Difference between revisions of "Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States"

From Powerbase
Jump to navigation Jump to search
 
(7 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 3: Line 3:
 
| name              = Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States
 
| name              = Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States
 
| abbreviation      = ARIS
 
| abbreviation      = ARIS
−
| formation         = September 2019
+
| founded         = September 2019; Incorporated 8 October 2020
 
| type              = Nonprofit / Religious organisation
 
| type              = Nonprofit / Religious organisation
 
| registration_id    = Florida N20000011307; EIN 85-3435240
 
| registration_id    = Florida N20000011307; EIN 85-3435240
Line 9: Line 9:
 
| purpose            = Support Jewish life and rabbis in predominantly Muslim countries and regions
 
| purpose            = Support Jewish life and rabbis in predominantly Muslim countries and regions
 
| headquarters      = 1035 14th Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
 
| headquarters      = 1035 14th Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
−
| region_served     = Muslim-majority countries and regions
+
| area_served     = Muslim-majority countries and regions
 
| membership        = Approximately 40 rabbis
 
| membership        = Approximately 40 rabbis
 
| language          = English, Arabic, others
 
| language          = English, Arabic, others
 
| leader_title      = Chairman
 
| leader_title      = Chairman
−
| leader_name       = [[Mendy Chitrik]]
+
| founder       = [[Mendy Chitrik]]
 
| website            = [https://www.rabbisalliance.org rabbisalliance.org]
 
| website            = [https://www.rabbisalliance.org rabbisalliance.org]
 
}}
 
}}
Line 35: Line 35:
  
 
By contrast, the Executive Board and operational membership are dominated by Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries (shluchim). Explicitly identified Chabad rabbis include Chairman [[Mendy Chitrik]] (Istanbul), [[Levi Banon]] (Casablanca), [[Levi Duchman]] (UAE), [[Yeshaya Cohen]] (Kazakhstan) and [[Shneor Segal]] (Azerbaijan); numerous additional members serving in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Uganda, Uzbekistan and the UAE are likewise drawn from the Chabad network. Overall, Chabadniks constitute a clear majority of the active rabbinic membership, while the higher advisory layer retains a stronger Sephardi and non-Chabad Orthodox presence.
 
