Zvi Kogan, 28, was murdered last week by Islamic terrorists in the UAE; his uncle was murdered in the 2008 Mumbai Chabad House terror attacks.

By World Israel News Staff

A Chabad rabbi who was murdered in an antisemitic terror attack in the United Arab Emirates last week was buried in Jerusalem on Monday evening.

Tzvi Kogan, 28, was a Chabad emissary in Abu Dhabi and ran Rimon Market, a kosher grocery store and deli in the Emirati city.

Kogan was originally reported missing last Wednesday, and his body was discovered several days later.

Three Uzbek nationals, who had fled to Turkey following the killing, were repatriated to the UAE and are expected to stand trial for Kogan’s murder.

The funeral began in Kfar Chabad, a town established by members of Kogan’s Jewish stream, with hundreds gathered in the streets amid pouring rain to mourn the rabbi.

The procession eventually traveled to Jerusalem, where Kogan was buried on the Mount of Olives.

“How can you already be gone?” Kogan’s father, Alexander, said at the funeral.

“Zvi was innocent, and that’s how he arrives in heaven,” he added.

“When a part of your body is cut off, it hurts. We had part of our souls cut off. It’s painful. We are small people and do not understand God’s ways,” the victim’s father continued.

“We must fill in that which is missing. We must be like Zvi. Look for what others need. Maybe this is what God wants from us now.”

“Dear Zvi, let us wake up and tell us this is a bad dream. You never hurt a fly. You only helped, aided and brought joy,” said Rabbi Shneur Ashkenazi of Chabad Rishon LeTzion.

“You fell like a soldier at his post. When they wanted to hurt the Jewish people, they knew whom to attack. They attacked our soul, which you exemplified with your generosity.”

Kogan is not the first person in his family to be murdered by Islamic terrorists.

In 2008, Kogan’s uncle Gavriel Holtzberg was murdered in the Mumbai Chabad House terror attacks.

Kogan wore his uncle’s suit at his own wedding, just two years ago.

He is survived by his wife, Rivky, parents, and siblings.

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United Arab Emirates Chief Rabbi Levi Duchman was married to Lea Hadad on Wednesday in the largest Jewish wedding the Gulf state has ever held.

The 1,500 guests included Emirati dignitaries while Arab media coverage drew attention to various Jewish traditions.

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Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with Jewish community representatives in the United Arab Emirates.

By Maayan Hoffman, JNS.org

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog met on Sunday evening with Jewish community representatives in the United Arab Emirates, including a senior rabbi who told them that the UAE is safer for Jews than the United States.

The Emirati Jewish leaders updated the president about their growing presence in the region and Herzog shared his vision for expanding the existing peace deal between the two countries.

“The dialogue between Judaism and Islam is at a fascinating point, and I very much look forward to further dialogue with Islamic countries,” Herzog told the Jewish leaders.

“As you know, we have relations with quite a few, and there are plans for other countries, and I hope this will bring about a new era in relations between Jews and Muslims in our region. It all starts with the vision laid out here, which is a vision of inclusiveness, an amazing vision of inclusiveness,” Herzog said.

Among the participants in the meeting were Rabbi Levi Duchman, a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary who has been working in Dubai since 2014; Rabbi Elie Abadie, a senior community rabbi; and Jewish Agency representative Sarah Benchimol.

The gathering was originally scheduled for 6 p.m. Israel time, but started more than an hour late, as Herzog was invited by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to a personal meeting at the prince’s private palace. The previously unscheduled meeting took place after a productive, two-hour diplomatic meeting.

First Lady Herzog held a parallel meeting with Sheikha Alyazia bint Saif Al Nahyan at the same time.

Community could reach 5,000 people in five years

Herzog is the first Israeli president to visit the UAE and see the growing Jewish community firsthand. Before the September 2020 Abraham Accords, only around 250 Jews lived in the UAE. Today, according to Abadie, that number has doubled.

“Many French, British, Canadian, American and Israeli Jews have set up homes here and many are setting up businesses here,” Abadie told JNS. He estimated that in the next three to five years, there will be as many as 5,000 Jews living in the UAE.

