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

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| headquarters      = 1035 14th Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
 
| headquarters      = 1035 14th Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
 
| area_served      = Muslim-majority countries and regions
 
| area_served      = Muslim-majority countries and regions
−
| membership        = Approximately 40 rabbis
+
| membership        = About 50 rabbis listed on its website (October 2026); 45 reported in 2021, "some 55" in 2023
 
| language          = English, Arabic, others
 
| language          = English, Arabic, others
 
| leader_title      = Chairman
 
| leader_title      = Chairman
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| website            = [https://www.rabbisalliance.org rabbisalliance.org]
 
| website            = [https://www.rabbisalliance.org rabbisalliance.org]
 
}}
 
}}
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{{Chabad sidebar}}
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'''[[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.<ref name="About">Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, [https://www.rabbisalliance.org/about/ About] ''rabbisalliance.org''.</ref><ref name="Wiki">Contemporary reports summarised in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_of_Rabbis_in_Islamic_States Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States] overview, drawing on organisational statements.</ref>
+
'''[[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.<ref name="About">Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, [https://www.rabbisalliance.org/about/ About] ''rabbisalliance.org''.</ref><ref name="Forward2021" /><ref name="IsraelHayom2021" />
  
 
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).<ref name="FLCorp">Florida corporate records, [https://florida.intercreditreport.com/company/alliance-of-rabbis-in-islamic-states-inc-n20000011307 ALLIANCE OF RABBIS IN ISLAMIC STATES INC] and related filings.</ref><ref name="EIN">Organisation records, [https://www.orgcouncil.com/ein/853435240 Alliance Of Rabbis In Islamic States Inc] Miami Beach, FL.</ref>
 
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).<ref name="FLCorp">Florida corporate records, [https://florida.intercreditreport.com/company/alliance-of-rabbis-in-islamic-states-inc-n20000011307 ALLIANCE OF RABBIS IN ISLAMIC STATES INC] and related filings.</ref><ref name="EIN">Organisation records, [https://www.orgcouncil.com/ein/853435240 Alliance Of Rabbis In Islamic States Inc] Miami Beach, FL.</ref>
  
 
Its activity follows the halachic guidelines of Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel [[Yitzhak Yosef]] (Rishon LeZion), who has formally endorsed the alliance.<ref name="Yosef">Jeremy Sharon, [https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/chief-rabbi-yitzhak-yosef-endorses-alliance-of-rabbis-in-islamic-states-659166 Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef endorses Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States] ''The Jerusalem Post'', 16 February 2021.</ref>
 
Its activity follows the halachic guidelines of Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel [[Yitzhak Yosef]] (Rishon LeZion), who has formally endorsed the alliance.<ref name="Yosef">Jeremy Sharon, [https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/chief-rabbi-yitzhak-yosef-endorses-alliance-of-rabbis-in-islamic-states-659166 Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef endorses Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States] ''The Jerusalem Post'', 16 February 2021.</ref>
 +
 +
Chitrik is a [[Chabad-Lubavitch]] emissary in Istanbul.<ref name="Forward2021" /><ref name="JTA2025" /> According to the [[Jewish Telegraphic Agency]], the idea for ARIS came to him at the Kinus HaShluchim, the international conference of Chabad emissaries, where he found himself at a table with colleagues from Azerbaijan, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria; they started a WhatsApp group "and it grew from there". JTA also reported that Chitrik "was adamant that it couldn't just be an organization of Chabad rabbis".<ref name="JTA2021" /> In October 2021 ''Israel Hayom'' reported that ARIS "includes 45 rabbis, the majority of whom are associated with Chabad", serving "some 100,000 Jews across 14 Muslim-majority states".<ref name="IsraelHayom2021" /> In 2023 Chitrik spoke of "some 55 rabbis in 16 different Muslim countries".<ref name="NYJG2023" />
 +
:''Editor's note: The founding month, September 2019, is consistent with the report in the Forward in March 2021 that Chitrik had founded ARIS "18 months ago"; Israel Hayom gives only the year 2019.<ref name="Forward2021" /><ref name="IsraelHayom2021" /> Membership figures are self-reported.''
  
