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The Yeshiva World

Rabbi Mendy Chitrik, Chabad shliach and Rav of the Ashkenazi kehilla in Istanbul, traveled on Monday to Antakya (historically known as Antioch), the city that suffered the greatest destruction from the earthquakes, in order to oversee aid efforts.

Sadly, the Nasi of the Jewish kehilla in the city and his wife are feared to have lost their lives in the quake.

“The shul was damaged by the quake so we decided to remove the Sifrei Torah so they won’t be destroyed,” Rav Chitrik told Radio103FM on Tuesday morning. “We’re removing sefarim that are 400 years old.”

“The Jewish kehilla in Antakya is very ancient, it was built by Antiochus 2,500 years ago. It was quite sad to remove the Sifrei Torah but it was necessary. Who knows now when the kehilla will be restored.”

The Jewish kehilla in the city numbers only about ten families.

Rav Chitrik described the destruction in the city. “Seventy percent of Antakya was apparently destroyed, the Jews who lived there left for Istanbul. This is a kehilla that has been here since the city was founded – only about 20-30 Jews remain. It’s hard to believe they’ll return.”

“As soon as we heard what happened, we came here together with the heads of the Jewish community in Istanbul. We can only daven and work hard. Jews around the world are concerned about the Jews here – it’s heartwarming.”

“Daven – we’ll all daven together,” Rav Chitrik concluded.

Saving ancient Torah scrolls from the earthquake damaged synagogue of Antakya – home for a Jewish community for 2500 years… #antakyadeprem pic.twitter.com/ZsHzVKdHWZ

— Rabbi Mendy Chitrik (@mchitrik) February 7, 2023

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