The agreement with the UAE ignites the imagination of travelers who have already seen almost everything, and are looking for new tourist attractions. Dubai is an optimal tourist destination just a three hour flight away. Dubai is a small country, which has become a major tourist attraction. Before the Covid crisis, 21 million tourists arrived there every year. In terms of Corona, Dubai is now considered a green country, which was opened to tourists as early as July

Tourism entrepreneurs are already organizing kosher packages to Dubai. 'Gesher Tours' will send groups there in early 2021. The tourism company 'Kosher Luxury Travel' from Jerusalem has opened an office in Dubai to handle tourist groups coming to the Emirates, starting on Hanukkah

The heads of the Jewish community say that UAE is very safe, and one can walk around the streets with a Kipah and Tzitzit. But I learned that they themselves are hiding their Kipah in public, and forbid their wives and children to wear a Star of David above their clothes

The UAE consists of 7 Emirates. It has about ten million inhabitants, but only about ten percent have citizenship. The rest are foreign workers with limited rights, most of them from India and Pakistan. Among the foreign workers there are also 150,000 Palestinians who do not like us and the peace, but there they do not dare to engage in terrorism

Wealth and luxury are evident everywhere. The Emirates have a lot of money from oil, and they're generously investing it on grandiose projects. A representative of the Dubai Ministry of Tourism told me: "A tourist who comes here feels like in a Disney World for adults."         i

The Burj Khalifa Tower is the tallest in the world. Amazing light and multimedia displays are projected on its 163-story walls every evening

The tower itself has observation posts over the city

On the shores of Dubai was built an ambitious project called the "Palm Islands" (Palm Jumeirah), which includes artificial islands, which together they form the shape of a palm tree

On one of the islands stands the Burj Al Arab Hotel, the most luxurious in the world

Those who come with children must also visit the zoo and the Aquarium tunnel, amazing in its size and beauty

We can also go on safari trips in air-conditioned jeeps, which run wild on huge sand dunes. The beaches have a variety of options for water sports and water skiing. In the evening you should wander the Marina promenade, where there are bars and restaurants with a pleasant atmosphere and audio-visual shows

The largest and most magnificent mosque in the world is "Sheikh Zayed" in Abu Dhabi. The ceramic tiles on its floor create a reflection like the surface of a water lake. It has 92 turrets with bells

Abu Dhabi is also home to the Louvre Museum, which contains international art treasures that would not have embarrassed the Louvre in Paris

Shopping

Dubai Island is also a wonderland for shopping enthusiasts. The largest mall in the world is The Dubai Mall, which is also considered as a tourist site. The "Ivan Batuta" mall is decorated in a charming style. It is also recommended to visit the "Marco mall", which is designed in the style of Italian streets. It contains lots of gold and diamond jewelry stores. In the Dubai Outlet Mall we can buy designers clothes at affordable prices

Dubai also has fascinating markets that each focus on a different type of commodity. In the gold market we can get excellent jewelry at cheap prices. In the perfume market we can buy ready-made perfumes, or the sellers prepare a perfume with the scent we want instead

Judaism

The UAE government is preparing to receive masses of Jewish tourists, and treats Judaism very positively. Throughout history there have been no Jewish communities in the UAE, but nowadays there are about 1,500 Jews living in Dubai and Abu Dabi. The Chief Rabbi of the Emirates is Professor Rabbi Yehuda Sarna from New York University. Rabbi Sarna has returned to New York, but he comes to Dubai several times a year

There are 3 synagogues in Dubai – Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Reform

The Ashkenazi synagogue, called "The Villa", was opened 9 years ago in the private home of Adv. Ross Kriel from South Africa. For years it was operating in a low-profile, almost underground. People learned about its location only by word of mouth. About a month ago, the authorities ordered the closure of the villa, and now talks are underway to reopen it in the heart of the tourism area on the marina promenade