 
==Mission and activities==
 
==Mission and activities==
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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.<ref name="About" /><ref name="Home">Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, [https://www.rabbisalliance.org/ Home] ''rabbisalliance.org''.</ref>
 
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.<ref name="About" /><ref name="Home">Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, [https://www.rabbisalliance.org/ Home] ''rabbisalliance.org''.</ref>
 +
 +
===First conference, Istanbul, December 2021===
 +
ARIS held its inaugural conference at Istanbul's Conrad hotel in December 2021, hosted with Turkey's chief rabbinate. JTA reported rabbis attending from more than ten countries, "including Iran, Egypt, Tunisia, Albania, Kosovo, the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Kazakhstan, and Russia as well as Turkey". The participants were flown to Ankara on a private plane sent by President [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] and dined with him at his palace on 23 December 2021; Russia's chief rabbi [[Berel Lazar]] and Turkey's chief rabbi [[Isak Haleva]] were among those pictured with him. On the second day Iran's Chief Rabbi [[Yehuda Gerami]] led a halachic symposium dedicated to Maimonides, and he left with a new Torah scroll for his community.<ref name="JTA2021" /> In 2021 ARIS also said it had helped deliver matzah to Jews in Libya, Lebanon and Syria, and helped Afghanistan's last Jews leave the country after the Taliban's return.<ref name="JTA2021" /><ref name="IsraelHayom2021" /> ''Israel Hayom'' (29 October 2021) also reported that ARIS had sent matzah to Jews in Alexandria, Egypt.<ref name="IsraelHayom2021" />
  
 
==Leadership and membership==
 
==Leadership and membership==
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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 (died 14 January 2025; still listed by ARIS in October 2026)<ref name="JTA2025" /> || 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="Forward2021" /><ref name="JTA2025" />
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[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] (Chabad-side).</ref><ref name="JNS2020" />
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[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>
 
|}
 
|}
 +
* '''Turkey's chief rabbinate.''' [[Isak Haleva]], Hahambaşı from 2002, died on 14 January 2025.<ref name="JTA2025" /> His successor, [[David Sevi]], installed in December 2025, "is a member of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States", according to JNS.<ref name="JNS2025" /> Sevi does not appear under that name on the ARIS website; whether he is the "David Zvi" listed there as rabbi of Beit Israel, Istanbul, has not been confirmed.
 +
* '''Levi Duchman's title.''' In October 2020 Chabad's announcement of [[Levi Duchman]]'s appointment as "the Chabad emissary to the UAE" described him as "vice president of ARIS".<ref name="JNS2020" /> The ARIS website now lists him on the Executive Board as "Rabbi of the UAE", without that title.<ref name="Rabbis" />
  
 
===Rabbi members===
 
===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.
+
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 ([[Yehuda Gerami|Yehud Gerami]], [[Eliyahu Saidiyan]]) represent the indigenous Persian Jewish community (Orthodox, with training in both Israeli and American yeshivas). [[Chimon Lahiany]] (Marrakesh) is the Chabad emissary in Marrakesh (see [[Chabad Lubavitch of Morocco]]).<ref name="LubMarrakesh">Lubavitch.com, [https://www.lubavitch.com/centers/africa/morocco/marrakesh/ Centres directory: Marrakesh], accessed 20 October 2026. Lists "Chabad Lubavitch House - Beth Habad Marrakech" under Rabbi Chimon and Rachel Lahiany. Chabad-side directory.</ref><ref name="ChMarrakech">Chabad of Marrakech, [https://chabadmarrakech.org/en/about/ "About and Contact"], accessed 20 October 2026. Names Rabbi Shimon Lahiany as "Chabad Shliach". Chabad-side.</ref> [[Binyamin Hatab]] (Hattab; Tunisia) directs the Chabad yeshiva in Tunis, Yeshivah Oholei Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch, and with his wife serves Chabad Tunisia (see [[Chabad Lubavitch of Tunisia]]).<ref name="RPinson2026">Motti Wilhelm, [https://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/7240950 Obituary of Rebbetzin Rochel Pinson], Chabad.org, 5 February 2026. Describes Rabbi Binyamin Batu Hattab as "rabbi of the Grande Synagogue and director of Yeshivah Oholei Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch in Tunis". Chabad-side.</ref><ref name="Ghriba2023CO">Yaakov Ort, [https://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/5949938 Report on the Djerba shooting], Chabad.org, 10 May 2023. States that Chabad Tunisia is "served by Rabbi Binyamin and Massuda Hattab". Chabad-side.</ref> 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.
  
  
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| [[Avraham Dayan]] || Formerly Rabbi || Jewish community in Alexandria, Egypt || Local Egyptian / Sephardi
 
| [[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)<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>
+
| [[Yehuda Gerami|Yehud Gerami]] || Chief Rabbi of Iran || Iran || Local Persian Jewish / Orthodox (trained at Ner Israel and Israeli yeshivas)<ref name="ToIGerami2021" /><ref name="Anash2021" />
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Eliyahu Saidiyan]] || Chief Rabbi of Isfahan || Iran || Local Persian Jewish / Orthodox
 
