The Contemporary Reflection of a Deep-Rooted Tradition: The Chief Rabbinate in Türkiye and Its New Leader

The Jews of Türkiye are once again set to go to the polls for the Chief Rabbinate, an institution that has stood at the center of their religious and communal life throughout their deep-rooted history. Rabbi David Sevi's election as Chief Rabbi by a large majority signifies the unity and continuity of the community. It also reflects the political context of Türkiye’s contemporary approach to minority relations. Despite ongoing tensions in the Middle East and occasionally turbulent relations between Türkiye and Israel, this election is a significant step in reinforcing the Jewish community’s harmonious coexistence with the state and the state’s commitment to social peace.

This article examines the history and organizational structure of the office of Chief Rabbinate, a long-standing institution of Türkiye’s Jewish community. Additionally, it explores the institution’s relationship with the Turkish government, by contextualizing this interaction within the broader framework of minority-state relations in modern Türkiye.

Historical Background of the Jewish Community in Türkiye before the Modern State

Jews of the Islamic world in general and the Ottoman Empire in particular were long recognized as “People of the Book” and given dhimmi status, as a protected but subordinate group. Over the past 2,500 years local batei din or Jewish religious courts around the Middle East evolved and ran parallel to various Islamic legal systems.[1] Local Jewish communities, often labeled simply as Mizrahim (Jews of the East), were revived and transformed by the exile of Sephardic Jews from the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th century, and together they were recognized as a millet in the Ottoman Empire.[2]

Until 1835, local congregations elected their own Chief Rabbis without any central representative body. After the Jewish community petitioned the Ottoman administration for the establishment of a single authority similar to the Armenian and Greek patriarchates, Sultan Mahmud II (r. 1808–1839) issued a decree granting official recognition to the office of the Chief Rabbi. Abraham Levi was appointed as the first Ottoman Chief Rabbi and held the office between 1835-1836.[3]

Subsequently, the authority of the Chief Rabbinate was extended to major Jewish centers throughout the empire. As part of the reform process of the mid-19th century the Chief Rabbinate Regulations (Hahamhane Nizamnāmesi) was drafted by Yakir Geron, the Chief Rabbi of Edirne between 1863-1872 and approved by Istanbul in 1865. It defined the duties, powers, and election principles of the Chief Rabbinate. The regulation also introduced a balance of authority between the Secular Council (Meclis-i Cismānī), the Religious Council (Meclis-i Rūhānī), and the General Council (Meclis-i ʿUmūmī) which was composed of members from the other two councils.[4]

The Role of the Chief Rabbi in the Turkish State

Throughout the Republican era, Jews of Türkiye were granted equal citizenship rights under the Treaty of Lausanne (1923). However, they sought to further adapt to the nation-state framework by relinquishing certain minority privileges. In that process, the Jewish community, like broader segments of the Turkish society, encountered social, cultural, and economic challenges. For example, the ‘Citizens Speak Turkish!’ (Vatandaş Türkçe Konuş!) campaign, initiated in 1927, was perceived as an assimilationist initiative that undermined the Jews’ linguistic and cultural identity together with other minorities. Similarly, the prohibition of religious education in 1932 hindered the intergenerational transmission of traditional languages, especially Ladino and Hebrew.

The 1934 ‘Thrace Events’ (Trakya Olayları) - a series of adverse incidents - were marked by the harassment and commercial boycott of Jewish communities. These events resulted in significant population movements to larger urban centers, such as Izmir and Istanbul. During World War II, the implementation of the Wealth Tax (Varlık Vergisi) in 1942 caused deep social trauma and significant economic losses for the community.

The establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 further accelerated the mass emigration of Türkiye’s Jews, shrinking the community's population from around 80,000 after World War I to 13,000–15,000 today. The widely condemned mob attacks of September 6–7, 1955, which mostly targeted the Christian communities, as well as the synagogue attacks of 1986 and 2003, intensified communal anxieties regarding their physical security and left a lasting impact on the collective memory. All these events have contributed to the gradual decline of the cultural identity, economic vitality, and demographic structure of the Jews in Türkiye.[5]

Despite various adversities encountered over time, Jews, particularly during the Republican era, tended to interpret the challenges they faced as outcomes of prevailing historical circumstances. They strove to maintain cordial and constructive relations with the state.

The transition to multiparty democracy in 1946 which included Jews, the liberalization policies implemented by the Motherland Party (ANAP) governments led by Turgut Özal in the 1980s, and the reforms pursued by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan since 2003, within the context of global integration, have collectively facilitated profound sociocultural and economic transformations. These processes have facilitated the integration of Jews into the state and society, as well as other segments of the population.

For example, the establishment of the Quincentennial Foundation (500. Yıl Vakfı) was founded to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Sephardic immigration from Spain, enabling Türkiye’s Jewish community to play an active role in lobbying efforts in the United States and contribute to Turkish foreign policy.[6]

In recent years, relations between Türkiye and Israel have been tense, primarily due to developments regarding the Palestinian issue. Issues such as Türkiye’s close relationship with Hamas, the Mavi Marmara flotilla incident, the status of Jerusalem, and the Gaza blockade have been particularly decisive in shaping this tense relationship. Nevertheless, the Turkish government has consistently avoided associating these disputes with the domestic Jewish community. In fact, the government has maintained a positive and constructive approach toward the Jewish community and has taken concrete measures to safeguard its well-being.

