#eathquake

Editors’ note: no affiliate links here. If you’d like to support our independent work, you can make a one-time or recurring donation! A few ongoing and imminent events in Europe — a war in Ukraine, devastating floods, earthquakes, the impending Terminator uprising, et al — have many EU governments eager to raise the preparedness of their citizenry. Sweden has issued a booklet, as did Finland,…

JAJARKOT: At least 157 people were killed in an overnight earthquake that struck a remote pocket of Nepal, officials said Saturday, as security forces rushed to assist with rescue efforts.The force of the 5.6-magnitude tremor jolted households awake and flattened mud houses in communities across isolated western districts of the Himalayan republic late Friday.“There was a very big noise when the…

A powerful earthquake struck Afghanistan on 22 March 2023, with tremors felt across many parts of North India, including Delhi. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, which is known for its seismic activity due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The tremors were felt in North India due to the close proximity of the region to the…

A powerful earthquake struck Afghanistan on 22 March 2023, with tremors felt across many parts of North India, including Delhi. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, which is known for its seismic activity due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The tremors were felt in North India due to the close proximity of the region to the…

Wearing a baseball hat and a large winter coat, Rabbi Mendy Chitrik from Istanbul can be seen in a video that he shared on Twitter, rescuing ancient Torah scrolls and parchment from the Torah Ark in the damaged synagogue of Antakya following the earthquake.

Antakya has a rich Jewish history of 2,500 years and the synagogue in the city is about 250 years old. Chitrik told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday that "together with the Jewish community of Turkey, I have arrived to assist with the rescue of citizens in Antakya, so we also made sure to rescue ancient Torah scrolls from this Jewish community that has been in existence for 2,500 years."

Chitrik and the Turkish Jewish community have rescued eight scrolls and said that "the synagogue is damaged but as opposed to other buildings in the area, is still standing." 

According to an Aljazeera article from 2014, there were only 18 members left from this rich and ancient Jewish community that numbered about 350 people 80 years ago.

Chitrik confirmed that all of the remaining Jews that live in Antakya have been rescued except for two who are still missing. All of the remaining Jewish inhabitants of Antakya are senior citizens.

In 2021, Chitrik visited Antakya and reported on his Twitter account that there are only 14 Jews left in the city.

"There is no Minyan (10 Jewish men that pray together) in Antakya anymore," he wrote. "There are only 14 Jews left, 7 of them are men, in the city that once boasted a very significant community." He spoke to a member of the community, named Olga Cemal who moved to Antakya from Damascus Syria. She told him that there were "at least 500 people who lived here," when she moved. 

Antakya is located close to the border with Syria and therefore many of the Jews who lived there were Syrian immigrants. The synagogue building in the city was erected in 1890, according to a book titled Historic synagogues of Turkey that was published in 2008. In addition, it was specified that since Antakya is north of Jerusalem, the synagogue is built with the Torah Ark on the southern wall "in a semi-circular apse." It is customary that synagogues in Israel and outside of Israel, face Jerusalem.

Jewish communities rush to help out Turkey following the earthquake

Jewish communities in the US and Canada have launched campaigns in support of Turkey following Monday's devastating earthquake.

Jewish Federations of North America Board Chair Julie Platt said, “we mourn the tragic loss of life brought by this disaster and send our hopes and prayers for all those who have been injured. We remain in close contact with our disaster relief partners on the ground and are mobilizing our communities to raise funds to support their life-giving work. Our Jewish values of tikkun olam guide us day-in and day-out to extend our hands to those in need, and Jewish Federations pledge to carry out this mandate with pride and dignity."