By COLlive reporter
Turkey’s new ambassador to the United States Murat Mercan served 2 rabbis a special Glatt Kosher dinner at the famously elegant Turkish Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, DC.
His guests were Rabbi Levi Shemtov, senior Shliach to Washington, DC and Executive Vice President of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) along with Rabbi Mendel Chitrik, Head Shliach to Turkey who is also the Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Istanbul and the Chairman of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States.
Mr. Murcan is no stranger to Chabad, since he was a special guest at the Living Legacy Conference in 2010, a visit which garnered international headlines at the time. He was then the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Turkish Parliament.
As Muslims are currently marking Ramadan, the ambassador was unable to eat before sundown. So as shkiah (sunset) approached, he provided a room for the rabbis to pray and then went to pray with his own family and staff, after which they rejoined to the Dining Room for dinner.
Among several topics discussed was the wellbeing of the Turkish Jewish community, in which Rabbi Chitrik plays a significant role, as well as efforts to rebuilding and strengthen the relationship between Turkey and the international Jewish community.
Also explored was the mission and development of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, which Rabbi Chitrik heads, and which has successfully united many prominent Ashkenazi and Sephardi rabbis who reside in and serve Jewish communities in nearly 20 Muslim countries, all of whom enjoy full religious rights despite their minority status.
This evening Ambassador Mercan @HMuratMercan hosted Rabbi Levi Shemtov @shemtovdc and Rabbi Mendy Chitrik @mchitrik at an iftar dinner at the residence of the Turkish Ambassador. pic.twitter.com/h5rGc0lEr8
— Turkish Embassy DC (@TurkishEmbassy) April 20, 2021
اشترك رئيس تحالف الحاخامات في الدول الإسلامية، ميندي تشيتريك، في #افطار كوشر مع سفير #تركيا في #واشنطن @HMuratMercan في @TurkishEmbassy. خلال #رمضان هذا مثال للأخوة والتعايش بين اليهود والمسلمين في تركيا يستمر آلاف السنوات.
وشكرا على حسن الضيافة! pic.twitter.com/7EFugbr8CU— تحالف الحاخامات في الدول الإسلامية (@RabbisInArabic) April 20, 2021
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These meetings are very important on many levels.