We Were at the Polls on December 25th

Members of the Turkish Jewish Community, going to the polls to elect the administrations of the synagogues of Istanbul, Anatolia, and Thrace, determined the boards of directors of the community foundations and synagogues for five years.

More than 1500 members of the Turkish Jewish Community participated in the elections by means of voting.

In Istanbul, the voting took place at the Neve Shalom, Büyükada Hesed LeAvraam, Kemerburgaz Şaar Aşamayim, Sirkeci, Balat Ahrida, Hasköy Maalem, Şişli Beth Israel, Ortaköy Etz-Ahayim, Caddebostan Bet-El, and Kuzguncuk Beth Yaakov Synagogues and the Or-Yom building.

The elections of the foundations in other cities such as Ankara, Kirklareli, Çanakkale, Antakya, and Iskenderun took place on the same day in the respective locations.

With permission from the General Directorate of Foundations, the members of these communities could also cast their votes via the ballot boxes set up for these five provincial foundations at the election centers in Istanbul.

All the foundations except the Çanakkale Mekor Hayim Jewish Synagogue Foundation entered the election with a single list. Two lists applied for candidacy in Çanakkale and the green list numbered 1 won the elections by 898 to 659.

The foundations in Izmir and Bursa held their elections earlier through the election organization committees established within their own organizations.

The Ashkenazi Jewish Synagogue Foundation also held the election earlier, on December 20th. For the first time during these elections, members of other Jewish Communities except the Ashkenazi Jews were able to vote.

Members of the board of directors elected as a result of the Ashkenazi Jewish Community elections have received their mandates. The foundation board members that have been elected on December 25th, will receive their mandates in the new year.

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