Day 1 of #TurkeyJewishRoadtrip:
Bursa!
"Every day one should work so that Judaism should thrive - and it will" says in a mixture of #Ladino and Turkish Mr. Leon Elnekave - the head of the 60 strong Jewish community of #Bursa...
Leon bey looks over the Geruş or Expulsion synagogue - named after the various Jews expelled to Bursa - first by the byzantines and later by the Sefardi Jews who arrived from Spain in 1492...
There are two "Bimas" at the beautiful #synagogue - one closer to the women section as Leon explains "so that they should hear" - I totally agree: "of course, the Torah is not only for the men!"
After praying Minha under the colorful dome - we were honored to open the Ehal, the Ark where the Torahs are stored...
It was astonishing to see that the hand written Torahs were decorated with a Star and Crescent...
We also learned a new custom. A 'Minhag' which apparently exists only in Bursa! After I locked the Arc, I handed the keys on to the back of Yusuf's hand!
But why?
"If you give it in this manner you won't fight" says Leon in his native #Ladino (#JudeoEspanyol)...
(I am not sure I really understand why, but I for sure won't fight over it...)
The second synagogue in Bursa is the Mayor, or Major, synagogue. Some say it is named after the Jews of #Mallorca who found refuge here.
"It is older than the Geruş synagogue. About 10 years older" - not that it makes much of a difference to a 500 year old synagogue...
Here too, the Torah's are adorned with a Star and Crescent...
The the newly renovated Midraş, or little synagogue, hosts some interesting old religious articles...
Old books... A Meam Loez printed in #izmir...
And... Betrothal Records that still have some empty pages to fill... Sounds optimistic to me...
This little Midraş was renovated with the help of the Bursa Municipality...
But chatting with Leon bey, shadowed by a cupboard packed with Burial Shrouds (hand woven by community members) gives a different vibe...
There are 60 Jews left in Bursa - 2 beautiful synagogues, (the 3rd Etz Hayim was burned down some 60 years ago), a meticulously clean Jewish cemetery - but Leon is driven that this community should not just disappear!
"Make sure to join us for Shabbat prayers in the winter" he says. "We have a Minyan, we will arrange a nice Kosher Seuda (meal) and you will see the Bursa Jewish community!"
I promise him that, 'Sin Neder' of course, I will...
and off we go to the beautiful #Uludag countryside...
Where will we be tomorrow? 😊
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