The event of the decade in Berlin/Raphael Ehrlich Eli Itkin and the community of mountain Jews from the Caucasus Germany
In an impressive event that took place in Berlin, the community of Azerbaijani immigrants - the mountain Jews celebrated a decade of the establishment of the Caucasus Jewish community in Germany, which preserves the centuries-old unique tradition of the mother community in Baku.
The event was attended by rabbis and public figures, hundreds of community members from several German cities, the chairman of the Jewish community in Berlin, Dr. Gideon Yufa.
Chairman of the Jewish Community of the Caucasus in Germany Avi Sheftia. Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Germany Nasimi Agaib and representatives of the World Jewish Congress and the Jewish Central Council. The event was held in cooperation with the International Fund for Mountain Jews 'Stamagi' under the presidency of Dr. Gabriel German Zakharev.
The event of the decade in Berlin/Raphael Ehrlich Eli Itkin and the community of mountain Jews from the Caucasus Germany
In his words of congratulation to the participants, the Chairman of the Rabbis of Germany and Rabbi of Frankfurt, Rabbi Avichai Appel, Vice President of the European Rabbinical Conference, said that "in Germany, we are marking a decade since the founding of the community of mountain Jews in Berlin, a community that joins the impressive mosaic of communities in Germany and its contribution is great due to being a traditional community and connected to the guest Jewish life.
There, in the land of their origin, vibrant Jewish life is bustling under the auspices of the Hesed government, which excels in religious freedom, which supports and encourages as much as it can, and therefore the privileged Jewish community of the mountain Jews flourishes there.
The community that developed and flourished in Berlin is not a branch of the Azeri Jewish community, but an integral part of it.
Paraphrasing the poem of the poet Rabbi Yehudi Halevi - "I am in the East and my heart is at the end of the West", the mountain Jews feel that they are in Western Europe and their heart is in the East - in Azerbaijan.
Their bodies are in Germany, their hearts are in Baku and Krasnia Sloboda - and their souls are the souls of Homia Jews - in Jerusalem.
Together with the Jews of Azerbaijan - their hearts are at the end of the West."
Rabbi Apel further explained in his speech that "the nation of Israel is in one of the most difficult periods in its history, when the Amalekites rose up against us to destroy us.
Amalek - the apostate kingdom - had a war with the Creator of the world and therefore he also fought with the people of Israel.
He tried to cool the faith in the Creator of the world and tried to tail the "backward on the way", those whose faith weakened due to the difficulties of the road during the exodus from Egypt.
It was a spiritual struggle that began then and continued throughout the ages.
It was an attempt to instill faith in the hearts of the believers.
In this spiritual war, we were ordered to eradicate the memory of Amalek, that is, to uproot from us every trace of this Amalekism.
The event of the decade in Berlin/Raphael Ehrlich Eli Itkin and the community of mountain Jews from the Caucasus Germany
"The Jewish people today face many difficulties of various kinds: In Israel, a Hamas attack took place on October 7 in an attempt to undermine existing security. Anti-Semitism is on the rise in the world. All over the globe, hatred of the world for the people of the world is increasing, and Jews are forced to humble their Judaism. Amalek wants us to feel that it is difficult and not worthwhile to be Jewish. But I must point out one country that not only does not harass our people, nor does its citizens harass Jews on its streets, but on the contrary, strengthens the Jewish identity and supports the expansion of Jewish religious life. In Muslim Azerbaijan, it is not only freedom of religion, it is much more . It is a bright spotlight in a time of darkness and eclipse of lights. It is a large projector that spreads light and disperses the light."
Rabbi Apel also emphasized in his special speech that "For Jews, memory is a defining factor. Many of the practical mitzvahs are "remember the Exodus from Egypt", "remember the act of Genesis". This is not a casual memory that suddenly flashes and is remembered, but a formative memory. That is why we are obliged to remember the bad: " "Remember what Amalek did to you," in order to protest under the sky the Amalekites who are trying to plant heresy in us. But as Jews we must be grateful to our benefactors and remember the good that the state of Azerbaijan showers on its Jewish citizens."