By contrast, the Executive Board and operational membership are dominated by Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries (shluchim). Explicitly identified Chabad rabbis include Chairman [[Mendy Chitrik]] (Istanbul), [[Levi Banon]] (Casablanca), [[Levi Duchman]] (UAE), [[Yeshaya Cohen]] (Kazakhstan) and [[Shneor Segal]] (Azerbaijan); numerous additional members serving in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Uganda, Uzbekistan and the UAE are likewise drawn from the Chabad network. Overall, Chabadniks constitute a clear majority of the active rabbinic membership, while the higher advisory layer retains a stronger Sephardi and non-Chabad Orthodox presence.
 +
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
−
! Name !! Role / Position !! Location / Notes
+
! Name !! Role / Position !! Location / Notes !! Affiliation
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Yitzhak Yosef]] || Chief Sephardi Rabbi (halachic guidance) || Israel (Rishon LeZion)
+
| [[Yitzhak Yosef]] || Chief Sephardi Rabbi (halachic guidance) || Israel (Rishon LeZion) || Sephardi Orthodox / Israeli Chief Rabbinate (Rishon LeZion)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Shimon Gad Elituv]] || Presidium Council || Member of the Council of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate
+
| [[Shimon Gad Elituv]] || Presidium Council || Member of the Council of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate || Israeli Chief Rabbinate / mainstream Orthodox
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[David Rafael Banon]] || Presidium Council || Montreal Bet Din
+
| [[David Rafael Banon]] || Presidium Council || Montreal Bet Din || Sephardi / Orthodox (Montreal Bet Din)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Haim Bitan]] || Presidium Council || Chief Rabbi of Tunisia
+
| [[Haim Bitan]] || Presidium Council || Chief Rabbi of Tunisia || Sephardi / traditional Tunisian Jewish community
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Isak Haleva]] || Presidium Council (Hahambashi) || Chief Rabbi of Turkey
+
| [[Isak Haleva]] || Presidium Council (Hahambashi) || Chief Rabbi of Turkey || Sephardi / traditional Turkish Jewish community (Hahambashi)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Gad Bouskila]] || Presidium Council || Rabbi of Netivot Yisrael Moroccan community of NY
+
| [[Gad Bouskila]] || Presidium Council || Rabbi of Netivot Yisrael Moroccan community of NY || Sephardi / Moroccan Orthodox
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Mendy Chitrik]] || Chairman, Executive Board || Rabbi of Ashkenazi community of Istanbul, Turkey
+
| [[Mendy Chitrik]] || Chairman, Executive Board || Rabbi of Ashkenazi community of Istanbul, Turkey || [[Chabad-Lubavitch]]<ref name="ChitrikChabad">Described as belonging to the Chabad movement and as Chabad emissary / shliach in Istanbul; see [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mendy_Chitrik Mendy Chitrik] biographical coverage and Chabad.org / JTA reporting on his role.</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Yeshaya Cohen]] || Executive Board || Chief Rabbi of Kazakhstan
+
| [[Yeshaya Cohen]] || Executive Board || Chief Rabbi of Kazakhstan || [[Chabad-Lubavitch]]<ref name="CohenKZ">Director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Kazakhstan and chief rabbi since 1994; see [https://crownheights.info/chabad-news/877240/80-years-after-mystics-passing-in-kazakh-exile-his-legacy-lives-on/ CrownHeights.info] and Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS reporting.</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Shneor Segal]] || Executive Board || Chief Rabbi of Azerbaijan Ashkenazi community
+
| [[Shneor Segal]] || Executive Board || Chief Rabbi of Azerbaijan Ashkenazi community || [[Chabad-Lubavitch]]<ref name="SegalAZ">Chabad emissary since 2002 and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Azerbaijan; see [https://chabadbaku.com/en/about/ Chabad of Baku] and [https://www.jns.org/a-place-to-walk-proudly-as-a-jew/ JNS] profile.</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Levi Banon]] || Executive Board || Chabad Community Rabbi of Casablanca, Morocco
+
| [[Levi Banon]] || Executive Board || Chabad Community Rabbi of Casablanca, Morocco || [[Chabad-Lubavitch]] (explicitly listed as Chabad Community Rabbi on ARIS site)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Yisrael Uzan]] || Executive Board || Chief Rabbi of Nigeria
+
| [[Yisrael Uzan]] || Executive Board || Chief Rabbi of Nigeria || [[Chabad-Lubavitch]]<ref name="UzanNigeria">Co-director of Chabad Lubavitch of Nigeria; see [https://www.jns.org/opinion/rabbi-israel-uzan/deconstructing-misconceptions-about-nigeria-and-life-in-africa JNS] and Chabad.org coverage of Chabad of Nigeria.</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Levi Duchman]] || Executive Board || Rabbi of the UAE
+
| [[Levi Duchman]] || Executive Board || Rabbi of the UAE || [[Chabad-Lubavitch]]<ref name="DuchmanUAE">Chabad emissary and first resident chief rabbi of the UAE; see [https://chabad.ae/about-us/ Chabad of the UAE] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levi_Duchman Levi Duchman] biographical coverage.</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Chaim Hilel Azimow]] || Observer || Rabbi of North Cyprus
+
| [[Chaim Hilel Azimow]] || Observer || Rabbi of North Cyprus || [[Chabad-Lubavitch]]<ref name="AzimovChabad2008">Tamar Runyan, [https://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/665942/jewish/New-Chabad-House-Brings-Passover-to-Northern-Cyprus.htm New Chabad House Brings Passover to Northern Cyprus] ''Chabad.org'', 23 April 2008. Identifies Rabbi Chaim Hillel Azimov as “the newly arrived co-director of Chabad-Lubavitch of North Cyprus”.</ref><ref name="AzimovChabad2009">Dan Webber, [https://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/995142/jewish/Community-Grows-in-North-Cyprus.htm North Cyprus Jewish Center Caters to Growing Community] ''Chabad.org'', 23 September 2009. Describes him as “Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Chaim and Devora Azimov” who opened the centre.</ref><ref name="AzimovChabadLocator">[https://www.chabad.org/jewish-centers/648321/karaoglanoglu/Synagogue/Chabad-Lubavitch-of-North-Cyprus Chabad-Lubavitch of North Cyprus] ''Chabad.org'' locator. Lists Rabbi Chaim Hillel Azimov as Co-director.</ref>
 
