The
small Jewish community in Edirne, in northwest Turkey, has waited patiently
since 1976 for a wedding in its local synagogue – and when it finally occurred
yesterday, the response it drew from other Turks was less than celebratory.
The
wedding was set to be such a significant and joyous event that it was decided
to broadcast it via Periscope and Twitter – a particularly popular social
medium in Turkey. However, it drew the attention of antisemites in the country,
and the bride, groom and Jewish community in general were told, “Too bad
Hitler didn’t finish the job” and the like.
Edirne
has a Jewish history of some 1,500 years, but just 50 years ago, only 100 Jews
lived in Edirne. Finally, the local Jewish cemetery there was confiscated by
the authorities, and then destroyed to make way for a residential neighborhood.
Then
began the upswing. In 2013, the synagogue was renovated, and last year it was
opened to the public. Its first wedding, yesterday, drew many members of the
budding Jewish community, and the joy was great. Community leader Yitzchak
Ibrahimzadeh even decided that it should be shared with the public at large,
via Twitter. The happiness turned to consternation, however, as the responses
began tweeting in: “Kill the Jews!” “Get out of occupied
Palestine!” etc.
Ibrahimzadeh
did not lose heart. “Many antisemites expressed their hatred on the
Periscope broadcast,” he tweeted back. “Together, hand in hand, we
will overcome them.” He proudly included pictures of a synagogue, church,
mosque and Turkish flag, symbolizing his hope that unity would win the day.
#Periscope‘ta izle: 41 yıl sonra Edirne sinagogunda düğün …. Düğün Hupa .. https://t.co/LIxGW237iu
— ishak ibrahimzadeh (@ishak5723) May 29, 2016
#Periscope‘ta izle: 41 yıl sonra Edirne sinagogunda düğün …. Devleti mübarek kılma duası https://t.co/joptjoLBYL
— ishak ibrahimzadeh (@ishak5723) May 29, 2016
