Nearly a year after the passing of longtime Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Haleva, Turkey’s Jewish community has formally installed Rabbi David Sevi as its new spiritual leader, marking only the fourth time since 1923 that the country has appointed a Chacham Bashi.

Rabbi Sevi, 70, was sworn in during a ceremony at Istanbul’s historic Neve Shalom shul, where he has served the community for decades. He was elected unanimously in September in an uncontested internal vote, reflecting broad communal confidence in his leadership. He had been serving as acting chief rabbi since Rabbi Haleva’s petirah in January.

Born into a family with deep roots in Turkish Jewry, Sevi has spent his life promoting Jewish education amid a steadily shrinking population. He previously served as a shochet and chazzan at Neve Shalom.

His appointment comes at a delicate moment for Turkey’s Jews, who now number roughly 15,000 in a Muslim-majority country whose political relationship with Israel has often been fraught. The community has long walked a careful line — maintaining its identity while navigating geopolitical tensions and occasional public pressure.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)