|}
 
|}
  
Line 70: Line 71:
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
−
! Name !! Role / Position !! Location
+
! Name !! Role / Position !! Location !! Affiliation
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Yoel Kaplan]] || Chief Rabbi of Kosovo and Albania || Kosovo / Albania
+
| [[Yoel Kaplan]] || Chief Rabbi of Kosovo and Albania || Kosovo / Albania || Chabad-Lubavitch<ref name="KaplanChabad">Chabad.org and contemporary reports identify Kaplan as Chabad-Lubavitch emissary and Chief Rabbi of Albania; see e.g. [https://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/1381972/jewish/Albania-Installs-Chief-Rabbi.htm Balkan Nation Installs First Chief Rabbi] ''Chabad.org'', 2010.</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Mendy Leichter]] || Rabbi of Sumqayit || Azerbaijan
+
| [[Mendy Leichter]] || Rabbi of Sumqayit || Azerbaijan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Nachshon Yunaev]] || Rabbi for Youth Activities || Jewish community of Baku, Azerbaijan
+
| [[Nachshon Yunaev]] || Rabbi for Youth Activities || Jewish community of Baku, Azerbaijan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Mati Lewis]] || Rabbi || Jewish community of Baku, Azerbaijan
+
| [[Mati Lewis]] || Rabbi || Jewish community of Baku, Azerbaijan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Pesah Mirov]] || Rabbi || Jewish community of Baku, Azerbaijan
+
| [[Pesah Mirov]] || Rabbi || Jewish community of Baku, Azerbaijan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Shneor Elimelech]] || Rabbi || Jewish community of Baku, Azerbaijan
+
| [[Shneor Elimelech]] || Rabbi || Jewish community of Baku, Azerbaijan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Dan Krichevsky]] || Chief Rabbi || Russia Republic of Bashkortostan
+
| [[Dan Krichevsky]] || Chief Rabbi || Russia Republic of Bashkortostan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Avraham Dayan]] || Formerly Rabbi || Jewish community in Alexandria, Egypt
+
| [[Avraham Dayan]] || Formerly Rabbi || Jewish community in Alexandria, Egypt || Local Egyptian / Sephardi
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Yehud Gerami]] || Chief Rabbi of Iran || Iran
+
| [[Yehud Gerami]] || Chief Rabbi of Iran || Iran || Local Persian Jewish / Orthodox (trained at Ner Israel and Israeli yeshivas)<ref name="Gerami">Yehuda Gerami profile and reports; see [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yehuda_Gerami Yehuda Gerami] and contemporaneous coverage of Iranian Jewish leadership.</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Eliyahu Saidiyan]] || Chief Rabbi of Isfahan || Iran
+
| [[Eliyahu Saidiyan]] || Chief Rabbi of Isfahan || Iran || Local Persian Jewish / Orthodox
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Shimon Ash]] || Rabbi of Pavlodar || Kazakhstan
+
| [[Shimon Ash]] || Rabbi of Pavlodar || Kazakhstan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Asaf Feinstein]] || Rabbi of Ust'-Kamenogorsk || Kazakhstan
+
| [[Asaf Feinstein]] || Rabbi of Ust'-Kamenogorsk || Kazakhstan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Shevach Zaltopolsky]] || Rabbi || Almaty, Kazakhstan
+
| [[Shevach Zaltopolsky]] || Rabbi || Almaty, Kazakhstan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Elchanan Cohen]] || Chief Rabbi of Almaty || Kazakhstan
+
| [[Elchanan Cohen]] || Chief Rabbi of Almaty || Kazakhstan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Mendel Zalmanov]] || Rabbi of Kostanay || Kazakhstan
+
| [[Mendel Zalmanov]] || Rabbi of Kostanay || Kazakhstan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Mordechai Morosow]] || Rabbi of Shymkent || Kazakhstan
+
| [[Mordechai Morosow]] || Rabbi of Shymkent || Kazakhstan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Saadia Liberow]] || Rabbi || Almaty, Kazakhstan
+
| [[Saadia Liberow]] || Rabbi || Almaty, Kazakhstan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Asher Tumarkin]] || Rabbi of Karganda || Kazakhstan
+
| [[Asher Tumarkin]] || Rabbi of Karganda || Kazakhstan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Shmuel Karnaukh]] || Rabbi of Nursultan || Kazakhstan
+
| [[Shmuel Karnaukh]] || Rabbi of Nursultan || Kazakhstan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Mordechai Cohen]] || Rabbi || Almaty, Kazakhstan
+
| [[Mordechai Cohen]] || Rabbi || Almaty, Kazakhstan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Arie Reichman]] || Chief Rabbi of Kyrgyzstan || Kyrgyzstan
+
| [[Arie Reichman]] || Chief Rabbi of Kyrgyzstan || Kyrgyzstan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Menachem Sternbach]] || Rabbi of Lagos || Nigeria
+
| [[Menachem Sternbach]] || Rabbi of Lagos || Nigeria || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Chimon Lahiany]] || Rabbi || Marrakesh, Morocco
+
| [[Chimon Lahiany]] || Rabbi || Marrakesh, Morocco || Local Moroccan / Sephardi (or Chabad-linked)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Yitzchak Gorelik]] || Chief Rabbi || Russian Republic of Tatarstan
+
| [[Yitzchak Gorelik]] || Chief Rabbi || Russian Republic of Tatarstan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Isak Peres]] || Rabbi of Yenikoy Community; Bet Din member || Istanbul, Turkey
+
| [[Isak Peres]] || Rabbi of Yenikoy Community; Bet Din member || Istanbul, Turkey || Local Turkish Sephardi (Bet Din of Istanbul)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Naftali Haleva]] || Etz Ahayim, Ortaköy; Bet Din member || Istanbul, Turkey
+
| [[Naftali Haleva]] || Etz Ahayim, Ortaköy; Bet Din member || Istanbul, Turkey || Local Turkish Sephardi (Haleva family; Bet Din of Istanbul)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Izak Alaluf]] || Rabbi of Kemerburgaz community; Bet Din member || Istanbul, Turkey
+
| [[Izak Alaluf]] || Rabbi of Kemerburgaz community; Bet Din member || Istanbul, Turkey || Local Turkish Sephardi (Bet Din of Istanbul)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[David Zvi]] || Rabbi of Beit Israel || Istanbul, Turkey
+
| [[David Zvi]] || Rabbi of Beit Israel || Istanbul, Turkey || Local Turkish / community rabbi
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Avraham Gershon]] || Hesed-Leavraam-Buyukada || Istanbul, Turkey
+
| [[Avraham Gershon]] || Hesed-Leavraam-Buyukada || Istanbul, Turkey || Local Turkish / community rabbi
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Mendel Porush]] || Rabbi for Kashrut || Istanbul, Turkey
+
| [[Mendel Porush]] || Rabbi for Kashrut || Istanbul, Turkey || Local / kashrut authority (Istanbul)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Shlomo Babaev]] || Rabbi of Uzbekistan || Uzbekistan
+
| [[Shlomo Babaev]] || Rabbi of Uzbekistan || Uzbekistan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Shlomo Rabin]] || Head Rabbi of Buchara Jewish community || Uzbekistan
+
| [[Shlomo Rabin]] || Head Rabbi of Buchara Jewish community || Uzbekistan || Chabad-Lubavitch / local Bukharan
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Moshe Raskin]] || Chief Rabbi of Uganda || Uganda
+
| [[Moshe Raskin]] || Chief Rabbi of Uganda || Uganda || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Binyamin Hatab]] || Rabbi || Tunisia
+
| [[Binyamin Hatab]] || Rabbi || Tunisia || Local Tunisian / Sephardi
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Mendel Duchman]] || Rabbi || Dubai, UAE
+
| [[Mendel Duchman]] || Rabbi || Dubai, UAE || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Shimon Frenkel]] || Emirates Agency for Kosher Certification || UAE
+
| [[Shimon Frenkel]] || Emirates Agency for Kosher Certification || UAE || Chabad-Lubavitch / kashrut
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Shlomo Bentolila]] || Chief Rabbi of Central Africa || Central Africa
+
| [[Shlomo Bentolila]] || Chief Rabbi of Central Africa || Central Africa || Chabad-Lubavitch (Head Shaliach of Central Africa)<ref name="Bentolila">Chabad reports on Shlomo Bentolila as emissary to Central Africa since 1991; see e.g. Chabad.org coverage of Chabad of Central Africa.</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Yerachmiel Bensaid]] || Chief Rabbi of Ivory Coast || Ivory Coast
+
| [[Yerachmiel Bensaid]] || Chief Rabbi of Ivory Coast || Ivory Coast || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Shimi Aziza]] || Chief Rabbi of Tanzania || Tanzania
+
| [[Shimi Aziza]] || Chief Rabbi of Tanzania || Tanzania || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Avraham Hamra]] || Chief Rabbi of Syrian Expatriates Community (in memoriam) || —
+
| [[Avraham Hamra]] || Chief Rabbi of Syrian Expatriates Community (in memoriam) || — || Syrian Sephardi
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
===Advisory Board===
 
