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In June, Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid visited the UAE for the inauguration of the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
Bennett Writes First Letter of UAE’s First Torah Scroll During Historic Visit
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by Shiryn Ghermezian
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett with UAE Rabbi Levi Duchman, writing the first letter of the Torah scroll written in the Emirates. Photo: Jewish UAE.
During his visit to the United Arab Emirates this week, Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was invited by the rabbi of the UAE to write the first letter of the first Torah scroll written in the country.
The Torah scroll will serve the local Jewish community and its Jewish visitors. Rabbi Levi Duchman, who has led UAE’s Jewish community since he arrived in the Emirates in 2015, said having Bennett assist in scribing the Torah scroll was an “absolutely surreal” experience.
The moment was made possible by the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020, which normalized relations between Israel and the Emirates.
Duchman has helped establish a number of Jewish institutions and places of worship in the UAE, as well as kosher food services and Jewish education. The UAE also opened this week its first Jewish children’s camp.
Bennett’s trip to the UAE this week was the first official visit of an Israeli leader to the country.
Rabbi Duchman welcomed Bennett to the UAE saying, “On behalf of our strong Jewish community, I extend the leadership on both sides our appreciation, and our very best wishes for a continued and fruitful cooperation. We are grateful to the Emirati governments for this warm welcome, and continue to expand our efforts and services to support the growing community and the stream of Jewish visitors from all over the world, to practice their religion, celebrate and interact in freedom and prosperity.”
