Harran: We were born here. All of us.

Harran.

We were born here. All of us. Hazreti Ibrahim, Avraham Avinu, Abraham – or any other way we all call our common father – the father of Ishmael and Yitzhak – started his journey right here, in Harran.

Here is where it all began:

Here is where The Eternal tells Abraham “Lech Lecha” go from the “land of your father’s to the land that I will show you”. Here is where Abraham starts the journey, the one that we, all of us – Jews, Muslims and Christians – are still on.

When we talk about God, about faith, about destiny, devotion, monotheism, theology, commitment, prophecy – it all started here.

Here Avraham chose God and God chose Avraham.

Here is the source of what unites us all on this ground, the land of Abraham.

Here is where the four Matriarchs lived – Rebbeca, Rachel and Leah were born right here in this city.

Jacob’s children: Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehuda, Yissachar, Zevulun, Dan Naftali, Gad, Asher, Yosef and their sister Dina were all born right here on this hill.

Here is where Jacob met Rachel – at this water well at the entrance of the city…

Where the shepherds were gathering their sheep, in those days, but also at this time.

Is this camel descendant of Abraham’s servant Eliezer’s camels to whom Rebbeca gave water to drink before serving Eliezer?!

Somehow, I feel that the grounds are talking. Just imagine what would Abraham say, when he sees his children, the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael getting along.

Jews, Muslims, Christians – we are all from here… From Harran…

I said at an Iftar hosted by my friend HE Ambassador Murat Mercana few months ago: “God’s blessings to Avraham, given in Turkish town of Harran, are upon us when Avraham sees his children sitting together in harmony and brotherhood”.

“God’s blessings to Avraham, given in Turkish town of Harran, are upon us when Avraham sees his children sitting together in harmony and brotherhood” – said Rabbi Mendy Chitrik chair of @RabbisAlliance at #iftar hosted by HE @HMuratMercan at the @TurkishEmbassy during #Ramadan

One can really feel it here… “Avraham Avinu Padre Kerido, Padre Bendicho, Luz de Yisrael.”

The Eternal said: “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will aggrandize your name, and [you shall] be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you.”

We should all be blessed… And we can make that blessing happen! By doing good. Love thy neighbor. Help the needy. Increase in holiness.

Enough to hatred! We had enough wars! Yes, we are all different but we are all brothers.

Together we can make this world a better place!

Hz. İbrahim, Avraham, Abraham – or any other way we all call our common father – is the father of Ishmael and Yitzhak.

The Talmudic meaning for Avraham is: father of many nations. We all are his children: Muslims, Christians and Jews.

Let’s make common father proud.

Thank you Chaim Chitrik for playing Kuando El Rey Nimrod, a traditional Ladino song, about Avraham in Harran and E-li Ata Veodeka by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liady.

This post originally appeared as a thread on my Twitter @MChitrik please visit to see other threads and feel free to explore the #TurkeyJewishRoadtrip – on the next blog entry, I will write about other fascinating trips to Jewish sites in Turkey. Stay tuned.