===Advisory Board===
 +
The Advisory Board comprises a mix of philanthropists, communal activists, academics and Chabad figures rather than a single denominational bloc.<ref name="Advisory">Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, [https://www.rabbisalliance.org/about/advisory-board/ Advisory Board] ''rabbisalliance.org''.</ref>
  
−
The Advisory Board comprises a mix of philanthropists, communal activists, academics and Chabad figures rather than a single denominational bloc. Founding Patron [[Alexander Machkevich]] (also spelled Mashkevich), the late Kazakh-Israeli billionaire, founded the [[Kazakhstan Jewish Congress]] and led the [[Euro-Asian Jewish Congress]]; he was a major funder of synagogues (including Chabad institutions) and interfaith projects across Central Asia. Rabbi [[Avraham Berkowitz]] is a senior Chabad-Lubavitch emissary who previously directed the Chabad-dominated [[Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS]] and has served as an alternate Chabad NGO delegate at the United Nations. Rabbi [[Levi Matusof]] (Paris) is likewise a Chabad representative, linked to the long-standing Matusof family of Chabad shluchim in Morocco and France. [[Carole Basri]] is an American lawyer and filmmaker of Iraqi Jewish (Sephardi/'Mizrahi') descent, focused on the history and archives of Middle Eastern Jewry rather than any particular Orthodox stream. [[Nir Boms]] is an Israeli academic specialising in regional cooperation and the [[Abraham Accords]]. The remaining members—[[Daniel Berkove]], [[Sandra Dangoor]], [[Brigitte Dayan]], [[Jason Epstein]], [[Eli Ovits]], [[Joy Malka Rothenberg]], [[Daniel Seal]], [[Tuli Skaist]], [[Leizer Schiner]] and [[Efrat Sopher]]—are drawn largely from professional, philanthropic and interfaith networks in the United States, Israel, the UK and the UAE, spanning mainstream Orthodox, Sephardi and non-denominational Jewish communal circles.
+
Founding Patron: [[Alexander Machkevich]] (also spelled Mashkevich; Kazakhstan / Israel; d. 2025).<ref name="MashkevichJPost">[https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-847423 Israeli-Kazakh billionaire Alexander Mashkevich dies at 72] ''The Jerusalem Post'', 24 March 2025. Founder of the Kazakhstan Jewish Congress and former president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress; major funder of synagogues (including Chabad institutions) and interfaith projects.</ref>
−
 
 
−
Founding Patron: [[Alexander Machkevich]] (Kazakhstan).<ref name="Advisory">Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, [https://www.rabbisalliance.org/about/advisory-board/ Advisory Board] ''rabbisalliance.org''.</ref>
 
