey 15,000 and Iran 12,000 Jews.
The guest of honor at the conference was Russia’s Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Lazar Shlita. Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita was also supposed to attend the special gathering, but due to the corona’s limitations, he was unable to attend.
As a substitute for his physical participation, Maran Harishon LeZion – who is the halakhic judge who has accompanied and guided the organization since its inception – sent an excited letter to the participants of the event: They will continue in their important activities one by one in his place. Due to the state of morbidity in the world, I was unable to attend the important conference and I would like to congratulate the organizing rabbis and members of the presidency of the union.
While the conference dealt on its first day with the relationship between the authorities and the rabbis and communities and culminated in a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – the session today was devoted to halakhic issues.
In a moshav in memory of the late Maimonides, whose day of rejoicing will take place tomorrow, the 20th of Tevet, the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Lazar, and the Chief Rabbi of Iran, the Grammy Grammy, on the subject of medicine using the Maimonides method. , Who extended his sponsorship to the entire event, spoke on the subject of “the greatness of the Lord” according to the method of Maimonides and Rabbi Cohen of Kazakhstan. He told those present that tomorrow would also mark the anniversary of the murder of his son Yoav the 14th in the terrorist attack on the “Hyper Kosher” in Paris.
The representative of the Jews of Egypt, Rabbi Yehuda Dayan Shlita, who was the rabbi of Alexandria and currently serves as the rabbi of Livorno in Italy, distributed his book to the audience about the last rabbis of Egypt. His blessing to the attendees of the conference.
One of the decisions made was the establishment of a committee for Torah lessons among the organization’s rabbis. The committee was chaired by the rabbi of the Muslim states of Albania and Kosovo, Geri Kaplan, and next to him, the head of the Bukharian community’s rabbinical association, Rabbi Shlomo Rabin and Geri Grami.
During the day, the rabbis also participated in lectures on raising funds from philanthropic foundations, the use of social and written media to promote the community, and presenting means of communication for the coming year.
“Jews live in Islamic countries with great respect and are appreciated and assisted by the various governments. In Islamic countries Jews live better than European countries where slaughter or circumcision is prohibited. , Divrei Harav Chitrik.