| [[Eliyahu Saidiyan]] || Chief Rabbi of Isfahan || Iran || Local Persian Jewish / Orthodox
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| [[Menachem Sternbach]] || Rabbi of Lagos || Nigeria || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
| [[Menachem Sternbach]] || Rabbi of Lagos || Nigeria || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Chimon Lahiany]] || Rabbi || Marrakesh, Morocco || Local Moroccan / Sephardi (or Chabad-linked)
+
| [[Chimon Lahiany]] || Rabbi || Marrakesh, Morocco || Chabad-Lubavitch (Chabad emissary in Marrakesh)<ref name="LubMarrakesh" /><ref name="ChMarrakech" />
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Yitzchak Gorelik]] || Chief Rabbi || Russian Republic of Tatarstan || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
| [[Yitzchak Gorelik]] || Chief Rabbi || Russian Republic of Tatarstan || Chabad-Lubavitch
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| [[Moshe Raskin]] || Chief Rabbi of Uganda || Uganda || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
| [[Moshe Raskin]] || Chief Rabbi of Uganda || Uganda || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Binyamin Hatab]] || Rabbi || Tunisia || Local Tunisian / Sephardi
+
| [[Binyamin Hatab]] || Rabbi || Tunisia || Chabad-Lubavitch (director of the Chabad yeshiva in Tunis; Chabad Tunisia)<ref name="RPinson2026" /><ref name="Ghriba2023CO" />
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Mendel Duchman]] || Rabbi || Dubai, UAE || Chabad-Lubavitch
 
| [[Mendel Duchman]] || Rabbi || Dubai, UAE || Chabad-Lubavitch
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|-
 
|-
 
| [[Avraham Hamra]] || Chief Rabbi of Syrian Expatriates Community (in memoriam) || — || Syrian Sephardi
 
| [[Avraham Hamra]] || Chief Rabbi of Syrian Expatriates Community (in memoriam) || — || Syrian Sephardi
 +
|}
 +
:''Editor's note: The names and roles in this table are as listed on the ARIS website.<ref name="Rabbis" /> Most of the "Chabad-Lubavitch" labels have not yet been checked against a source for each person; only those with their own footnote are individually sourced. Israel Hayom (2021) supports the general statement that the majority of ARIS rabbis "are associated with Chabad".<ref name="IsraelHayom2021" /> The Turkish members other than Chitrik belong to the Turkish community rabbinate, and no source found describes the two Iranian members as Chabad. The Emirates Agency for Kosher Certification, where Shimon Frenkel works, was set up by Levi Duchman of [[Chabad of the United Arab Emirates]].<ref name="JNS2020" />''
 +
 +
===Coverage of West Asia===
 +
How ARIS membership maps onto the West Asian countries covered by Powerbase's Chabad country profiles:<ref name="Rabbis" />
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
! Country !! ARIS members covering it !! Note
 +
|-
 +
| United Arab Emirates || [[Levi Duchman]] (Executive Board), [[Mendel Duchman]], [[Shimon Frenkel]] || All three tied to [[Chabad of the United Arab Emirates]]
 +
|-
 +
| Turkey || [[Mendy Chitrik]] (Chairman), [[Isak Haleva]] (Presidium; d. 2025), [[Isak Peres]], [[Naftali Haleva]], [[Izak Alaluf]], [[David Zvi]], [[Avraham Gershon]], [[Mendel Porush]]; also [[David Sevi]] according to JNS<ref name="JNS2025" /> || One Chabad emissary plus the established Turkish rabbinate. See [[Chabad Lubavitch of Turkey]]
 +
|-
 +
| Northern Cyprus || [[Chaim Hilel Azimow]] (Observer) || Chabad-Lubavitch of North Cyprus; covers the north only. See [[Chabad Lubavitch of Cyprus]]
 +
|-
 +
| Iran || [[Yehuda Gerami|Yehud Gerami]], [[Eliyahu Saidiyan]] || No known Chabad affiliation. See [[Chabad Lubavitch of Iran]]
 +
|-
 +
| Bahrain || None listed || Rabbinic support comes from the [[Association of Gulf Jewish Communities]] (not Chabad). See [[Chabad Lubavitch of Bahrain]]
 +
|-
 +
| Saudi Arabia || None listed || See [[Chabad Lubavitch of Saudi Arabia]]
 +
|-
 +
| Cyprus (Republic) || None listed || See [[Chabad Lubavitch of Cyprus]]
 +
|-
 +
| Jordan || None listed || See [[Chabad Lubavitch of Jordan]]
 +
|-
 +
| Kuwait || None listed || See [[Chabad Lubavitch of Kuwait]]
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
===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="Advisory" /><ref name="BasriNote">The biographical details in this row were previously sourced to a Wikipedia article, which this project does not cite. They have been kept but await a primary or press source; only the Advisory Board listing is confirmed here.</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" />
 
|}
 
|}
  
Line 196: Line 231:
 
*[[Mendy Chitrik]]
 
*[[Mendy Chitrik]]
 
*[[Abraham Accords]]
 
