Driving through the Gallipoli Peninsula - I am thinking about the words that allegedly Atatürk said in 1934:
"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives ... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours ..."
Although some dispute the authenticity of this quote - never the less, after driving through the trenches, the cemeteries, seeing memorials for all those who fiercely fought here on both sides - one must only concur with the underlying message...
Not much left of the Gelibolu synagogue...
Which is located, how obviously, on Havra Sokak...
The synagogue obviously saw much better days...
The large cemetery isn't in a good shape either...
The famous traveler Benjamin of Tudela records a community of 200 people in Gallipoli in the year 1200... The earliest head stone we found was about 360 years old... But we couldn't go through them all... Hope till next visit @gelibolubel can put a fence and clear the garbage...
Something about the sheep and shepherds that is really intriguing...
Tomorrow, while on the road, we will speak about some peculiar Jewish names and other customs...
Meanwhile - you can enjoy reading the previous threads which are all gathered here:
Waking tp to the view of the Agean sea and #Cunda was quite amazing - not to say pretty relaxing... We are going to Çanakkale!
Last night me and Chaim were walking in Ayvalık - a coffee shop owner noticing the Kipah on Chaim's head walks over:
- "Are you guys Jewish by any chance?" - "Of course!" we say.
- "Let's have coffee, its on me. Last year I got stuck in Israel for 8 months during the pandemic."
He was excited to see Jews walking on the streets of his hometown, and is planning on opening an identical coffee shop in Tel Aviv...
Leave a comment if you prefer the Sunset over Sunrise...
Did you know that #Turkey is an important source of #Kosher food? Hundreds of manufacturers all over the country produce anything from raw material to ready to eat products.
By the way: Kosher food does not mean food that is blessed by a rabbi!
Rather it is food that has been prepared according to Jewish law - there are no mixtures of meat/milk, it is insect free, meat or chicken have to be prepared properly according to Jewish law and more...
The Turkish Jewish community @tyahuditoplumu through @DenetGida which certifies hundreds of plants, as well as the @OrthodoxUnion and @OKKosher have their field representatives inspect plants to assure they are fit for the kosher consumer.
"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!"
Join me here for the next three weeks for a daily thread of #Jewish Heritage sites in #Turkey as we, inşallah, explore and discuss #History, customs, ancestry, origins and Jewish life in Turkey! #coexistance