In the wake of Israel's historic peace treaty with the United Arab Emirates, Chabad Rabbi Levi Duchman, who serves as the rabbi in the Jewish community in Dubai, told Israel Hayom on Thursday: "We are extremely excited. This is a historic day for all people in the Middle East and for humanity at large."
"We built a Jewish community – we have Torah study, kashrut (observance of Jewish dietary laws), a community and strong support from the government. I'm not surprised that our leaders are so special. I believed this would happen," said Duchman. "The United Arab Emirates is a leader in all that is good for humanity. I believe that as a result of the peace agreement more Jews will join our community. We are prepared; the infrastructure is ready."
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The Jewish community in the UAE consists of 2,000 people. Dubai's Jewish congregation operates out of an unmarked villa in an upscale neighborhood.
Though its members keep its precise location secret, the synagogue's existence and the tacit approval it has received from this Islamic sheikhdom represent a slow rebirth of a burgeoning Jewish community in the Persian Gulf, uprooted over the decades after the creation of Israel.
The UAE's rulers have sought to boost the community by hosting interfaith events and pledging to build a massive multi-faith complex that includes a synagogue, part of their efforts to burnish the country's image to the West.
Chief UAE Rabbi Yehuda Sarna told Al Arabiya English on Thursday that the peace agreement is forward-looking and the product of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's vision.
"I believe that what we are observing is the unfolding of His Highness' vision of tolerance, synergy, and the fusion of past and future," said Sarna, adding that the country's Year of Tolerance last year, which welcomed Pope Francis to capital city Abu Dhabi, was one example.
"What excites me most about the agreement is the potential to collaborate on education and culture," Sarna told Al Arabiya English.
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