JEWISH AND SUFI MYSTICS MAKE MUSIC TOGETHER AND A 300 YEAR OLD TRADITION COMES BACK TO LIFE “MAFTIRI
The Mevlevi Way which is the most perfect example to the world of love, tolerance, and Divine Love, is being revitalized currently through the philosophy of peace and brotherhood of the Contemporary Lovers of Mevlana. At the beginning of the 16. century Jews and Turks played various classical music forms together in both synagogues and Melvin Temples. The person who brought this tradition into m usical notation for our age was the close friend of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Head Rabbi Mr. Becerona. But after 50 years the forgotten music ” Maftirim “has only now been revived. These works which were played and sung in Synagogues and Melvin Temples for hundreds of years have again been brought together. The story of Maftirim begins in 1492 with the migration of Jews from Spain to Asia Minor, especially in their most important settlement, Edirne. In time the Jewish congregations of Edirne, Istanbul , Bursa and Izmir, developed an affinity for Turkish and Sufi music. From the 16. century onward theanguage: AR-SA”>The Ra bbi Mandil was the teacher of the sheikh of the Galata Melvin Temple, Atahullah, and Tanburi Izak was the tanbur (a stringed instrument resembling a banjo) teacher of Sultan Selim III; the friendship, tolerance, love and respect between them were united in the beauty and exoticism of Ottoman music. The Edirne Synagogue and Galata Melvin Temple were two important places of the Maftirim tradition. And again in January 2002, under the leadership of Hasan Çıkar, the Contemporary Lovers of Mevlana d id the Sema in the presence of the Jewish Rabbis accompanied by their musicians. Thus the Exalted Mevlana\rquote s call of tolerance and peace envelopes the world and once more comes to life.