Israeli media: Conference of European Rabbis cancels gathering in Baku

The Conference of European Rabbis (CER) has cancelled its upcoming congress, which was set to take place in Baku early next month, citing security concerns, Caliber.Az reports, referring to Israel’s Ynet News.

The event, scheduled for November 3–6, was expected to host around 600 participants, including rabbis, religious figures, and political and public leaders from Europe, Israel, the United States, and other countries. Among the expected attendees were Chief Rabbis David Yosef and Kalman Ber, as well as Israeli ministers Amichai Chikli (Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism) and Amichai Eliyahu (Heritage Affairs).

In a statement released earlier this year, the CER described the planned gathering as a landmark event — the first large-scale meeting of European rabbis in a Muslim-majority country. The organisation called it “a living example that even in times of crisis, conflict, and disinformation, cooperation, mutual respect, and shared commitment across religious and cultural boundaries remain possible.”

The congress was to be held at the invitation of the Azerbaijani government and serve as a platform for discussing key challenges and prospects for Jewish life in the modern world.

No further details were provided about the specific nature of the security concerns or whether the event might be rescheduled.

By Khagan Isayev