The Sephardic synagogue is called "Beit Chabad" (although it is not officially recognized by the "Mifal Hashlichim" of Kfar Chabad). It was established in the house of Rabbi Levi Duchman, who came from Morocco 6 years ago. Recently it was moved to a new location, and its name was changed to "JCC- The Jewish Community". Its president is Solly Wolf. On its entrance hall are hanging large pictures of the Lubavitch Rebbe alongside portraits of members of the local royal family

On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the community prayed in the Atlantis Hotel. Noam Cohen, one of the leaders of the community, estimates that the current Chabad House will be too narrow to accommodate the many Jewish and Israeli tourists who will arrive following the peace agreement. That is why he is already looking for a large hall in one of Dubai hotels that will accommodate 1,500 people, for praying and dinning. This new place will be called "Chabad House", and will be the 4th synagogue in Dubai

Dubai also has a reform synagogue called "Ha-Shivyoni".     i

Another synagogue is being built in Abu Dhabi, on the "Brotherhood of Abraham" campus. A Muslim mosque, a Jewish synagogue, and a Christian church will be built side by side in the compound. The houses of worship will be similar in their exterior, but will be different in their interior. The wall behind the Ark in the synagogue will face Jerusalem. The prayer niche in the mosque will face Mecca, and the church towards the sun. The complex is scheduled to be open in 2022

Kosher Culinary

Surprisingly, it is very easy to get kosher food in the UAE. In the local supermarkets we can find a big variety of products with kosher signs from around the world. Dubai has 3 kosher restaurants, and there are plans to open a few more

The oldest restaurant is "Elli's Kosher Kitchen" founded by Elli Kriel, wife of the president of the Jewish community. Elli recently signed an agreement with the Hilton Jumeirah hotel chains to open a kosher kitchen, which she'll operate under OU supervision. Elli offers kosher food at the hotel restaurants, as well as catering services for travelers staying at other hotels in the UAE. Rabbi Menachem Fogel from "Gesher tours", testifies that "Elli's food is very tasty and varied. The food always reached me quickly in my hotels."     i

Three years ago, Rabbi Levy Duchman opened a small kosher kitchen at the Armani hotel inside the Burj Khalifa tower. The project was kept secret. American Jews could order meals from the kosher kitchen, and sit down at the hotel's regular restaurants for business meetings, without their guests knowing they are eating kosher. Just before Rosh Hashana, this kitchen "came out of the closet," and the "Chabad restaurant" began operating publicly

After Sukkot, "The Jerusalem" restaurant will be opened by the Jerusalem tourism entrepreneur Menachem Cohen, owner of the Kosher Luxury Travel company. It'll be the largest kosher restaurant on a 500 square meters, with 200 seats. A gourmet kosher restaurant with top Israelis chefs. The restaurant also has private rooms for tourist groups and for private events such as birthday celebrations, Sheva Brachot, and Torah lectures by rabbis who will come to Dubai

In addition, Menachem Cohen is also establishing a kosher catering company with a huge kitchen of 1,000 square meters. The kitchen will prepare gourmet kosher meals for tourists in groups or F.I.T, and will be sent to any hotel throughout the UAE. The service is also intended to provide excellent catering for Shabbat to the local Jews

This business initiative is designed to address a new problem of the UAE hotels. The Ministry of Tourism of Abu Dhabi recently issued a regulation requiring hotels to also offer kosher food in the dining rooms, and also to add a kosher menu to their room service. Hotel managers find it difficult to fulfill because they do not have the knowledge and tools to activate a Kosher kitchen, and hiring a special cook and a supervisor (Mashgiach) is not worthwhile. Menachem Cohen has created a catering solution to solve their problem

The president of the Jewish community, Ross Kriel, recently established the Kosher Arabia Company, in partnership with the world's largest aircraft catering company, Emirates (EKFC), to provide kosher meals to the aviation industry, as well as to hotels and hospitals throughout the Emirates. Kashrut under the supervision of OU in USA, and the UOS Union of Synagogues in South Africa. Rabbi Levy Duchman recently received from the authorities a concession to grant kosher certificates to local and imported food factories. Recently he has also started poultry slaughtering SHEKHITAH

pictures credit: Dubai tourism office, Istock, Pixabay, Edelmann, Menachem Cohen