Moreover, since the peace treaty, an estimated 200,000 Jews have toured the country.

“The Jewish community [in the UAE] is one of the safest, if not the safest, in the world,” Abadie contended.

He said that Jews in Europe, the United States and South Africa are attacked on a near-daily basis just for being Jewish.

“We do not have that here,” Abadie said. “The UAE is absolutely, without a doubt, safer than the United States for Jews… We know that the government is protecting us, as it is all the citizens and residents of this country.”

‘You want to pinch yourself to see if it is reality’

The leaders told Herzog about the services that the community is now striving to provide, such as kashrut services and synagogues. In addition, they said they are looking to establish a Jewish day school, mikveh, kosher bakery and pizza shop “in due time.”

“With God’s help, may you continue to go from strength to strength in building the institutions of the community, the education system, and of course synagogues and other institutions that every community has,” Herzog said. “Good luck to all of you.”

Abadie said the Jewish presence in the country is celebrated daily. Sometimes people salute him on the street, stop to say “shalom” or tell him how happy they are that the Jews are in the UAE.

But while he feels how special it is to live there on a daily basis, “when we have the president of the State of Israel received with such a beautiful welcome and the Israeli national anthem is played in the palace, and you see all the Israeli flags flying around the palace and the airport next to UAE flag—you want to pinch yourself to see if it is reality, and it is reality.”

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Chabad Rabbi Levi Druchman lights the first candle of the menorah at EXPO 2020.

By Daniel Siryoti, Israel Hayom via JNS.org

United Arab Emirates Rabbi Levi Druchman lit the first candle of the Hanukkah menorah on Sunday evening at the Israeli pavilion at EXPO 2020 in Dubai.

Druchman performed the ritual in the presence of local leaders, businesspeople, Jewish residents of the UAE and tourists from around the world. The event included a performance by the members of the Jewish community’s children’s choir and was attended by students of the community’s Hebrew school.

The Bahraini pavilion also had a candle-lighting ceremony, attended by former Bahraini Ambassador to the United States Houda Nonoo and members of the Gulf state’s Jewish community. Thousands of Jews, none of them native-born, now live in the UAE and other Gulf states.

The Dubai candle-lighting event, which would not have been possible prior to the signing of the Abraham Accords, took place as a result of the efforts of the Jewish National Fund in the UAE. Israeli Consul General in Dubai Ilan Sztulman and Commissioner-General of Israel’s EXPO 2020 pavilion Elazar Cohen were among those in attendance.

Dubai has an Ashkenazi synagogue known as “the Villa,” which was opened around a decade ago in the private home of a South African attorney. Jews interested in praying there learned of its location by word of mouth. Another synagogue, Sephardi, is situated in the private residence of Druchmaan, from Chabad, who arrived in Dubai from Morocco seven years ago.

A third, more imposing synagogue, along with a mosque and a church, will be opened as part of the Abrahamic Family Campus, to be established on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island. Alongside the three houses of worship, the campus will include a common garden in which a small museum and educational center will be built. The Abrahamic Family Campus is set to open in 2022.

More than 2 million people have visited Expo 2020, which opened on Oct. 1 and lasts until March 31, 2022.

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“What we see here is the exact opposite of what we see in Gaza… What we see here in the whole normalization process is a departure from the past,” Israeli Ambassador Eitan Na’eh said.

By Associated Press

Israel’s top diplomat to the United Arab Emirates attended a ceremony in Dubai on the grounds of the Arabian Peninsula’s first permanent exhibition to commemorate the Holocaust. Hours earlier, he’d attended an event establishing a joint venture between an Israeli and Emirati company.

The receptions on Monday were the clearest indication since a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip came into effect last week that the devastating 11-day war between Hamas and Israel and the violence that gripped Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque in the days preceding it have had no visible impact on the UAE’s commitment to establishing deep ties with the State of Israel.

“What we see here is the exact opposite of what we see in Gaza… What we see here in the whole normalization process is a departure from the past,” Israeli Ambassador Eitan Na’eh said.

After the violence in Jerusalem escalated into a war between Israel and Hamas on May 10 with Gaza’s ruling terrorist Hamas group firing rockets on Israel, the UAE issued a statement calling on “all parties” to cease fighting. Hamas is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, which the UAE views as a threat.

