Did you know that there is a Rav of Saudi Arabia? Rav Yaakov Herzog of the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood of Jerusalem is the unofficial Chief Rabbi of Saudi Arabia, according to a Kan News report on Wednesday.

In recent years, Rav Herzog, a Chabad chassid, walks the streets of Riyadh in full Chassidic garb, and he says that it’s no different than walking down Rechov Yafo in Jerusalem.

Rav Herzog, 45, is originally from Brooklyn and moved to Israel at the age of 12. He’s a businessman by profession and he said that already 25 years ago, he used to meet Saudis all over the world and the country always fascinated him.

He then heard about Neom, the futuristic cross-border city being built in the Kingdom, and he realized that there are thousands of people who travel to Saudi Arabia for work purposes, including Jews, and he decided to embark on shalichus there to meet their religious needs.

Rav Herzog began visiting Saudi Arabia and says he has been warmly welcomed there, although of course, he has to use his US passport to enter the country.

There is no established Jewish community in Saudi Arabia but there are several hundred and perhaps a thousand Jews that live there temporarily or on a semi-permanent basis.  Rav Herzog helps the Jews with whatever they need, from mezuzos to kosher food to donning tefillin.

There’s an improvised shul and mikvah in Riyadh but nothing is official as the Saudi King is not ready to officially recognize a Jewish community or follow in the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and become part of the Abraham Accords by normalizing ties with Israel.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)