Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef officiates at a special ceremony at the Dubai Jewish Community Center, celebrating the UAE’s recognition of the Jewish community.
Israeli Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef officiated last night, Saturday evening, at a special ceremony held at the Dubai Jewish Community Center, celebrating the UAE’s official recognition of the country’s thriving Jewish community. The ceremony marked the first certification granted to a UAE synagogue, the Beit Tefillah synagogue in Abu Dhabi, and community Rabbi Levi Duchman and the Lubavitcher Rebbe Chalia’h.
During the ceremony, the Chief Rabbi expressed his gratitude to the royal family and the Emirati government for the warm relations and concern for the welfare of the Jewish community, as well as for the flourishing relations between Israel and the Emirates at the continuation of the historic agreements of Abraham.
“The survival of a Jewish community depends on its adherence to Torah values and Torah learning,” Chief Rabbi Yosef said in his special address to the community following the conclusion of the Sabbath on Saturday evening. He added his appreciation for Rabbi Duchman’s work and noted: “The Jewish community in the Emirates is fortunate to have a rabbi who not only teaches Torah, but who works for the growth of the community and its institutions” .
Rabbi Levi Duchman thanked the Chief Rabbi and said, “It has been a great honor to welcome Chief Rabbi Yosef to the Emirates this Shabbat. We are fortunate to have been able to discuss with him the strengthening of the community and its facilities and to receive his advice on a number of issues prevalent in Jewish traditions and customs. We hope to see him again very soon and very often.
Beit Tefillah synagogue board member in Abu Dhabi and community spokesperson Daniel Seal added: “Following the historic agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and with gratitude to the Crown Prince, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, we are now entering a new stage. planning and growth. We seek to respond not only to the resident community, but also to the many Israelis who come to visit. It is an exciting time for the community and I look forward to working with Rabbi Duchman on the many projects we have planned.
The Chief Rabbi was welcomed as a guest of honor by the Jewish community during Shabbat at the Dubai Jewish Community Center, where he inaugurated the new Jewish preschool, “Mini Miracles” on Friday, and consulted the plans and the proposed site for the community’s new Mikveh (ritual immersion pool). On Sunday, he was due to travel to Abu Dhabi to meet with senior government officials and discuss the growing ties between the two peoples and ways to continue promoting mutual understanding between Jews and Muslims in the region.