Happy Hanukkah
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 22, 2008 00:00
Today marks the first day of the Jewish Hanukkah Ğ well more specifically the first candle was lit last night at sunset but this doesn’t detract from our narrative Ğ and as we at the Daily News have dedicated column inches to this month’s Islamic and Christian celebrations here in Turkey, it is only fitting we pay mention to Turkey’s significant, yet often under-reported Jewish community, which over the next eight days will honor the consecration of the Second Temple of Jerusalem.
This year is somewhat special, as Hanukkah is sandwiched between two important festivals of the other monotheistic religions with roots in Judaism. With Christmas fixed to the Gregorian calendar as the 25th every year, Hanukkah goes by the Hebrew calendar, which sees it celebrated anytime between the end of November and the end of December and Islam’s Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice), which we celebrated a fortnight ago, is set to the Islamic lunar calendar, meaning it is celebrated in a different week each year. This month is therefore somewhat symbolic of the religious diversity witnessed in Turkey. Turkey is host to the second largest Jewish minority of any Muslim country and this community is a rich thread in this country’s tapestry. While Jews have lived in what is today Turkey for nearly 2,500 years, the Jewish community flourished under the patronage of Sultan Beyazit II, who welcomed scores of Jews expelled from Spain during the Inquisition at the end of the 15th century.
It was this very type of tolerance to religious minorities that some commentators have attributed to the success of the Ottoman Empire. The Sultan’s accommodation of Spanish Jews Ğ similar to the tolerance his predecessor, Mehmet, accorded Christian minorities in ConstantinopleĞ was rewarded, as the Jews helped enrich the Empire to the extent that Beyazit is claimed to have said of mocked the Spanish king: "Ye call Ferdinand a wise king he who makes his land poor and ours rich!" Not only did many Jewish doctors serve in the Sultan’s court as well as his military, but the Spanish Jews established the first printing presses here, something all of us in our line of work can appreciate.
Today, Jews are estimated to number some 25,000, the majority of which live in Istanbul. As one of the officially recognized minorities by the state, Jews are officially represented by a chief rabbi, as they have been for over 550 years.
Despite the roots of Islam and Christianity in Judaism, with the Jewish prophets from Abraham (Ibrahim) to Jesus integral to all religions, Jewish holidays are overshadowed by Muslim and Christian celebrations. So not just in acknowledgement of the rich history of Jews in Turkey, but also in celebration of the ongoing community in the country today; all of us at the Daily News wish a Happy Hanukkah to those here celebrating, while we celebrate the history of tolerance and accommodation in kind.
It was this very type of tolerance to religious minorities that some commentators have attributed to the success of the Ottoman Empire. The Sultan’s accommodation of Spanish Jews Ğ similar to the tolerance his predecessor, Mehmet, accorded Christian minorities in ConstantinopleĞ was rewarded, as the Jews helped enrich the Empire to the extent that Beyazit is claimed to have said of mocked the Spanish king: "Ye call Ferdinand a wise king he who makes his land poor and ours rich!" Not only did many Jewish doctors serve in the Sultan’s court as well as his military, but the Spanish Jews established the first printing presses here, something all of us in our line of work can appreciate.
Today, Jews are estimated to number some 25,000, the majority of which live in Istanbul. As one of the officially recognized minorities by the state, Jews are officially represented by a chief rabbi, as they have been for over 550 years.
Despite the roots of Islam and Christianity in Judaism, with the Jewish prophets from Abraham (Ibrahim) to Jesus integral to all religions, Jewish holidays are overshadowed by Muslim and Christian celebrations. So not just in acknowledgement of the rich history of Jews in Turkey, but also in celebration of the ongoing community in the country today; all of us at the Daily News wish a Happy Hanukkah to those here celebrating, while we celebrate the history of tolerance and accommodation in kind.