Officials of the Chief Rabbinate have repeatedly emphasized that the government under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has adopted an exceptionally positive stance regarding the election of the Chief Rabbi and matters concerning Jewish foundations, associations, educational institutions, and other spheres of communal life. They also note that any problems that arise are generally solved promptly.[7] In practice, the Chief Rabbinate primarily conveys its concerns, requests, and opinions to the provincial authorities in Istanbul through the community’s Secular Council. State institutions typically respond with a constructive approach. In certain cases, they display flexibility beyond formal legal provisions to reach practical solutions.

Alongside the effective role of the Secular Council in maintaining relations between the state and the community, the contributions of charismatic religious leaders — most notably the late Chief Rabbi Isak Haleva (in office 2002-2025) — have also been decisive. Rabbi Haleva embodied a leadership style that emphasized harmony and mutual trust between the Jewish community and the state, as well as with broader society, throughout the Republican era. He fulfilled this role thanks to his profound knowledge, experience, and personal virtues.

As one of the last representatives of the rabbinical tradition that the republic inherited from the empire, Rabbi Haleva embodied Türkiye’s cultural codes with the language he used and the ideas he put forth, as well as with his personal conduct and working principles. Although he was fluent in Ladino, the traditional language of Sephardic Jews, he was the first Chief Rabbi to deliver sermons in Turkish in synagogues. This was in line with the community’s socio-cultural transformation. Through his charismatic personality, Haleva united his community in religious and social terms. His multifaceted qualities strengthened the social integration and representational capacity of Turkish Jewry vis-à-vis the state.[8]

Rabbi Haleva remained remarkably composed during times of crisis, especially when synagogues in Istanbul were targeted by terrorist attacks in 1986 and 2003. He denounced these violent acts as despicable attempts to undermine social unity and solidarity. All segments of Turkish society unequivocally denounced the attacks. The government, led then by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, displayed the highest level of solidarity with the Jewish community.[9] Against this backdrop, Erdoğan’s official visit to the Chief Rabbi - the first by any prime minister in the history of the Republic - stands out as a landmark moment, symbolizing a commitment to religious tolerance and the promotion of intercultural dialogue.[10] Throughout this extraordinary period, Haleva consistently emphasized that Jews in Türkiye lived equally and in harmony with their fellow compatriots.[11]

Furthermore, by choosing to speak Turkish at intercultural gatherings in Türkiye and abroad, he played a significant role in promoting peace at national and global levels on behalf of Türkiye’s Jews.[12] Thus, he was recognized as a religious leader who safeguarded the security of his community, promoted social cohesion within the country, and fostered harmonious relations with the state.

New Chief Rabbi David Sevi

As the sole candidate in the community elections to be held September 28–29, 2025, Rabbi David Sevi is set to be elected as the fourth Chief Rabbi of the Republic of Türkiye and the thirty-fourth since the Ottoman era,[13] barring any unexpected developments.

Having served in various capacities within the Jewish community since 1967, Sevi has played an active role in social services and held leadership positions and board memberships across numerous foundations and associations. He is widely recognized in Türkiye and abroad for his expertise in the distinctive Maftirim musical tradition, which blends Turkish melodies with Jewish liturgical hymns. His pioneering contributions to preserving and transmitting this tradition have earned him multiple awards and strengthened his reputation as a cultural bridge-builder and a respected religious leader.

Sevi has deep roots in the religious, legal, and cultural spheres. Following his predecessor's example, Sevi was appointed to this position for a renewable seven-year term. Barring any extraordinary developments, he is expected to continue serving as the spiritual leader of Türkiye’s Jewish community until 2032.

Conclusion

The Chief Rabbinate of Türkiye is the contemporary embodiment of a deep-rooted historical heritage. It functions as the spiritual authority of the Jewish community and as a pivotal institution that shapes its relations with the state and the broader society. The recent election of Rav David Sevi as Chief Rabbi demonstrates the community’s capacity for internal unity and consensus, as well as its commitment to constructive dialogue with the Turkish state. This development underscores the shared determination of Türkiye's diverse faith communities to coexist peacefully and highlights the trajectory of the Jewish community toward a more robust future in religious life and sociocultural engagement.

From a contemporary political perspective, it is noteworthy that successive Turkish governments have maintained a constructive and protective stance toward the Jewish community despite the turbulent course of Türkiye–Israel relations. At a time when conflicts in the Middle East and the Palestinian question have strained Türkiye’s foreign policy, the state's inclusive approach toward its Jewish citizens has reinforced the state’s deeply rooted commitment to pluralism. Within this framework, Rabbi David Sevi's leadership is poised to foster Jewish community’s cohesion and contribute to Türkiye's internal stability, cultural diversity, and enhanced international standing in foreign policy.

Prof. Dr. Nuh Arslantaş received his Ph.D. from Marmara University's Institute of Social Sciences in Istanbul. He is currently a lecturer in the Department of Islamic History at Marmara University's Faculty of Theology. His research focuses on the history of Jews in the Islamic world, as well as Muslim-Jewish relations during the Islamic and Ottoman periods. He is the author of more than twenty scholarly books, as well as numerous academic and popular articles. His study, The Jews in the Time of the Prophet Muhammad, received the TÜBA-TESEP Prize from the Turkish Academy of Sciences in 2017. Arslantaş also transliterated Tafsīr al-Tawrāt bil-ʿArabiyya - Saadiah Gaon’s Judeo-Arabic translation of the Torah - into Arabic script and produced a Turkish translation accompanied by extensive scholarly annotations.

*The opinions expressed in MDC publications are the authors’ alone.