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
−
! Name !! Location / Affiliation
+
! Name !! Location !! Affiliation / brief biography
 +
|-
 +
| [[Alexander Machkevich]] (Founding Patron) || Kazakhstan / Israel || Kazakh-Israeli billionaire philanthropist; founded the [[Kazakhstan Jewish Congress]] and led the [[Euro-Asian Jewish Congress]]; major funder of synagogues (including Chabad) and interfaith projects across Central Asia.<ref name="MashkevichJPost" />
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Carole Basri]] || USA
+
| [[Carole Basri]] || USA || American lawyer and documentary filmmaker of Iraqi Jewish (Sephardi/'Mizrahi') descent; focuses on the history and archives of Middle Eastern Jewry; former member of the U.S. State Department’s [[Future of Iraq Project]] and [[Coalition Provisional Authority]].<ref name="BasriWiki">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carole_Basri Carole Basri] biographical overview; see also contemporaneous reporting on her Iraqi Jewish archive and legal work.</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Daniel Berkove]] || Israel
+
| [[Daniel Berkove]] || Israel || Israeli-based business consultant (energy sector); board member of Innovation: Africa and the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States; producer of the “Blessing Israel” anti-antisemitism music video collaboration.<ref name="BerkoveLehrhaus">[https://thelehrhaus.com/author/dberkove/ Daniel R. Berkove] author profile, ''The Lehrhaus''.</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Avraham Berkowitz]] || US
+
| [[Avraham Berkowitz]] || US || Senior [[Chabad-Lubavitch]] emissary; former executive director of the [[Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS]] (FJC); alternate Chabad NGO delegate at the United Nations; director of special missions for Chabad Headquarters.<ref name="BerkowitzJTA">[https://www.jta.org/archive/head-of-chabad-led-federation-steps-down-from-moscow-post Head of Chabad-led Federation Steps Down from Moscow Post] ''Jewish Telegraphic Agency'', 2008; see also Chabad.org profiles of his FJC and UN roles.</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Nir Boms]] || Israel
+
| [[Nir Boms]] || Israel || Israeli academic and research fellow at the [[Moshe Dayan Center]], [[Tel Aviv University]]; specialises in regional cooperation, Syria and the Abraham Accords; director of the TAU Workshop on Israel and the Middle East.<ref name="BomsBio">[https://nirboms.com/about-me/ Biography – Nir Boms] ''nirboms.com''.</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Sandra Dangoor]] || UK
+
| [[Sandra Dangoor]] || UK || UK-based philanthropist / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).<ref name="Advisory" />
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Brigitte Dayan]] || USA
+
| [[Brigitte Dayan]] || USA || US-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).<ref name="Advisory" />
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Jason Epstein]] || USA
+
| [[Jason Epstein]] || USA || US-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).<ref name="Advisory" />
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Levi Matusof]] || Paris
+
| [[Levi Matusof]] || Paris || [[Chabad-Lubavitch]] representative in Paris; linked to the long-standing Matusof family of Chabad shluchim (including the pioneering Moroccan emissary Rabbi Shlomo Matusof).<ref name="MatusofFamily">Chabad.org coverage of the Matusof family of shluchim in Morocco and France; see e.g. obituaries and profiles of Rabbi Shlomo Matusof and descendants active in Paris and Cannes.</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Eli Ovits]] || Israel
+
| [[Eli Ovits]] || Israel || Israel-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).<ref name="Advisory" />
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Joy Malka Rothenberg]] || Israel
+
| [[Joy Malka Rothenberg]] || Israel || Israel-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).<ref name="Advisory" />
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Daniel Seal]] || UAE
+
| [[Daniel Seal]] || UAE || UAE-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).<ref name="Advisory" />
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Tuli Skaist]] || USA
+
| [[Tuli Skaist]] || USA || US-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).<ref name="Advisory" />
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Leizer Schiner]] || USA
+
| [[Leizer Schiner]] || USA || US-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).<ref name="Advisory" />
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Efrat Sopher]] || London
+
| [[Efrat Sopher]] || London || London-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).<ref name="Advisory" />
 
|}
 
|}
  

Latest revision as of 09:42, 30 July 2026

Rabbinic association supporting Jewish communities in Muslim-majority countries

Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States
Type Nonprofit / Religious organisation
Logo
Founded September 2019; Incorporated 8 October 2020
Founder(s) Mendy Chitrik
Dissolved
Registration ID Florida N20000011307; EIN 85-3435240
Status Active
Headquarters 1035 14th Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
Location
Area served Muslim-majority countries and regions
Services
Registration
Key people
Website rabbisalliance.org
Remarks


Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States (ARIS) is a rabbinic association founded in September 2019 by Rabbi Mendy Chitrik to connect and support rabbis serving Jewish communities in predominantly Muslim countries and regions. It describes itself as the first rabbinic association in the Muslim world and aims to sustain Jewish life, promote interfaith coexistence, and combat antisemitism and Islamophobia.[1][2]

The organisation is registered in the United States as Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States Inc., a Florida domestic non-profit corporation (document number N20000011307), incorporated on 8 October 2020 with principal address at 1035 14th Street, Miami Beach, Florida 33139. It holds US tax-exempt status (EIN 85-3435240) as a religious organisation, granted in March 2021. Officers have included Menachem M. Chitrik (President/Director), Yeshaya Cohen (Director) and Chaim H. Zyslin (Director).[3][4]

Its activity follows the halachic guidelines of Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel Yitzhak Yosef (Rishon LeZion), who has formally endorsed the alliance.[5]