On the grade of the Hirsch tractor in Frankfurt Photo/Raphael Ehrlich
The rabbi of the Sephardic Georgian community in Azerbaijan, Rabbi Zamir Assev, one of the chief rabbis of the community and its educational institutions and a member of the international department of the Conference of Rabbis of Europe, added that: "The approaching days of Purim remind us that in the city of Shushan in Iran they rose up to destroy us, while many years later, in the city of Baku, which is not far away , embrace us and help us within the framework of religious freedom to cultivate our faith and our way of life" in his words he emphasized that "precisely in Azerbaijan the community that exists in the light of the long tradition, the spirit of the Amalekite apostasy is weaker, but it is precisely this that requires reminding the ears of the developing community in Germany, that it must be afraid of The "spirit of freedom" of Western Europe, which may harm the tradition of the younger generation and must be carefully preserved."
In connection with this, Rabbi Apel pointed out that the event is taking place on the 136th anniversary of the passing of the great leader who shaped the image of German Jewry - the great Rabbi Shimshon son of Rabbi Raphael Hirsch, a righteous man of blessing, the savior of German Jewry during its great spiritual war.
"The graduate was not just a commentator.
Thanks to the depths of his understanding, he looked into the distance, as a prophet, as a promise.
He understood the roots of the phenomena that occurred in his time and the difficult confrontation between faith and heresy that afflicted German Jewry in his time.
He knew the secret of the spiritual survival of the Jewish people and the foundation of its existence, and therefore his statements that became his writings, are a topical message for generations.
On the grade of the Hirsch tractor in Frankfurt Photo/Raphael Ehrlich
"We are approaching the days of Purim when the Jewish people faced the decrees of Haman ben Medta Haggi, the most famous descendant of Amalek, and the Sabbath before Purim is called Shabbat Zakor, in which we read and remind ourselves of what Amalek did then, in order to protest his spirit seeking to uproot from the Jewish people his Judaism. And we will quote only a little of what the Gershahr wrote," said Rabbi Appel in words of encouragement to the members of the community that flourishes on the one hand and integrates on the other hand on the soil of Germany: "It would be an evil delusion on our part if we thought that we would do well to acquire for ourselves the friendship of the nations by withdrawing from ourselves from the set of characteristics that are unique to us. Because here is the head of the ancestral line of Haman, who attacked Israel even before they accepted the laws of Sinai that set them apart from all the nations. Hence, even if we abandon the legacy of Sinai, which is handed down in our hands and shrink, dwarf and diminish the positive side of our Judaism, in any case a nima will suffice A thinness of Judaism that would designate you - and it would even be the mere name "Jew" - in order to raise up against you Amalek and Haman in every generation and with this to embellish their enmity towards you."
In his words, Rabbi Apel called on the members of the community to strengthen themselves in their ancient tradition, which they preserve and adhere to, and not to succumb to the winds of time and place also on German soil: "The community of mountain Jews was privileged not to have to deal with the problems and tensions between Israel and the nations. In contrast to the Jewish community of Germany, which had to deal with the fallout of assimilation, the Jews The mountaineers, whose roots are deep, always held on to the firm trunk and its branches and adhered to the tradition of their ancestors. Only the short-rooted shed their leaves, the deep-rooted stand forever. With such roots and water - there is no water but Torah, there is no doubt that even the beautiful community that has just turned a decade old, will add additional floors of Judaism is strong and will flourish."
Rabbi Avichai Appel/Eli Itkin
Rabbi Zamir Isaev/courtesy of the Baku Jewish Community
The Chairman of the Rabbis of Germany returned and thanked the State of Azerbaijan, for the freedom of religion and the assistance to raise the fund of the Jewish people, without any need for the Jews to deprive themselves of the set of special Jewish qualities, in order to acquire the friendship of the Azeri people and their government, who practice the custom of wonderful hospitality and help for them to be a proud Jew in the host country. He also raised a diplomatic mistake and expressed bewilderment at the American State Department which pointed out in a special report about 'deficiencies' in religious freedom in Azerbaijan, when it comes to a country which, along with its commitment to the safety of all its citizens, has a government that is kind to members of all religions .
David Berger, in collaboration with Shuba Israel
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