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Mendy Chitrik

Chair of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States

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Feb 16, 2023, 4:57 PM

The Sage of Antwerp

In summer 2021, after almost 16 months of Covid, I was finaly able to spend some time with my Zeide, Chief Rabbi David Moshe Lieberman of Antwerp. Zeide was a great scholar, just look at these much used books at...

Sep 22, 2022, 10:33 PM

Two notes on Apple & Honey for Rosh Hashana

On almost every Jewish Twitter feed, you see lots of Apples & Honey pictures and wishes for the New Year... a wonderful custom, symbolically starting the year on a sweet note! But hey, this is NOT the Turkish Jewish custom! Rabbi...

Feb 9, 2022, 4:45 PM

Jewish Dungeon in Istanbul!

A short visit to the historic district of Balat - home to the oldest synagogue of Istanbul, the Jewish jail, and other historic treasures. If you visit Istanbul - you should not miss the visit to the Ahrida synagogue, the...

Jan 26, 2022, 4:58 PM

Time Capsule in Izmir…

"Come up to the 7.5 floor in the parking lot, I am waiting there!" This isn't a line from a dark movie. This is what Nesim Bencuya told me when he was giving me directions. Little did I know...

Jan 18, 2022, 11:17 AM

Let’s do a Ziyara!

Let's do a Ziyara. During the days between Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the day of atonement), it has become a custom to go "visit" the cemeteries. It is also customary to visit the graves of the...

Jan 12, 2022, 7:49 PM

Sivlonot: A unique Istanbuli custom

"Sivlonot is an Istanbul custom. Soon after, with God's help, I will give the bride the wedding ring with my own hands." A story of two rings - the unique Istanbul custom of Sivlonot, (סיבלונות, in Hebrew) - a remnant...

Dec 27, 2021, 8:48 AM

‘Don’t forget Tire’

Tire... not much left in this ancient Jewish city... (courtesy)

"Don't forget Tire. My great aunt lived there," wrote to me my trusted friend, Viktor. So after visiting several Kosher food manufacturers in the region, we went to Tire... Tire was a center for Jewish scholarship for many generations. ‘Little Jerusalem of...

Dec 21, 2021, 1:02 AM

Jews of Southeast Turkey!

Mount Nemrut

Most people know of Turkish Sefardi Jews who originated in Spain, some know about the Romaniote Jews who have been in Turkey since antiquity. Fewer people know of the Ashkenazi Jews, which I will discuss in a future post,...

Dec 12, 2021, 9:35 PM

Aramaic as a spoken language!

During my trips across Turkey, I usually shared a day post, but meeting with Metropolitan Gregorios Melki ÜREK of Adıyaman and conversing with him in Aramaic, deserves a special post. Metropolitan Gregorios looks over a small, dwindling community in the...

Dec 6, 2021, 11:45 AM

Ankara! This is the house of Muhammed Yalçın, in the old Jewish quarter of Ankara. Mohammed is a very special soul. He loves painting and he beautifully and painstakingly paints on everything. But that means everything, including the walls and steps...

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About Me

Mendy Chitrik is the Ashkenazi Rabbi of Turkey and Chair of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States. Follow me on twitter at @mchitrik

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