Bahrain – King Of Bahrain Hosts Menorah-lighting Ceremony

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    Bahrain – It was a menorah lighting like no other, with a Chasidic rabbi dancing hand in hand with a kafiya-clad Muslim man in the tiny Persian Gulf country of Bahrain, located off the northeast coast of Saudi Arabia.

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    The Saturday night menorah lighting marks the second consecutive Chanukah gathering in Bahrain, reported Arutz Sheva. Jews, businessmen and Bahrani citizens all participated in the joyous ceremony which included joyous singing and dancing and the lighting of a silver menorah, reportedly organized by American philanthropist Eliezer Scheiner. Estimates put the number of Jewish citizens in Bahrain, which has a population of 1.4 million, at just four dozen.

    Speaking at last year’s menorah lighting, the first Chanukah celebration in Bahrain since 1948, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalid called for an end to terror in the Middle East. Located approximately 1,200 miles southeast of Jerusalem, Bahrain is the only Arab Gulf state with a synagogue and had a Jewish woman serving as its ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2010.

    King Hamad vowed to allow Jewish residents of Bahrain the freedom to practice their religion without any fear of persecution, according to the Times of Israel.

    “Here in Bahrain members of all religions live with no fear and we will continue to allow Jews to live peacefully and quietly, maintaining their lifestyle, their customs and the commandments of their religion without any fear,” said King Hamad.

    A video of this year’s menorah lighting posted to Facebook yesterday currently has more than 12,000 views.

    A statement from Hamas bashed the video, describing it as “a humiliating and disgraceful spectacle.” Hamas also called on Bahrain to “fully stop any form of normalization with the Zionist enemy.”

    Off to Israel’s west, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, released a holiday message of his own to Jewish residents, reported the Jerusalem Post.

    “My best wishes for the Hanukkah festival of all Jews, especially the inseparable part of our society’s Jewish citizens, with whom we have co-existed peacefully for centuries, and I wish them peace,” said Erdogan.


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    9 Comments
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    Secular
    Secular
    7 years ago

    Fake news?

    Sholi-Katz
    Sholi-Katz
    7 years ago

    I don’t get it —What is the point of going there to light the candles. Is there no place in Monsey (where they have their shul) to light candles anymore??? Or is life just too boring lately? To do “Parsima Mitzvah” and getting non-Jews to light the menorah is for the propose of getting unaffiliated Yidden to admire and acknowledge Channukah.
    Why do we have to get Arab Sheikhs to do the mitzvah.
    Thank Hashem that Yidden in our generation have the time to hang out in Uman or these places. May it be his will, that we never go back to an era where all our time is taken up struggling for parnussa.

    Sholi-Katz
    Sholi-Katz
    7 years ago

    Hey, I just noticed. What is that Lubavitcher guy from Park slope doing there. (I forgot his name) He is labeled as this big “Kabbalah” guy. Is he teaching them Kabbalah? or is he just joining the circus.

    sighber
    sighber
    7 years ago

    Yechi hamelech

    PaulinSaudi
    PaulinSaudi
    7 years ago

    What a strange story.

    Tsfat-Breslover-Kotzker
    Tsfat-Breslover-Kotzker
    7 years ago

    No, yechi haMelech types were not there.
    More Breslovers than Lubavitchers went. But more important; they are all good Jews doing their part to make the world a little more peaceful.
    Yes, the chabad shaliach from Park Slope that is known for his inspiring shiurim was there giving a shiur which is what he does.
    Yes, the popular charedi band Pumpedisa was there playing music. Which is what bands do.
    In this troubled section of a troubled word it was quite brave of the Bahraini’s to do this.
    The Jews that went should be praised for their efforts. I know some of them, good Jews and fine people.
    For the commentators feigning confusion, I hope this clears up your confusion.

    7 years ago

    I don’t care that some on both sides of the equation didnt like this event; it was great to see Jews and Arabs dancing together, in such a festive atmosphere! Isn’t it better to dance together, than to be shooting and stabbing each other?