Chabad rabbi’s son launches website to educate Arabic-speaking world about Judaism - The Jewish Chronicle

The son of the Chabad Brighton’s rabbi and rebbetzin has launched a website which he hopes will educate the Arabic-speaking world about Judaism, while building bridges across cultures.

Al Yahud, Arabic for “the Jews”, is the brainchild of Mendy Efune, son of Chabad Brighton’s rabbi and rebbetzin, Pesach and Penina Efune.

Mendy, who grew up in Brighton and now lives in Southern Israel, said that he hoped the initiative would present Judaism to the Arabic-speaking world “respectfully, accessibly, and authentically”.

He told the JC: "In a world where ideologies often clash and misinformation spreads easily, we believe that making authentic Jewish teachings available in Arabic can help break down long-held misconceptions and offer a more accurate picture of what Judaism is all about."

He emphasised that the aim was not to preach, but to inform. "The goal is to create a resource for anyone curious about Jewish belief, values, and way of life. Already, we’re seeing organic traffic from across the Arabic-speaking world, including visitors from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Tunisia, Kuwait, Yemen, and more. It’s a clear sign that people are curious and open to learning."

Mendy Efune[Missing Credit]

The idea for Al Yahud took shape about a year ago, during a walk to shul with his children. "We were talking about how many people in Gaza and across the Arab world grow up with deeply negative views of Jews because of what they have been taught. My seven-year-old son said: ‘Why don’t we translate Chassidus [the essence of the Torah] into Arabic so they can learn what we really believe?’ That moment stayed with me."

Inspired by that conversation, Mendy used AI tools to translate the entire Tanya – an early work of Chasidic philosophy by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi – the founder of Chabad Chasidism – into Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). The was the first time such a version had been created.

The translation, which is currently being reviewed by a Syrian Jewish editor, is dedicated to Rabbi Zvi Kogan, the Chabad shaliach to the United Arab Emirates, who was tragically murdered in 2024."We hope to complete it in time for his first yahrzeit, " said Mendy.

With the Tanya project underway, Mendy expanded the vision to include a full platform, the alyahud.com website, which explains Jewish ideas "simply and deeply, blending timeless values with modern accessibility". The site went live recently and continues to develop. "We’re currently looking for partners and investors who share this vision and can help us take the project to the next level through expanded media, outreach, and educational content." Mendy said.

Mendy is no stranger to visionary, community-driven projects. He and his family currently live in Beersheva, but will soon be moving to Ohr Chabad, a new yishuv that they have been building for the past 12 in southern Israel.

www.alyahud.com

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Brighton

Chabad