The Jewish Agency for Israel yesterday held the first conference of its kind dealing with the preservation and restoration of the heritage of Jewish life in countries of the Middle East, North Africa and Iran, pledging to advance the conservation of these traditions and heritage sites. The rich heritage of the Jewish communities from Arab countries and Iran is built from a mosaic of heritage sites that served as the center of Jewish life in these communities and from the traditions that these immigrants brought to Israel.
The Jewish heritage sites discussed at the online conference included synagogues, cemeteries, community centers, schools and more. The participants also discussed how this heritage is viewed through the eyes of the second and third generations of Jewish immigrants from Arab countries and Iran, as well as the importance of passing on these traditions to future generations. The possibility of establishing an international body under the auspices of The Jewish Agency to promote this issue was also discussed.
The conference was attended by representatives of these communities in Israel, along with Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog, the Minister for Social Equality Meirav Cohen – who is responsible for this issue in the Israeli government, former Minister Adv. Moshe Shahal and the chairman of the World Sephardi Federation Mr. Haim Cohen. Professor Yifat Bitton, Dr. Shimon Ohayon and author Tsionit Fattal Kuperwasser also participated in the discussion. The conference was moderated by Dr. Revital Amiran and was organized together with the International Relations Unit of The Jewish Agency under the management of Yigal Palmor.
“This is an historic moment. Recent developments in the Gulf have revealed fascinating Jewish communities in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. We are obliged to preserve the glorious past and, at the same time, build the future. As the son of a mother born in Egypt and raised in Cairo, I was thrilled by the preservation of the Eliahu Hanavi Synagogue in Alexandria. It’s also exciting to discover all the activities carried out in Israel by the various organizations working to preserve the heritage of these communities, as well as advancing educational programs on this subject,” said Herzog. “Unfortunately, the story of these communities is not told often enough, and much more work needs to be done to ensure it is told. The Jewish Agency will lay the groundwork for advancing the mission of preserving the heritage of these historic communities and expanding public awareness of their stories. The Jewish Agency will also liaise with international organizations and governments to further cooperation of preservation of this heritage.”
Minister of Social Equality Meirav Cohen thanked The Jewish Agency for its cooperation and noted that, “The Ministry of Social Equality promotes projects to document the stories of people who grew up in these countries and promote further research on the subject.”
Former Minister Moshe Shahal: “This is an historic day. We must focus on the preservation and restoration of the irreplaceable public sites and bring it to public awareness. An international body must be established to promote the issue.”
Chairman of the World Sephardi Federation, Haim Cohen added: “I am very pleased we held this conference, which brought together all of the organizations representing the Jewish communities in these countries. Those who came from these Jewish communities established centers that preserve the heritage and tradition of the Jewry from Arab countries and Iran in a wonderful way.”
