10 January
Nino Varon´s Exhibition - "A Life Spent with Art" 
January 10, 2025 Nino Varon´s Exhibition - "A Life Spent with Art"
January 9, 2025 The “Chest” Witness of Silent Migrations
January 2, 2025 Visually Immaculate! - NOSFERATU
December 19, 2024 Becoming Your Own Apprentice and Master - Independent Learning
We Have Lost the Chief Rabbi of Turkey, Rabbi Isak Haleva
January 14, 2025
We have lost the Chief Rabbi of Turkey, Rabbi Isak Haleva, who has led and united our Turkish Jewish Community for many years.
Rabbi Isak Haleva, the third chief rabbi of the Turkish Jews during the Republic period, was born in Istanbul in 1940. After graduating from Beyoğlu Jewish High School, Isak Haleva went to the Porat Yosef Theological Academy (Yeshiva) in Jerusalem for his undergraduate education and graduated with the "rabbi (rav)" and "yadin (meaning judge)" degrees.
Returning to Turkey in 1961, Rabbi Haleva served the Turkish Jewish Community in various religious roles. He taught Religious Studies at the Beyoğlu Jewish High School, as well as teaching Hebrew and Judaism Culture classes to graduate students in the Faculties of Theology at the Marmara and Sakarya Universities.
Rabbi Haleva was elected as the third Chief Rabbi of the Republic of Turkey in 2002, following the death of former Chief Rabbi David Asseo. He served as Chief Rabbi for three terms via the elections held every seven years.
Rabbi Haleva who besides Hebrew and Aramaic, as required by his position, was also fluent in English, French, and Spanish, was one of the people who could read Solitreo. A perfect speaker of Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), the traditional language of the Turkish Jews, Rabbi Haleva preferred using Ladino for many years for his speeches and messages he gave in the synagogues.
During his tenure, Rabbi Haleva, besides always meeting the religious needs of the Jewish community, took an active role in issues such as tolerance, peace, and interfaith dialogue.
Following the passing of Rabbi Haleva, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, called the Turkish Jewish Community and offered his condolences.
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, in his post shared on the X platform, said "I learned with sorrow the passing of the Chief Rabbi of Turkey, Rabbi Isak Haleva. He always stood for peace and gave importance to dialogue and friendship. My condolences to the Turkish Jewish Community."
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