Chair of Rabbinic Group for Jews in Muslims Countries Meets Satmar Rebbe

Rabbi Mendy Chitrik, the Rabbi of the Ashkenazi Jewish community in Turkey and head of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States (ARIS), met Friday with the Satmar Rebbe, Harav Aharon Teitelbaum shlita.

Rabbi Chitrik briefed the Rebbe on the organization’s extensive work and the current state of Jewish life across various Muslim-majority countries.

“We spoke to spoke to Satmar Rebbe about Jewish life in the Muslim world, in Tunisia, in in the Gulf, in Turkey and other places,” Rabbi Chitrik told Belaaz.

The briefing highlighted the scope of the Jewish presence in these regions, which remains substantial. “There are 100,000 Jews in the Muslim world,” Rabbi Chitrik explained, “and we represent all the rabbonim in the in the Muslim world, whether in Africa, in the Gulf area, in the Middle East, in Asia and Far East.”

Rabbi Chitrik detailed the practical efforts ARIS is undertaking to ensure the continuity and vitality of these communities. He described the organization’s focus on building essential religious infrastructure to support Torah life. “We are building mikvaos and building shuls and renewing mikvaos and strengthening Yiddishkeit,” he stated.

According to Rabbi Chitrik, the Satmar Rebbe received the update warmly and offered his encouragement for the challenging work. “The Rebbe gave us a bracha and gave us advice.”

“[We] and Hashem hope that to be matzliach and to continue to strengthen Yiddishkeit in the Muslim world,” Rabbi Chitrik concluded.