*[[Abraham Accords]]
 +
*[[Chabad-Lubavitch in West Asia]]
 +
*[[Chabad of the United Arab Emirates]]
 +
*[[Chabad Lubavitch of Turkey]]
 +
*[[Chabad Lubavitch of Iran]]
 +
*[[Chabad Lubavitch of Cyprus]]
 +
*[[Chabad Lubavitch of Bahrain]]
 +
*[[Chabad Lubavitch of Saudi Arabia]]
 +
*[[Chabad Lubavitch of Jordan]]
 +
*[[Chabad Lubavitch of Kuwait]]
 +
*[[Yehuda Gerami]]
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
Line 205: Line 250:
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
−
<references/>
+
<references>
−
[[Category:Jewish organisations]]
+
<ref name="Forward2021">David Ian Klein, [https://forward.com/news/466368/matzah-in-beirut-or-a-seder-in-samarkand-these-rabbis-are-making-it-happen/ "Matzah in Beirut or a Seder in Samarkand? These rabbis are making it happen."], ''The Forward'', 22 March 2021. Press.</ref>
−
[[Category:Rabbinical associations]]
+
<ref name="IsraelHayom2021">JNS and ILH Staff, [https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/10/29/rabbinical-alliance-bolsters-jewish-community-in-islamic-states/ "Rabbinical alliance bolsters Jewish community in Islamic states"], ''Israel Hayom'', 29 October 2021. Press.</ref>
−
[[Category:Organisations established in 2019]]
+
<ref name="NYJG2023">Meyer Harroch, [https://newyorkjewishguide.com/2023/01/12/getting-to-know-the-jewish-community-in-turkey-a-conversation-with-rabbi-mendy-chitrik "Getting to know the Jewish Community in Turkey: A Conversation with Rabbi Mendy Chitrik"], ''New York Jewish Guide'', 12 January 2023. Interview, Chitrik's own words; written on a press trip sponsored by the Turkish tourism agency.</ref>
−
[[Category:Non-profit organisations based in Florida]]
+
<ref name="JTA2025">David I. Klein, [https://www.jta.org/2025/01/15/obituaries/isak-haleva-turkeys-chief-rabbi-and-face-of-jewish-minority-dies-at-84 "Isak Haleva, Turkey's chief rabbi and face of Jewish minority, dies at 84"], Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 15 January 2025. Press.</ref>
 +
<ref name="JNS2025">JNS Staff, [https://www.jns.org/jewish-life/turkish-jews-install-david-sevi-as-new-chief-rabbi "Turkish Jews install David Sevi as new chief rabbi"], JNS, 5 December 2025. Press.</ref>
 +
<ref name="JNS2020">[https://www.jns.org/feature/chabad-lubavitch-announces-emissary-to-united-arab-emirates "Chabad-Lubavitch announces emissary to United Arab Emirates"], JNS (from Chabad.org/News), 1 November 2020. Chabad-side.</ref>
 +
<ref name="JTA2021">David I. Klein, [https://www.jta.org/2021/12/23/global/in-istanbul-a-conference-of-rabbis-from-islamic-nations-got-a-surprise-an-audience-with-erdogan "In Istanbul, a conference of rabbis from Islamic nations got a surprise: An audience with Erdogan"], Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 23 December 2021. Press.</ref>
 +
<ref name="ToIGerami2021">Lazar Berman, [https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-us-irans-chief-rabbi-says-he-feared-vengeance-after-soleimani-killing/ "In US, Iran's head rabbi says he condemned Soleimani killing to protect Jews"], ''The Times of Israel'', 15 November 2021. Press.</ref>
 +
<ref name="Anash2021">[https://anash.org/iranian-chief-rabbi-meets-agudas-harabonim/ "Iranian Chief Rabbi Meets Agudas Harabonim"], Anash.org, 3 November 2021. Chabad-side.</ref>
 +
</references>
 +
[[Category:Jewish organisations in the United States]]
 
[[Category:Interfaith organisations]]
 
[[Category:Interfaith organisations]]
−
[[Category:Jewish communities in Muslim countries]]
+
[[Category:Chabad-Lubavitch]]

Latest revision as of 13:56, 22 October 2026

Rabbinic association supporting Jewish communities in Muslim-majority countries

Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States

Type Nonprofit / Religious organisation
Founded September 2019; Incorporated 8 October 2020
Founder(s) Mendy Chitrik
Registration ID Florida N20000011307; EIN 85-3435240
Status Active
Headquarters 1035 14th Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
Area served Muslim-majority countries and regions
Website rabbisalliance.org
Chabad
Overview

Chabad-Lubavitch movement | Chabad-Lubavitch timeline | Hasidism | Lubavitch

Rebbes

Shneur Zalman of Liadi | Dovber Schneuri | Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (Tzemach Tzedek) | Shmuel Schneersohn | Shalom Dovber Schneersohn | Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn | Menachem Mendel Schneerson

