Sephardic Israeli chief rabbi opens Jewish school in the UAE

On Thursday, for the first ever visit of a sitting Chief Rabbi to an Arab country. Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef travelled to Dubai, his office said in a sign of improving ties between the Emirates and Israel.

Chief rabbi opens a Jewish school in the UAE

According to a statement from the Dubai Jewish Community Centre, “During his visit, he will meet with senior Emirati officials, inaugurate a newly certified Jewish school.”

Yosef was expected to continue until Sunday in the United Arab Emirates. He will be called an honorary guest of Dubai’s Jewish Community Center during his visit.

Historical steps on the make

The Chief Rabbi’s arrival is as historic as it is our great pleasure to host him here in the Emirates”. Duchman, the JCC’s rabbi said. “As we dedicate and break ground on several of our new institutions. They are being built with the speed and efficiency for which the UAE has become world-famous, we are excited to welcome him.”

Duchman is a young rabbi of the Chabad Lubavitch tradition. He has an accusation of seeking a “hostile takeover” of Dubai’s new Jewish congregation. This has been meeting for more than a decade, secretly. A JCC spokesman said that Yosef’s visit and Duchman’s investment were not to discredit, diminish or otherwise discuss the authority of any other Jewish group in the UAE.

Yosef was going to visit the Beit Tefillah Synagogue in Dubai during the visit. He also will consecrate another synagogue, inaugurate the nursery school, break ground on a mikveh, view a newly opened kosher restaurant in the Burj Khalifa building and inspect, according to the JCC, a nearby kosher poultry slaughterhouse.

Thousands of Israelis also travelled to the UAE since the signing of the accords. Peace is roaming all around the two countries. The world hopes more middle east countries will follow in the near future