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Jews in All Six Gulf Countries Join together for First Selichot Gathering in Decades

Logo for the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities (AGJC)
Logo for the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities (AGJC)

The Association of Gulf Jewish Communities (AGJC), the people-to-people network of Jewish communities from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries that are developing Jewish life in the region, will hold its first joint Selichot event, believed to be the first event of its kind in the region.

On Sunday, Aug. 22 at 5 p.m. Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia/6 p.m. in Oman and the United Arab Emirates, the AGJC will live stream an authentic Sephardic service featuring special guest chazzanim from one of the most iconic and historic locations for Jewish life in the GCC.

“As we usher in the Hebrew month of Elul and prepare for the upcoming High Holidays, we gather as a community to recite the Selichot prayers,” said AGJC Rabbi Dr. Eli Abadie. “It was very important to us to host a genuine Sephardic service as we celebrate the rejuvenation of Jewish life in the region through the formation of the AGJC.”

“We created the AGJC with the goal of enhancing Jewish life in the region and as we approach our first Rosh Hashanah as a united Jewish community, we wanted to create a meaningful Selichot event which will do just that,” said AGJC president Ebrahim Dawood Nonoo. “We are heading back to our roots with this program—an authentic Sephardic service from one of the notable locations for Jewish life in the region.”

For more information or to register, visit: https://www.gulfjewish.org/selichot.

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