Ideology and texts

Tanya | Torah Or | Likutei Torah | Imrei Binah | Basi LeGani | Hayom Yom | Igrot Kodesh | Likkutei Sichos | Chabad messianism

History

Crown Heights riot | Schneerson library case | Ohel (Chabad)

Leading figures

Yehuda Krinsky | Berel Lazar | Moshe Reuven Azman | Yitzchak Ginsburgh | Shmuel Butman

Institutions

770 Eastern Parkway | Agudas Chasidei Chabad | Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch | Machne Israel | Kehot Publication Society | Chabad.org | Tzeirei Agudat Chabad | Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia | Jewish Children's Museum | Tzivos Hashem

Outreach

Chabad House | Chabad on Campus | Chabad emissaries | Mitzvah campaigns

Controversies

Crown Heights riot | Chabad messianism | Yitzchak Ginsburgh | Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva | Torat Hamelekh (The King's Torah) | Hilltop Youth | Chabad and Israeli politics | Berel Lazar and the Kremlin | Schneerson library case | Chabad abuse cases | Kapparot / Eruv / public menorahs | Chabad and Trump | Chabad and fraud | Chabad and Ukraine

Russia and Ukraine

Chabad Lubavitch of Russia | Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia | Berel Lazar | Berel Lazar and the Kremlin | Russian oligarchs and Chabad | Adolf Shayevich | Schneerson library case | Chabad Lubavitch of Ukraine | Chabad and Ukraine | Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine | United Jewish Community of Ukraine | Shmuel Kaminezki | Menorah Centre (Dnipro) | Odesa Chabad | Moshe Reuven Azman | Uman

The Americas

Chabad-Lubavitch | Chabad/Lubavitch non profits in the US | Chabad Lubavitch of USA | Chabad Lubavitch of Canada | Chabad Lubavitch of Argentina | Chabad Lubavitch of Brazil | Chabad Lubavitch of Caribbean | Chabad Lubavitch of Mexico | Chabad Lubavitch of Panama | Chabad Lubavitch of Costa Rica | Chabad Lubavitch of Ecuador | Chabad Lubavitch of Guatemala | Chabad Lubavitch of Paraguay | Chabad Lubavitch of Uruguay | Chabad Lubavitch of Chile | Chabad Lubavitch of Peru | Chabad Lubavitch of Venezuela | Chabad Lubavitch of Colombia

In occupied Palestine

Chabad in occupied Palestine | Kfar Chabad | Colel Chabad | Or Simcha Yeshiva | Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira | Yosef Elitzur | Rabbi Meir Ashkenazi | Rabbi Mordechai Shmuel Ashkenazi | Yitzchak Ginsburgh | Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva

In the UK

Chabad Lubavitch in the UK - Chabad-Lubavitch UK | Chabad Lubavitch of Scotland | Chabad-Lubavitch centres in London | Lubavitch in the Midlands | Lubavitch House | Tzivos Hashem UK | Oxford University L'Chaim Society | HabAid | Chabad Lubavitch (Leeds) Limited | Chabad Lubavitch Bricket Wood & Districts | Chabad Lubavitch Brighton | Chabad Lubavitch Centres North East London and Essex Limited | Chabad Lubavitch (Bowdon, charity 1128933) | Chabad Lubavitch in Greater Manchester

In Scotland

The Shul in The Park/Shul in the Park (Scotland) | Chabad of Edinburgh/Chabad Lubavitch of Edinburgh Limited | Lubavitch of Scotland/Friends Of Lubavitch Scotland | L'Chaim's (Giffnock) Ltd/L'Chaim's Kosher Catering Limited/L'Chaim's Restaurant Ltd

In West Asia and North Africa

Chabad-Lubavitch in West Asia (overview) | Chabad in occupied Palestine | Chabad Lubavitch of Morocco | Chabad Lubavitch of Tunisia | Chabad of the United Arab Emirates | Chabad Lubavitch of Bahrain | Chabad Lubavitch of Turkey | Chabad Lubavitch of Iran | Chabad Lubavitch of Saudi Arabia | Chabad Lubavitch of Kuwait | Chabad Lubavitch of Jordan | Chabad Lubavitch of Armenia | Chabad Lubavitch of Cyprus | Chabad Lubavitch of North Cyprus | Chabad Lubavitch of Azerbaijan | Chabad Lubavitch of Georgia
Visits only: Egypt | Iraq | Lebanon | Libya | Oman | Qatar | Syria

