Chief Rabbi in UAE welcomes peace accord

A rabbi for the Jewish people in the UAE has termed the UAE-Israel peace accord ‘culturally transformative’. To Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, who became the first rabbi of the Jewish community in the UAE in June 2019, the peace accord represents “an opening up of conversations”.

Rabbi Sarna is chaplain at the New York University and travels four times a year to Dubai to conduct holiday services for the community.Sarna’s role is unpaid and not pastoral, it was oriented more towards building interfaith dialogue. The Jewish community has been living in the country since its formation in 1971, while some migrated for work or business.

Regarding the Abrahamic Family House that will be set up soon in Abu Dhabi and will have houses of worship of all three Abrahamic religions of the world, the rabbi told Khaleej Times: “This project is not just about each house of worship, but what I particularly like is the garden with the educational centre and museum. I think it will inspire people to think more deeply about what makes something sacred and how the values they stand for can be protected and nurtured.”

Rabbi Sarna said many Israelis are curious to come and learn more about the UAE and if it had not been for the pandemic and travel restrictions, “hundreds of Jews” would have already come to the country.

Presently, there are around 200 Jewish families, nearly 3000 Jews, in the UAE. A synagogue has been functioning since 2008 out of a villa in Dubai.

Interestingly, one liturgical text recited in English at the Sabbath service is the “Prayer for the Welfare of the Government”. It beseeches God to “bless and protect, guard and help, exalt, magnify and uplift the President of the UAE Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed and his Deputy the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and all the Rulers of the other Emirates and their Crown Princes.”