When asked about the nature of conversations with Emirati officials during the entirety of the recent conflict, Ambassador Na’eh — who is posted in Abu Dhabi — said the people he’d spoken with “showed a lot of understanding and curiosity.”

There “was no tension” in the conversations, he said. “To our ears, the UAE has called for the cessation of killing on both sides. They were mourning the death on both sides.”

Na’eh spoke to The Associated Press from an open-air courtyard of the “Crossroads of Civilization,” a privately-funded museum in Dubai that was hosting an event showcasing its Holocaust exhibition. The museum’s founder is Ahmed Almansoori, a prominent Emirati figure who said the museum grounds were bestowed by Dubai ruler and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The event, attended by Jews, Israelis, the German ambassador to the UAE and others, included a solemn hymn of a Jewish prayer in Arabic for those departed. Young Jewish children took part in a candle lighting.

The event focused on remembrance of the horrors of the Holocaust, the lessons to be learned from it and the importance of recognizing attempts at ethnic cleansing can happen and have happened since.

As guests exited, joint Israeli-Emirati flag lapel pins were being sold for 20 dirhams (around $5). A large piece of artwork in the courtyard depicted an Emirati man in traditional garb with his arm on the shoulder of an Israeli as they laughed and shared coffee under the word “cousins” written in Arabic and Hebrew.

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The new organization comprises Jewish groups in six Arab states, giving them a ‘Beth Din of Arabia’

By Paul Shindman, World Israel News

The Jewish communities in the Gulf Arab states announced Monday that they had united to form an umbrella organization, the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities (AGJC), that will oversee some of the key aspects of “building and enhancing Jewish life in the region.”

“Today, we announced the creation of @gulfjewish, a network of Jewish communities from all 6 GCC countries who are developing Jewish life in the region,” the organization tweeted on its new Twitter account.

“The AGJC will serve as the umbrella organization for the Jewish communities of the GCC countries,” the organization said. “While each community is independent, we share a common goal & vision – for Jewish life to flourish in the Gulf.”

Dubai-based Rabbi Dr. Elie Abadie and Bahrain resident and former Bahrain parliament member Ebrahim Dawood Nonoo are heading the organization.

“The Gulf nations have been very supportive of the growth in Jewish life. But, as more people move in and come to visit, we must tend to their educational, cultural, spiritual, and religious needs by establishing programs and institutions to service these increased needs,” Rabbi Abadie told the Khaleej Times.

The AGJC said it will oversee programming and services, including “the Beth Din of Arabia, the Arabian Kosher Certification Agency, lifecycle events and other community programs.”

The organization is based in the United Arab Emirates and will bring together Jewish residents of the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The Beth Din, or Jewish court of law for the adjudication of personal issues, will be based in the UAE, the local newspaper The National reported.

One of the people behind the new organization is Houda Nonoo, Ebrahim Nonoo’s cousin and another prominent member of one of Bahrain’s oldest Jewish families who previously served as the Bahraini Ambassador to the United States.

Houda Nonoo appeared to be tweeting non-stop, thanking and re-tweeting the congratulations to the new body from around the world, including Jason Greenblatt, the former advisor to President Donald Trump, who said, “This is great! Wishing this group much success!”

The American Sephardi Federation tweeted the traditional “Hazaq u’Barukh” greeting, Hebrew for “be strong and be blessed,” to the organizers, praising them for “an incredible effort to promote the flourishing of Gulf Jewish life in the six GCC countries.”

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Following the Abraham Accords signed with Israel in September, the community is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, and the number of children is expected to stand at about 200 next year.

By TPS

For the first time in history, a Jewish school will open in Dubai, a result of the connection between Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and the Jewish community in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The decision was made by Minister of Diaspora Affairs Omer Yankelevich following a series of discussions with Ross Kriel, the leader of the local Jewish community.

The move will be made through the Diaspora Initiative – UnitEd organization, which is responsible, on behalf of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, for Jewish education in the world, and in partnership with “significant philanthropic elements” from the Jewish world.

The plan is to open the school as early as next year.