Europe

Chabad Lubavitch of Russia | Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia | Chabad Lubavitch of France | Chabad Lubavitch in the UK | Chabad Lubavitch of Ukraine | Chabad Lubavitch of Germany | Chabad Lubavitch of Italy | Chabad Lubavitch of Netherlands | Chabad Lubavitch of Austria | Chabad Lubavitch of Kazakhstan | Chabad Lubavitch of Switzerland | Chabad Lubavitch of Belarus | Chabad Lubavitch of Hungary | Chabad Lubavitch of Spain | Chabad Lubavitch of Uzbekistan | Chabad Albania | Chabad Lubavitch of Cyprus | Chabad Lubavitch of North Cyprus | Chabad Lubavitch of Belgium | Chabad Lubavitch of Greece | Chabad Lubavitch of Croatia | Chabad Lubavitch of Bulgaria | Chabad Lubavitch of Finland | Chabad Lubavitch of Iceland | Chabad Lubavitch of Ireland | Chabad Lubavitch of Latvia | Chabad Lubavitch of Luxembourg | Chabad Lubavitch of Malta | Chabad Lubavitch of Moldova | Chabad Lubavitch of Monaco | Chabad Lubavitch of Montenegro | Chabad Lubavitch of Norway | Chabad Lubavitch of Portugal | Chabad Lubavitch of Serbia | Chabad Lubavitch of Lithuania | Chabad Lubavitch of Poland | Chabad Lubavitch of Romania | Chabad Lubavitch of Slovakia | Chabad Lubavitch of Czech Republic | Chabad Lubavitch of Denmark | Chabad Lubavitch of Estonia | Chabad Lubavitch of Crimea | Chabad Lubavitch of Sweden

Asia and Australia

Chabad Lubavitch of Australia | Chabad Lubavitch of China | Chabad Lubavitch of Thailand | Chabad Lubavitch of India | Chabad Lubavitch of Nepal | Chabad Lubavitch of New Zealand | Chabad Lubavitch of Cambodia | Chabad Lubavitch of Korea | Chabad Lubavitch of Kyrgyzstan | Chabad Lubavitch of Laos | Chabad Lubavitch of Singapore | Chabad Lubavitch of Taiwan | Chabad Lubavitch of New Caledonia | Chabad Lubavitch of Vietnam | Chabad Lubavitch of Japan | Chabad Lubavitch of Hong Kong | Chabad Lubavitch of Kazakhstan | Chabad Lubavitch of Uzbekistan | Chabad Lubavitch of the Philippines | Chabad Lubavitch of Sri Lanka | Chabad Lubavitch of Myanmar

In Sub-Saharan Africa

Chabad Lubavitch of Angola | Congo (DRC) | Congo (Republic) | Chabad Lubavitch of Ethiopia | Chabad Lubavitch of Ghana | Chabad Lubavitch of Ivory Coast | Chabad Lubavitch of Kenya | Chabad Lubavitch of Mauritius | Chabad Lubavitch of Namibia | Chabad Lubavitch of Nigeria | Chabad Lubavitch of Rwanda | Chabad Lubavitch of Senegal | Chabad Lubavitch of South Africa | Chabad Lubavitch of Tanzania | Chabad Lubavitch of Uganda | Chabad Lubavitch of Zambia
Visits only: Cameroon | Equatorial Guinea | Gabon | Sierra Leone

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][3]

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).[4][5]

Its activity follows the halachic guidelines of Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel Yitzhak Yosef (Rishon LeZion), who has formally endorsed the alliance.[6]

Chitrik is a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary in Istanbul.[2][7] According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the idea for ARIS came to him at the Kinus HaShluchim, the international conference of Chabad emissaries, where he found himself at a table with colleagues from Azerbaijan, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria; they started a WhatsApp group "and it grew from there". JTA also reported that Chitrik "was adamant that it couldn't just be an organization of Chabad rabbis".[8] In October 2021 Israel Hayom reported that ARIS "includes 45 rabbis, the majority of whom are associated with Chabad", serving "some 100,000 Jews across 14 Muslim-majority states".[3] In 2023 Chitrik spoke of "some 55 rabbis in 16 different Muslim countries".[9]

Editor's note: The founding month, September 2019, is consistent with the report in the Forward in March 2021 that Chitrik had founded ARIS "18 months ago"; Israel Hayom gives only the year 2019.[2][3] Membership figures are self-reported.

