Despite its relatively small (and shrinking) Jewish population of about twenty thousand, there are many Jewish societies and social organizations in modern Turkey. Jewish societies and organizations first began to appear in many Ottoman localities in the 1880s. Today they are mostly concentrated in Istanbul and are supervised by the chief rabbinate of Turkey. They include several foundations, the community’s school and newspaper, charitable and welfare societies, and social clubs.

The most prominent Jewish organization in Istanbul is the Neve Shalom Foundation. It is resp…