Kotel Dadon

Under the able supervision of Chief Rabbi Kotel Dadon, Sephardic Jewish life is thriving in Croatia.

Recently, more than 400 Mezuzot were installed in Jewish homes and institutions all over Croatia. Rabbi Dadon has implemented a monthly community Shabbat celebration whereby Jewish families are invited to experience an authentic Shabbat atmosphere. For the first time since the Holocaust, Jewish weddings and brit milah are being performed.  A Sefer Torah was donated by Magen David Congregation of West Deal NJ to Rabbi Dadon’s synagogue.

In addition, Rabbi Dadon opened a kosher kitchen in the community building, established kosher shechita to satisfy the needs for kosher meat, for the members and for the institutions such as the Kindergarten, the school and the holiday celebrations and is working with local authorities to kosher different products in Croatia to enable people to keep kosher.

A Sunday Hebrew school grew from nine students in 1999 to a day school with eight grades today. Several young Croatian women were sent to Israel and returned with a teaching diploma in Hebrew and Jewish studies from the Israeli Ministry of Education. Two of them work in "Lauder – Hugo Kon", the Jewish day school.

Rabbi Dadon has filled the immense void that was palpable in Zagreb and in fact all of Croatia. Despite going without spiritual leadership for close to half a century the community embraced the opportunity to learn more about their Jewish heritage.