Wearing a baseball hat and a large winter coat, Rabbi Mendy Chitrik from Istanbul can be seen in a video that he shared on Twitter, rescuing ancient Torah scrolls and parchment from the Torah Ark in the damaged synagogue of Antakya following the earthquake.
Antakya has a rich Jewish history of 2,500 years and the synagogue in the city is about 250 years old. Chitrik told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday that "together with the Jewish community of Turkey, I have arrived to assist with the rescue of citizens in Antakya, so we also made sure to rescue ancient Torah scrolls from this Jewish community that has been in existence for 2,500 years."
"Together with the Jewish community of Turkey, I have arrived to assist with the rescue of citizens in Antakya, so we also made sure to rescue ancient Torah scrolls from this Jewish community that has been in existence for 2,500 years."
Rabbi Mendy Chitrik
Chitrik and the Turkish Jewish community have rescued eight scrolls and said that "the synagogue is damaged but as opposed to other buildings in the area, is still standing."
According to an Aljazeera article from 2014, there were only 18 members left from this rich and ancient Jewish community that numbered about 350 people 80 years ago.
Chitrik confirmed that all of the remaining Jews that live in Antakya have been rescued except for two who are still missing. All of the remaining Jewish inhabitants of Antakya are senior citizens.
In 2021, Chitrik visited Antakya and reported on his Twitter account that there are only 14 Jews left in the city.
"There is no Minyan (10 Jewish men that pray together) in Antakya anymore," he wrote. "There are only 14 Jews left, 7 of them are men, in the city that once boasted a very significant community." He spoke to a member of the community, named Olga Cemal who moved to Antakya from Damascus Syria. She told him that there were "at least 500 people who lived here," when she moved.
Antakya is located close to the border with Syria and therefore many of the Jews who lived there were Syrian immigrants. The synagogue building in the city was erected in 1890, according to a book titled Historic synagogues of Turkey that was published in 2008. In addition, it was specified that since Antakya is north of Jerusalem, the synagogue is built with the Torah Ark on the southern wall "in a semi-circular apse." It is customary that synagogues in Israel and outside of Israel, face Jerusalem.There is no Minyan in Antakya anymore. There are only 14 Jews left, 7 of them are men, in the city that once boasted a very significant community... "at least 500 people lived here" when Olga Cemal came to Antakya from Damascus... pic.twitter.com/ahi3oiGA1f
— Rabbi Mendy Chitrik (@mchitrik) August 13, 2021
Jewish communities rush to help out Turkey following the earthquake
Jewish communities in the US and Canada have launched campaigns in support of Turkey following Monday's devastating earthquake.
Two Jews still missing from 2,500-year-old Turkish community after earthquake@Jerusalem_Posthttps://t.co/o47DyuGOdk pic.twitter.com/keyoZNaPCX
— Zvika Klein צביקה קליין (@ZvikaKlein) February 7, 2023
Jewish Federations of North America Board Chair Julie Platt said, “we mourn the tragic loss of life brought by this disaster and send our hopes and prayers for all those who have been injured. We remain in close contact with our disaster relief partners on the ground and are mobilizing our communities to raise funds to support their life-giving work. Our Jewish values of tikkun olam guide us day-in and day-out to extend our hands to those in need, and Jewish Federations pledge to carry out this mandate with pride and dignity."
“We mourn the tragic loss of life brought by this disaster and send our hopes and prayers for all those who have been injured. We remain in close contact with our disaster relief partners on the ground and are mobilizing our communities to raise funds to support their life-giving work. Our Jewish values of tikkun olam guide us day-in and day-out to extend our hands to those in need, and Jewish Federations pledge to carry out this mandate with pride and dignity."
Julie Platt
The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington has opened an Earthquake Relief Fund to provide vital aid to those in need. Through the fund, the Federation and its global partners will directly reach victims to help them rebuild and recover. “As a Jewish community, it is our sacred obligation to respond,” said The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington CEO, Gil Preuss.