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.[10]

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][11]

First conference, Istanbul, December 2021

ARIS held its inaugural conference at Istanbul's Conrad hotel in December 2021, hosted with Turkey's chief rabbinate. JTA reported rabbis attending from more than ten countries, "including Iran, Egypt, Tunisia, Albania, Kosovo, the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Kazakhstan, and Russia as well as Turkey". The participants were flown to Ankara on a private plane sent by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and dined with him at his palace on 23 December 2021; Russia's chief rabbi Berel Lazar and Turkey's chief rabbi Isak Haleva were among those pictured with him. On the second day Iran's Chief Rabbi Yehuda Gerami led a halachic symposium dedicated to Maimonides, and he left with a new Torah scroll for his community.[8] In 2021 ARIS also said it had helped deliver matzah to Jews in Libya, Lebanon and Syria, and helped Afghanistan's last Jews leave the country after the Taliban's return.[8][3] Israel Hayom (29 October 2021) also reported that ARIS had sent matzah to Jews in Alexandria, Egypt.[3]

Leadership and membership

Chairman is Rabbi Mendy Chitrik, rabbi of the Ashkenazi community of Istanbul, Turkey.[12]

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 (died 14 January 2025; still listed by ARIS in October 2026)[7] 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[2][7]
Yeshaya Cohen Executive Board Chief Rabbi of Kazakhstan Chabad-Lubavitch[13]
Shneor Segal Executive Board Chief Rabbi of Azerbaijan Ashkenazi community Chabad-Lubavitch[14]
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[15]
Levi Duchman Executive Board Rabbi of the UAE Chabad-Lubavitch[16][17]
Chaim Hilel Azimow Observer Rabbi of North Cyprus Chabad-Lubavitch[18][19][20]
  • Turkey's chief rabbinate. Isak Haleva, Hahambaşı from 2002, died on 14 January 2025.[7] His successor, David Sevi, installed in December 2025, "is a member of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States", according to JNS.[21] Sevi does not appear under that name on the ARIS website; whether he is the "David Zvi" listed there as rabbi of Beit Israel, Istanbul, has not been confirmed.
  • Levi Duchman's title. In October 2020 Chabad's announcement of Levi Duchman's appointment as "the Chabad emissary to the UAE" described him as "vice president of ARIS".[17] The ARIS website now lists him on the Executive Board as "Rabbi of the UAE", without that title.[12]

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) is the Chabad emissary in Marrakesh (see Chabad Lubavitch of Morocco).[22][23] Binyamin Hatab (Hattab; Tunisia) directs the Chabad yeshiva in Tunis, Yeshivah Oholei Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch, and with his wife serves Chabad Tunisia (see Chabad Lubavitch of Tunisia).[24][25] 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[26]
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)[27][28]
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 Chabad-Lubavitch (Chabad emissary in Marrakesh)[22][23]
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 Chabad-Lubavitch (director of the Chabad yeshiva in Tunis; Chabad Tunisia)[24][25]
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)[29]
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
Editor's note: The names and roles in this table are as listed on the ARIS website.[12] Most of the "Chabad-Lubavitch" labels have not yet been checked against a source for each person; only those with their own footnote are individually sourced. Israel Hayom (2021) supports the general statement that the majority of ARIS rabbis "are associated with Chabad".[3] The Turkish members other than Chitrik belong to the Turkish community rabbinate, and no source found describes the two Iranian members as Chabad. The Emirates Agency for Kosher Certification, where Shimon Frenkel works, was set up by Levi Duchman of Chabad of the United Arab Emirates.[17]

Coverage of West Asia

How ARIS membership maps onto the West Asian countries covered by Powerbase's Chabad country profiles:[12]

Country ARIS members covering it Note
United Arab Emirates Levi Duchman (Executive Board), Mendel Duchman, Shimon Frenkel All three tied to Chabad of the United Arab Emirates
Turkey Mendy Chitrik (Chairman), Isak Haleva (Presidium; d. 2025), Isak Peres, Naftali Haleva, Izak Alaluf, David Zvi, Avraham Gershon, Mendel Porush; also David Sevi according to JNS[21] One Chabad emissary plus the established Turkish rabbinate. See Chabad Lubavitch of Turkey
Northern Cyprus Chaim Hilel Azimow (Observer) Chabad-Lubavitch of North Cyprus; covers the north only. See Chabad Lubavitch of Cyprus
Iran Yehud Gerami, Eliyahu Saidiyan No known Chabad affiliation. See Chabad Lubavitch of Iran
Bahrain None listed Rabbinic support comes from the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities (not Chabad). See Chabad Lubavitch of Bahrain
Saudi Arabia None listed See Chabad Lubavitch of Saudi Arabia
Cyprus (Republic) None listed See Chabad Lubavitch of Cyprus
Jordan None listed See Chabad Lubavitch of Jordan
Kuwait None listed See Chabad Lubavitch of Kuwait

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board comprises a mix of philanthropists, communal activists, academics and Chabad figures rather than a single denominational bloc.[30]

Founding Patron: Alexander Machkevich (also spelled Mashkevich; Kazakhstan / Israel; d. 2025).[31]

