Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel s diplomatic reporter
Rabbi Elie Abadie (yellow tie) joins the Jewish community in the UAE for a Hanukkah celebration (photo credit: Courtesy)
The Jewish communities in six Persian Gulf countries announced on Monday the establishment of the region’s first communal organization, complete with a rabbi and Jewish court, the Beth Din of Arabia.
The Association of Gulf Jewish Communities (AGJC), which brings together Jews in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, will be headed by Rabbi Dr. Elie Abadie and president Ebrahim Dawood Nonoo.
The AGJC is creating a Jewish court, called the Beth Din of Arabia, to preside over issues of civil disputes, personal status, inheritance, and Jewish ritual. It will also run the Arabian Kosher Certification Agency throughout the six Gulf countries.
WAM Rabbi Elie Abadie, senior Rabbi of the Jewish Community of the UAE, has thanked the UAE government for reuniting two Jewish Yemeni families after spending decades apart.
He tweeted on Monday, Thanking the UAE Leadership for their humanitarian act @MohamedBinZayed @HHShkMohd . As the senior Rabbi of the Jewish community of the United Arab Emirates, I thank the government of the Emirates for their great humanitarian deed in uniting two Jewish Yemeni families after 21 years. May God bless you, Abadie added in a video that he posted on Twitter.
Beirut-born Abadie is a prominent rabbi and scholar of Sephardic Judaism and was living in New York City, before relocating to the UAE to serve as the community’s senior rabbi. The Jewish Council of the Emirates (JCE) is the country’s oldest congregation.
The first family of 15 members, were reunited in Abu Dhabi Published: January 11, 2021 21:03 WAM Rabbi Elie Abadie, senior Rabbi of the Jewish Community of the UAE Image Credit: WAM
Dubai: Rabbi Elie Abadie, senior Rabbi of the Jewish Community of the UAE, has thanked the UAE government for what he described as a great humanitarian deed in uniting two Jewish Yemeni families after being separated for 21 years.
He tweeted on Monday, Thanking the UAE Leadership for their humanitarian act @MohamedBinZayed @HHShkMohd , Beirut-born Elie Abadie said. As the senior Rabbi of the Jewish community of the United Arab Emirates, I thank the government of the Emirates for their great humanitarian deed in uniting two Jewish Yemeni families after 21 years. May God bless you, Abadie added in a video that he posted on Twitter.