Mission and activities

ARIS states its mission is “to support, sustain, and advocate on behalf of Jewish life across Islamic States.” Aspirations include providing a platform for mutual support among rabbis and communities; safeguarding Jewish practice (prayer, festivals, kosher food); advancing interfaith engagement linked to the Abraham Accords; developing a network of Friends of ARIS; producing multilingual content; and convening annual summits.[6]

Membership covers rabbis in Albania, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Turkey, Tunisia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, UAE, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Nigeria and additional locations, as well as Muslim-majority regions such as North Cyprus, Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. The organisation reports serving communities comprising tens of thousands of Jews and acting as an apolitical voice for coexistence.[1][7]

Leadership and membership

Chairman is Rabbi Mendy Chitrik, rabbi of the Ashkenazi community of Istanbul, Turkey.[8]

Presidium Council and Executive Board

The membership of the Alliance spans several streams within Orthodox Judaism. The Presidium Council is weighted toward Sephardi and Israeli Chief Rabbinate figures, including Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, Tunisian Chief Rabbi Haim Bitan, Turkish Hahambashi Isak Haleva, and Moroccan-linked rabbis such as Gad Bouskila and David Rafael Banon.

By contrast, the Executive Board and operational membership are dominated by Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries (shluchim). Explicitly identified Chabad rabbis include Chairman Mendy Chitrik (Istanbul), Levi Banon (Casablanca), Levi Duchman (UAE), Yeshaya Cohen (Kazakhstan) and Shneor Segal (Azerbaijan); numerous additional members serving in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Uganda, Uzbekistan and the UAE are likewise drawn from the Chabad network. Overall, Chabadniks constitute a clear majority of the active rabbinic membership, while the higher advisory layer retains a stronger Sephardi and non-Chabad Orthodox presence.

Name Role / Position Location / Notes Affiliation
Yitzhak Yosef Chief Sephardi Rabbi (halachic guidance) Israel (Rishon LeZion) Sephardi Orthodox / Israeli Chief Rabbinate (Rishon LeZion)
Shimon Gad Elituv Presidium Council Member of the Council of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate Israeli Chief Rabbinate / mainstream Orthodox
David Rafael Banon Presidium Council Montreal Bet Din Sephardi / Orthodox (Montreal Bet Din)
Haim Bitan Presidium Council Chief Rabbi of Tunisia Sephardi / traditional Tunisian Jewish community
Isak Haleva Presidium Council (Hahambashi) Chief Rabbi of Turkey Sephardi / traditional Turkish Jewish community (Hahambashi)
Gad Bouskila Presidium Council Rabbi of Netivot Yisrael Moroccan community of NY Sephardi / Moroccan Orthodox
Mendy Chitrik Chairman, Executive Board Rabbi of Ashkenazi community of Istanbul, Turkey Chabad-Lubavitch[9]
Yeshaya Cohen Executive Board Chief Rabbi of Kazakhstan Chabad-Lubavitch[10]
Shneor Segal Executive Board Chief Rabbi of Azerbaijan Ashkenazi community Chabad-Lubavitch[11]
Levi Banon Executive Board Chabad Community Rabbi of Casablanca, Morocco Chabad-Lubavitch (explicitly listed as Chabad Community Rabbi on ARIS site)
Yisrael Uzan Executive Board Chief Rabbi of Nigeria Chabad-Lubavitch[12]
Levi Duchman Executive Board Rabbi of the UAE Chabad-Lubavitch[13]
Chaim Hilel Azimow Observer Rabbi of North Cyprus Chabad-Lubavitch[14][15][16]

Rabbi members

The great majority of the listed rabbi members are Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries (shluchim). This includes virtually all those serving in the post-Soviet Muslim-majority regions—Yoel Kaplan (Kosovo/Albania), the Baku and Sumqayit rabbis in Azerbaijan (Mendy Leichter, Nachshon Yunaev, Mati Lewis, Pesah Mirov, Shneor Elimelech), Dan Krichevsky (Bashkortostan), the extensive Kazakhstan contingent (Shimon Ash, Asaf Feinstein, Shevach Zaltopolsky, Elchanan Cohen, Mendel Zalmanov, Mordechai Morosow, Saadia Liberow, Asher Tumarkin, Shmuel Karnaukh, Mordechai Cohen), Arie Reichman (Kyrgyzstan), Yitzchak Gorelik (Tatarstan), and the Uzbekistan rabbis (Shlomo Babaev, Shlomo Rabin)—as well as the African contingent (Menachem Sternbach in Lagos, Moshe Raskin in Uganda, Shlomo Bentolila as Chief Rabbi of Central Africa, Yerachmiel Bensaid in Ivory Coast, Shimi Aziza in Tanzania) and the UAE rabbis (Mendel Duchman, Shimon Frenkel). By contrast, the Istanbul rabbis (Isak Peres, Naftali Haleva, Izak Alaluf, David Zvi, Avraham Gershon, Mendel Porush) largely belong to the traditional Sephardi Turkish community and its Bet Din. The Iranian rabbis (Yehud Gerami, Eliyahu Saidiyan) represent the indigenous Persian Jewish community (Orthodox, with training in both Israeli and American yeshivas). Chimon Lahiany (Marrakesh) and Binyamin Hatab (Tunisia) reflect local North African Sephardi traditions, while the late Avraham Hamra served Syrian Sephardi expatriates. Overall, Chabad accounts for the overwhelming majority of the operational membership outside the historic Sephardi centres of Turkey, Iran and parts of North Africa.


