[JTA] Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi held a Sukkot prayer service in Riyadh on Tuesday, a sign of warming ties as Israel and Saudi Arabia move toward establishing diplomatic relations...
A photo of the Torah scroll’s velvet cover, shared by Israeli journalist Shirit Avitan Cohen, showed that it bore an embroidered inscription in English, Hebrew and Arabic. Many torah scrolls are dedicated in someone’s honor or memory, and the inscription on this scroll read, "The Jewish Congregation, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In honor of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and all of their ministers and advisers."
The Torah scroll was adorned according to Ashkenazi custom although Karhi is of Tunisian descent, perhaps indicating that the scroll had been in Saudi Arabia prior to his visit. The kingdom has no organized Jewish community, though Jews have traveled there for business.
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