(JTA) ISTANBUL — Turkey’s Jewish community is mourning after Isak Haleva, chief rabbi since 2002, died at 84 on Tuesday.

Haleva was the 35th person to hold the title of Hahambaşi, by which the chief rabbis of both the modern Turkish Republic and the Ottoman Empire have been known since the position was established after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul – then Constantinople – in 1453.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our esteemed elder, our Chief Rabbi Rav Isak Haleva, who always believed in the unifying power of peace and love and who led our community in line with this belief for many years,” the Turkish Jewish community said in a statement.

Haleva served as the leading avatar of Turkish Jewry to the country’s Muslim majority during a period of transition in Turkey. A year after his election, he led the community through its first major trial of the 21st century, the 2003 bombing of two Turkish synagogues by Al-Qaeda.

Elected the same year that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took power, Haleva also presided over a diminished community as Turkey went from an ally to Israel to one of its staunchest critics. Since October 2023, Turkey has endorsed Hamas and cut off trade with Israel in response to the war in Gaza.

Erdogan called the lay leadership of the Turkish Jewish community to express his condolences, the office of the Turkish presidency announced.

“During his duty, Rav Haleva, with his warm and constructive personality, established personal friendships with both our president and many statesmen who visited our country,” the Turkish Jewish community said in a statement. Haleva was present when President Barack Obama visited the country in 2009 and when Pope Francis did in 2014. He also met with Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad when he met with Erdogan in Istanbul in 2008.

“I, as a religious official, do not involve myself in political matters. The prime minister of Turkey summoned me, so I came,” Haleva later told an Israeli news outlet about the meeting, adding that he encouraged Assad to make peace with Israel.

Officials from the United States and Israel who had developed relationships with Haleva said he would be missed.

“During my many meetings with Chief Rabbi Haleva as Consul........

© The Times of Israel