The Jewish community in the UAE, numbering about a thousand members, is in the process of gaining formal recognition from the government.

Following the Abraham Accords signed with Israel in September, the community is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, and the number of children is expected to stand at about 200 next year.

Most of the community’s members are English speakers who came to the UAE in the last decade from the U.S. and Europe for business reasons.

Since the historic announcement of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE, the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs has been in contact with the community.

Yankelevich said that “Jewish education in the Diaspora is at the forefront of our minds and we make every effort to preserve the Jewish identity and connection to the State of Israel of the Jewish children, for the continuity of the Jewish people in future generations.”

Kriel said that Jewish education “is as vital to the future of our community as it has been throughout history for Jewish communities around the world.”

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With Israel peace in the offing, Abu Dhabi tells hotels to offer kosher food options to guests.

By Barney Breen-Portnoy, The Algemeiner

With Israel and the United Arab Emirates set to ink their recently-announced normalization agreement next week, hotels in Abu Dhabi have been instructed by local authorities to prepare for offering kosher meal options to guests.

In a letter issued on Tuesday, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism advised hotel general managers in the Emirati capital ‐‐ known for its bevy of luxury accommodations ‐‐ to include kosher choices “on room service menus and at all food & beverage outlets in their establishments.”

The department further told them to “seek Kosher certification for handling kosher meals”; “designate an area in all kitchens for Kosher food preparation”; and “label Kosher menu items with a clear and visible label/reference with a recognisable symbol that denotes ‘Kosher’, as per acquired certification.”

Kosher certification services in the UAE will be overseen by the Orthodox Union (OU).

“As the Jewish community in the United Arab Emirates continues to grow and due to the influx of Jewish tourists, there is a need for kosher food and a certification that is internationally known,” OU Kosher CEO Rabbi Menachem Genack stated on Tuesday. “

We thank the UAE government for reaching out to us to provide this service and are looking forward to partnering with the local Jewish community to provide kosher food and certification.”

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“By coming to establish relations between Israel and the UAE, we draw inspiration from our common patriarch and forge a new path,” said Meir Ben-Shabbat, head of the Israeli delegation.

By Josh Plank, World Israel News

Members of the Israeli delegation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) joined with members of the UAE Jewish community for morning prayers Tuesday at the St. Regis Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

The group included Meir Ben-Shabbat, Israel’s national security adviser; Ross Kriel, president of the Jewish Council of the Emirates; and Solly Wolf, president of the Dubai Jewish Community.

At the conclusion of the service, Rabbi Levi Duchman of Dubai blew the shofar, a ram’s horn traditionally blown during the Hebrew month of Elul.

Rabbi Duchman also recited a prayer for the welfare of the government and UAE military forces. He presented a copy of the prayer in a special velvet cover to Ben-Shabbat.

American and Israeli officials arrived in the UAE on Monday to discuss the Israel-UAE peace agreement.

“I am very excited to lead the official Israeli delegation to the United Arab Emirates,” said Ben-Shabbat upon landing in Abu Dhabi.

“On behalf of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, I would like to thank U.S. President Donald Trump and his envoy Jared Kushner and his team, and my dear colleague, U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, for the vision, the understanding, and the efforts that they invested so that we might reach this moment,” he said.

“I would like to express to my hosts and especially to his Highness UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed our appreciation for his brave step,” he said.

“Not in vain do we call this agreement, and those that will come in its wake, the ‘Abraham accords’. Abraham, our first patriarch, had an innovative vision. He came out against the beliefs that were current in, and before, his time,” said Ben-Shabbat.

“He founded the faith in one God – the God who promised that he would be a source of blessing for us all: ‘and in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed.'”

“By coming to establish relations between Israel and the UAE, we draw inspiration from our common patriarch and forge a new path: A brave path, of hope, partnership, brotherhood, prosperity, and peace,” he said.

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Prosperous as Jewish life is in the Emirates, the UAE-Israel peace agreement is expected to make it thrive even more. Ross Kriel, president of the Jewish Council in Dubai, discusses the community’s growth.

The post WATCH: UAE Jewish community thriving for over a decade appeared first on World Israel News.