World news-roundup: Turkish shul hosts first Jewish wedding in 41-years

Country: Turkey

An historic Jewish wedding has been live-streamed from the newly-refurbished Great Synagogue of Edirne, which reopened last year after a five-year restoration. Guneş Mitrani and Harun Esenturk tied the knot in the cream-coloured shul’s ornate interior. It was Edirne’s first Jewish wedding in 41 years.

Country: Argentina

The former foreign minister of Argentina, who is Jewish, could be investigated for treason, after the recording of a phone call was ruled admissible by judges last week. In it, Hector Timerman is heard saying that although Iran was behind the deadly 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre, it should be engaged.

Country: United States

A spelling bee in New York City last week prompted the audience to ask: what on earth is chremslach? The Yiddish word for a flat, fried cake showed up in the final round of the national kids’ competition on Thursday night. Fortunately for the 13-year-old speller, it was nothing to schvitz about.

Country: Tunisia

Jewish pilgrims have arrived on the Tunisian island of Djerba amid ‘unprecedented security’ as the North African country seeks to protect the visitors from Islamist extremists. Despite Israeli travel advice, thousands still gathered at the 2,500-year old Ghriba synagogue built after Solomon’s Temple was razed.

Country: Germany

Berlin’s culture minister has backtracked on whether to allow a Jewish representative on the committee overseeing the restitution of Nazi-looted art and property. Monika Grütters had been criticised for her initial stance, after saying that a Jewish member ‘would be the only voice who would be prejudiced’.

Country: France

A Sephardic Jew has been elected as the new leader of France’s 500,000-strong Jewish community. Francis Kalifat, 63, who was born in Algeria, is the new president of Jewish umbrella group CRIF, which is the French equivalent of the Board of Deputies. He replaces outgoing president Roger Cukierman.