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.[31]
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.[30][32]
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.[33]
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.[34]
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.[35]
Sandra Dangoor UK UK-based philanthropist / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[30]
Brigitte Dayan USA US-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[30]
Jason Epstein USA US-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[30]
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).[36]
Eli Ovits Israel Israel-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[30]
Joy Malka Rothenberg Israel Israel-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[30]
Daniel Seal UAE UAE-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[30]
Tuli Skaist USA US-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[30]
Leizer Schiner USA US-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[30]
Efrat Sopher London London-based professional / communal figure (listed on ARIS Advisory Board).[30]

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. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 David Ian Klein, "Matzah in Beirut or a Seder in Samarkand? These rabbis are making it happen.", The Forward, 22 March 2021. Press.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 JNS and ILH Staff, "Rabbinical alliance bolsters Jewish community in Islamic states", Israel Hayom, 29 October 2021. Press.
  4. ↑ Florida corporate records, ALLIANCE OF RABBIS IN ISLAMIC STATES INC and related filings.
  5. ↑ Organisation records, Alliance Of Rabbis In Islamic States Inc Miami Beach, FL.
  6. ↑ Jeremy Sharon, Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef endorses Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States The Jerusalem Post, 16 February 2021.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 David I. Klein, "Isak Haleva, Turkey's chief rabbi and face of Jewish minority, dies at 84", Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 15 January 2025. Press.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 David I. Klein, "In Istanbul, a conference of rabbis from Islamic nations got a surprise: An audience with Erdogan", Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 23 December 2021. Press.
  9. ↑ Meyer Harroch, "Getting to know the Jewish Community in Turkey: A Conversation with Rabbi Mendy Chitrik", New York Jewish Guide, 12 January 2023. Interview, Chitrik's own words; written on a press trip sponsored by the Turkish tourism agency.
  10. ↑ Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, Mission rabbisalliance.org.
  11. ↑ Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, Home rabbisalliance.org.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, ARIS Rabbis rabbisalliance.org.
  13. ↑ Director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Kazakhstan and chief rabbi since 1994; see CrownHeights.info and Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS reporting.
  14. ↑ Chabad emissary since 2002 and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Azerbaijan; see Chabad of Baku and JNS profile.
  15. ↑ Co-director of Chabad Lubavitch of Nigeria; see JNS and Chabad.org coverage of Chabad of Nigeria.
  16. ↑ Chabad emissary and first resident chief rabbi of the UAE; see Chabad of the UAE (Chabad-side).
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 "Chabad-Lubavitch announces emissary to United Arab Emirates", JNS (from Chabad.org/News), 1 November 2020. Chabad-side.
  18. ↑ 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”.
  19. ↑ 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.
  20. ↑ Chabad-Lubavitch of North Cyprus Chabad.org locator. Lists Rabbi Chaim Hillel Azimov as Co-director.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 JNS Staff, "Turkish Jews install David Sevi as new chief rabbi", JNS, 5 December 2025. Press.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Lubavitch.com, Centres directory: Marrakesh, accessed 20 October 2026. Lists "Chabad Lubavitch House - Beth Habad Marrakech" under Rabbi Chimon and Rachel Lahiany. Chabad-side directory.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Chabad of Marrakech, "About and Contact", accessed 20 October 2026. Names Rabbi Shimon Lahiany as "Chabad Shliach". Chabad-side.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Motti Wilhelm, Obituary of Rebbetzin Rochel Pinson, Chabad.org, 5 February 2026. Describes Rabbi Binyamin Batu Hattab as "rabbi of the Grande Synagogue and director of Yeshivah Oholei Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch in Tunis". Chabad-side.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Yaakov Ort, Report on the Djerba shooting, Chabad.org, 10 May 2023. States that Chabad Tunisia is "served by Rabbi Binyamin and Massuda Hattab". Chabad-side.
  26. ↑ 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.
  27. ↑ Lazar Berman, "In US, Iran's head rabbi says he condemned Soleimani killing to protect Jews", The Times of Israel, 15 November 2021. Press.
  28. ↑ "Iranian Chief Rabbi Meets Agudas Harabonim", Anash.org, 3 November 2021. Chabad-side.
  29. ↑ Chabad reports on Shlomo Bentolila as emissary to Central Africa since 1991; see e.g. Chabad.org coverage of Chabad of Central Africa.
  30. ↑ 30.00 30.01 30.02 30.03 30.04 30.05 30.06 30.07 30.08 30.09 30.10 Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, Advisory Board rabbisalliance.org.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 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.
  32. ↑ The biographical details in this row were previously sourced to a Wikipedia article, which this project does not cite. They have been kept but await a primary or press source; only the Advisory Board listing is confirmed here.
  33. ↑ Daniel R. Berkove author profile, The Lehrhaus.
  34. ↑ 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.
  35. ↑ Biography – Nir Boms nirboms.com.
  36. ↑ 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.
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