Name Role / Position Location Affiliation
Yoel Kaplan Chief Rabbi of Kosovo and Albania Kosovo / Albania Chabad-Lubavitch[17]
Mendy Leichter Rabbi of Sumqayit Azerbaijan Chabad-Lubavitch
Nachshon Yunaev Rabbi for Youth Activities Jewish community of Baku, Azerbaijan Chabad-Lubavitch
Mati Lewis Rabbi Jewish community of Baku, Azerbaijan Chabad-Lubavitch
Pesah Mirov Rabbi Jewish community of Baku, Azerbaijan Chabad-Lubavitch
Shneor Elimelech Rabbi Jewish community of Baku, Azerbaijan Chabad-Lubavitch
Dan Krichevsky Chief Rabbi Russia Republic of Bashkortostan Chabad-Lubavitch
Avraham Dayan Formerly Rabbi Jewish community in Alexandria, Egypt Local Egyptian / Sephardi
Yehud Gerami Chief Rabbi of Iran Iran Local Persian Jewish / Orthodox (trained at Ner Israel and Israeli yeshivas)[18]
Eliyahu Saidiyan Chief Rabbi of Isfahan Iran Local Persian Jewish / Orthodox
Shimon Ash Rabbi of Pavlodar Kazakhstan Chabad-Lubavitch
Asaf Feinstein Rabbi of Ust'-Kamenogorsk Kazakhstan Chabad-Lubavitch
Shevach Zaltopolsky Rabbi Almaty, Kazakhstan Chabad-Lubavitch
Elchanan Cohen Chief Rabbi of Almaty Kazakhstan Chabad-Lubavitch
Mendel Zalmanov Rabbi of Kostanay Kazakhstan Chabad-Lubavitch
Mordechai Morosow Rabbi of Shymkent Kazakhstan Chabad-Lubavitch
Saadia Liberow Rabbi Almaty, Kazakhstan Chabad-Lubavitch
Asher Tumarkin Rabbi of Karganda Kazakhstan Chabad-Lubavitch
Shmuel Karnaukh Rabbi of Nursultan Kazakhstan Chabad-Lubavitch
Mordechai Cohen Rabbi Almaty, Kazakhstan Chabad-Lubavitch
Arie Reichman Chief Rabbi of Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan Chabad-Lubavitch
Menachem Sternbach Rabbi of Lagos Nigeria Chabad-Lubavitch
Chimon Lahiany Rabbi Marrakesh, Morocco Local Moroccan / Sephardi (or Chabad-linked)
Yitzchak Gorelik Chief Rabbi Russian Republic of Tatarstan Chabad-Lubavitch
Isak Peres Rabbi of Yenikoy Community; Bet Din member Istanbul, Turkey Local Turkish Sephardi (Bet Din of Istanbul)
Naftali Haleva Etz Ahayim, Ortaköy; Bet Din member Istanbul, Turkey Local Turkish Sephardi (Haleva family; Bet Din of Istanbul)
Izak Alaluf Rabbi of Kemerburgaz community; Bet Din member Istanbul, Turkey Local Turkish Sephardi (Bet Din of Istanbul)
David Zvi Rabbi of Beit Israel Istanbul, Turkey Local Turkish / community rabbi
Avraham Gershon Hesed-Leavraam-Buyukada Istanbul, Turkey Local Turkish / community rabbi
Mendel Porush Rabbi for Kashrut Istanbul, Turkey Local / kashrut authority (Istanbul)
Shlomo Babaev Rabbi of Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Chabad-Lubavitch
Shlomo Rabin Head Rabbi of Buchara Jewish community Uzbekistan Chabad-Lubavitch / local Bukharan
Moshe Raskin Chief Rabbi of Uganda Uganda Chabad-Lubavitch
Binyamin Hatab Rabbi Tunisia Local Tunisian / Sephardi
Mendel Duchman Rabbi Dubai, UAE Chabad-Lubavitch
Shimon Frenkel Emirates Agency for Kosher Certification UAE Chabad-Lubavitch / kashrut
Shlomo Bentolila Chief Rabbi of Central Africa Central Africa Chabad-Lubavitch (Head Shaliach of Central Africa)[19]
Yerachmiel Bensaid Chief Rabbi of Ivory Coast Ivory Coast Chabad-Lubavitch
Shimi Aziza Chief Rabbi of Tanzania Tanzania Chabad-Lubavitch
Avraham Hamra Chief Rabbi of Syrian Expatriates Community (in memoriam) — Syrian Sephardi

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board comprises a mix of philanthropists, communal activists, academics and Chabad figures rather than a single denominational bloc.[20]

Founding Patron: Alexander Machkevich (also spelled Mashkevich; Kazakhstan / Israel; d. 2025).[21]

