Chief Rabbi of Turkey, Chief Rabbinate of Turkey

Born in Istanbul, in 1940 he graduated from Beyoğlu Jewish High School  and continued his higher education at the Porat Yosef Religious Academy in Jerusalem. Graduated from the Academy as a Rabbi with degrees in religious law and education, he returned to Istanbul and started working. During the years of 1961-63 he completed his military service in Manisa and Kayseri as an officer teacher and immediately after he started working  as part of the staff of the Chief Rabbinate of Turkey answering the spiritual needs of the community. He has been member of the Religious Council of the Chief Rabbi, Besides Turkish, Rabbi Haleva knows Hebrew , Aramean, English, French, Judeo – Spanish and Spanish. He has taught Hebrew and Religion & Ethics at Jewish Schools from 1963 to 2000. Having similarly educated Jewish students at private high schools  in Religion and Ethics, Rabbi Haleva has become a link between Islamic and Jewish scholars through his Hebrew and Jewish Religion courses at the Marmara and Sakarya University master and doctorate students in Islamic theological studies. Having published numerous articles in the community newspaper or publications, Rav Isak Haleva has for long years been educating young members of the Jewish Community of Turkey by giving numerous conferences. Starting with the 1990’s Rabbi Haleva has given many conferences in seminars or panels focusing on inter-religious dialogue both in Turkey and overseas as well as presenting papers on Jewish Religion at the Conference of European Rabbis annual meetings. Invited to speak at the ‘’ Memorial Foundation of Jewish Culture’’ meetings several times, Rabbi Haleva is married with 4 sons and 8 grandchildren. Biography data as at 30.4.18