Name Location Affiliation / brief biography
Alexander Machkevich (Founding Patron) Kazakhstan / Israel Kazakh-Israeli billionaire philanthropist; founded the Kazakhstan Jewish Congress and led the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress; major funder of synagogues (including Chabad) and interfaith projects across Central Asia.[21]
Carole Basri USA American lawyer and documentary filmmaker of Iraqi Jewish (Sephardi/'Mizrahi') descent; focuses on the history and archives of Middle Eastern Jewry; former member of the U.S. State Department’s Future of Iraq Project and Coalition Provisional Authority.[22]
Daniel Berkove Israel Israeli-based business consultant (energy sector); board member of Innovation: Africa and the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States; producer of the “Blessing Israel” anti-antisemitism music video collaboration.[23]
Avraham Berkowitz US Senior Chabad-Lubavitch emissary; former executive director of the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS (FJC); alternate Chabad NGO delegate at the United Nations; director of special missions for Chabad Headquarters.[24]
Nir Boms Israel Israeli academic and research fellow at the Moshe Dayan Center, Tel Aviv University; specialises in regional cooperation, Syria and the Abraham Accords; director of the TAU Workshop on Israel and the Middle East.[25]
Sandra Dangoor UK UK-based philanthropist / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[20]
Brigitte Dayan USA US-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[20]
Jason Epstein USA US-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[20]
Levi Matusof Paris Chabad-Lubavitch representative in Paris; linked to the long-standing Matusof family of Chabad shluchim (including the pioneering Moroccan emissary Rabbi Shlomo Matusof).[26]
Eli Ovits Israel Israel-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[20]
Joy Malka Rothenberg Israel Israel-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[20]
Daniel Seal UAE UAE-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[20]
Tuli Skaist USA US-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[20]
Leizer Schiner USA US-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[20]
Efrat Sopher London London-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[20]

See also

External links

Official website X (Twitter) account List of rabbis Advisory Board

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, About rabbisalliance.org.
  2. ↑ Contemporary reports summarised in Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States overview, drawing on organisational statements.
  3. ↑ Florida corporate records, ALLIANCE OF RABBIS IN ISLAMIC STATES INC and related filings.
  4. ↑ Organisation records, Alliance Of Rabbis In Islamic States Inc Miami Beach, FL.
  5. ↑ Jeremy Sharon, Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef endorses Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States The Jerusalem Post, 16 February 2021.
  6. ↑ Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, Mission rabbisalliance.org.
  7. ↑ Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, Home rabbisalliance.org.
  8. ↑ Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, ARIS Rabbis rabbisalliance.org.
  9. ↑ Described as belonging to the Chabad movement and as Chabad emissary / shliach in Istanbul; see Mendy Chitrik biographical coverage and Chabad.org / JTA reporting on his role.
  10. ↑ Director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Kazakhstan and chief rabbi since 1994; see CrownHeights.info and Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS reporting.
  11. ↑ Chabad emissary since 2002 and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Azerbaijan; see Chabad of Baku and JNS profile.
  12. ↑ Co-director of Chabad Lubavitch of Nigeria; see JNS and Chabad.org coverage of Chabad of Nigeria.
  13. ↑ Chabad emissary and first resident chief rabbi of the UAE; see Chabad of the UAE and Levi Duchman biographical coverage.
  14. ↑ Tamar Runyan, New Chabad House Brings Passover to Northern Cyprus Chabad.org, 23 April 2008. Identifies Rabbi Chaim Hillel Azimov as “the newly arrived co-director of Chabad-Lubavitch of North Cyprus”.
  15. ↑ Dan Webber, North Cyprus Jewish Center Caters to Growing Community Chabad.org, 23 September 2009. Describes him as “Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Chaim and Devora Azimov” who opened the centre.
  16. ↑ Chabad-Lubavitch of North Cyprus Chabad.org locator. Lists Rabbi Chaim Hillel Azimov as Co-director.
  17. ↑ Chabad.org and contemporary reports identify Kaplan as Chabad-Lubavitch emissary and Chief Rabbi of Albania; see e.g. Balkan Nation Installs First Chief Rabbi Chabad.org, 2010.
  18. ↑ Yehuda Gerami profile and reports; see Yehuda Gerami and contemporaneous coverage of Iranian Jewish leadership.
  19. ↑ Chabad reports on Shlomo Bentolila as emissary to Central Africa since 1991; see e.g. Chabad.org coverage of Chabad of Central Africa.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.7 20.8 20.9 Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, Advisory Board rabbisalliance.org.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Israeli-Kazakh billionaire Alexander Mashkevich dies at 72 The Jerusalem Post, 24 March 2025. Founder of the Kazakhstan Jewish Congress and former president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress; major funder of synagogues (including Chabad institutions) and interfaith projects.
  22. ↑ Carole Basri biographical overview; see also contemporaneous reporting on her Iraqi Jewish archive and legal work.
  23. ↑ Daniel R. Berkove author profile, The Lehrhaus.
  24. ↑ Head of Chabad-led Federation Steps Down from Moscow Post Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 2008; see also Chabad.org profiles of his FJC and UN roles.
  25. ↑ Biography – Nir Boms nirboms.com.
  26. ↑ Chabad.org coverage of the Matusof family of shluchim in Morocco and France; see e.g. obituaries and profiles of Rabbi Shlomo Matusof and descendants active in Paris and Cannes.
Retrieved from "https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Alliance_of_Rabbis_in_Islamic_States&oldid=273366"