• Mini Miracles is the first Jewish nursery in Dubai. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National
    Mini Miracles is the first Jewish nursery in Dubai. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Mini Miracles in Dubai was founded and built by Alec and Sonia Sellem soon after the Abraham Accords were signed in 2020.
    Mini Miracles in Dubai was founded and built by Alec and Sonia Sellem soon after the Abraham Accords were signed in 2020.
  • The small campus hosts a Sunday school where children are taught Jewish history, culture and the Hebrew language.
    The small campus hosts a Sunday school where children are taught Jewish history, culture and the Hebrew language.
  • Mini Miracles, nestled amongst Jumeirah’s residential neighbourhood, has grown from one pupil to 45 since opening.
    Mini Miracles, nestled amongst Jumeirah’s residential neighbourhood, has grown from one pupil to 45 since opening.
  • Rabbi Levi Duchman, Rabbi to the UAE.
    Rabbi Levi Duchman, Rabbi to the UAE.
  • Some of the pupils at Mini Miracles.
    Some of the pupils at Mini Miracles.
  • The nursery follows a British curriculum that incorporates Jewish values.
    The nursery follows a British curriculum that incorporates Jewish values.
  • One pupil during a lesson.
    One pupil during a lesson.
  • More Jewish families have moved to the UAE thanks to its access to Jewish education.
    More Jewish families have moved to the UAE thanks to its access to Jewish education.
  • The Gulf region’s first and only Jewish nursery in Dubai has recorded a 40-fold increase in the number of pupil enrolments in less than two years.
    The Gulf region’s first and only Jewish nursery in Dubai has recorded a 40-fold increase in the number of pupil enrolments in less than two years.

Pupil numbers at Dubai’s first Jewish nursery grow as new campus set to open in Abu Dhabi


Anam Rizvi
  • English
  • Arabic

The Gulf region’s first and only Jewish nursery has recorded a large increase in the number of pupil enrolments in less than two years.

Mini Miracles, nestled in Dubai's Jumeirah residential neighbourhood, has grown from one pupil to 45 since opening last year.

Levi Duchman, the first resident chief rabbi in the UAE, said they hoped to have about 200 pupils enrolled by the end of this year.

A new Jewish educational campus will also be established on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi early next year.

We have people moving here from all over Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Australia, Israel, so it's a very diverse community
Levi Duchman,
chief rabbi

“We're just about to break ground and are building the newest educational centre very soon in Abu Dhabi,” he said.

“I could definitely say the number one reason that enables Jewish families to move to the UAE, besides business opportunities, is the fact they are guaranteed a Jewish education.”

Mini Miracles in Dubai was founded and built by Alec and Sonia Sellem, Jewish residents of the UAE, right after the Abraham Accords were signed in 2020.

The aim was to provide a British curriculum campus that incorporated Jewish values.

Since then, Ms Sellem said more Jewish families have moved to the UAE, with one of the factors drawing them in being access to religious education.

The small campus, which has a strong focus on charity and kindness, also hosts a Sunday school which is attended by a little more than 100 pupils aged between 2 and 12, where children are taught Jewish history, culture and Hebrew.

Jewish community growing strong

Shortly after the Abraham Accords were signed in 2020, Rabbi Duchman helped to establish the UAE’s first Jewish community centre. The nursery followed shortly after.

Since then, he said the UAE now has one of the fastest growing Jewish communities in the Arab world, now with more than 5,000 people.

“Today, we have many thousands, it's a huge community and it is continuing to grow,” he said.

“We have people moving here from all over Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Australia, Israel, so it's a very diverse community.”

He added that it is safer to be a Jew in the UAE than in many European countries.

“As our community continues to prosper and thrive, we welcome to our schools and educational institutions Jewish children and people from all over the world, living, visiting and doing business here in the UAE, to learn and experience Jewish values and traditions,” he said.

The new centre that will be launched in Abu Dhabi will also function as a nursery and an educational campus similar to the one in Dubai, offering Sunday school and support for those wishing to learn Hebrew.

“We want to offer the best quality of Jewish education and to compete with schools in London, New York and in Tel Aviv,” Rabbi Duchman said.

“Our after-school programme and Sunday school is geared more towards the Jewish community and includes members from France, UK, Israel, America and places in Asia.”

Mini Miracles Nursery, which hosts pupils until foundation stage two, serves only kosher food and follows days off according to Jewish holidays and festivals.

“This year, we have foundation stage one and two, and by 2024, we plan to go on to year one [and] build a full-fledged Jewish school,” he said.

“The challenge is you cannot build a school in one day.

“It's not a question in my mind that here in the UAE we will [someday] have one of the highest levels of Jewish education worldwide.”

Ms Sellem said that for her and her husband, starting the nursery stemmed from a realisation that there could be no Jewish community without a core educational facility.

“The centre of a community is always children,” she said.

“You can have all the synagogues in the world, you can have all the kosher food in the world, if you don't have proper education for children, you will never have a proper community.

“It’s such a historical moment. There's a Jewish nursery in the UAE and now there are so many pupils.

“There's such a high pace of Jewish life in Dubai."

She said that at their current rate of growth, the school may need to move to another location as it continues to expand.

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Normal People

Sally Rooney, Faber & Faber
 

Fireball

Moscow claimed it hit the largest military fuel storage facility in Ukraine, triggering a huge fireball at the site.

A plume of black smoke rose from a fuel storage facility in the village of Kalynivka outside Kyiv on Friday after Russia said it had destroyed the military site with Kalibr cruise missiles.

"On the evening of March 24, Kalibr high-precision sea-based cruise missiles attacked a fuel base in the village of Kalynivka near Kyiv," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

Ukraine confirmed the strike, saying the village some 40 kilometres south-west of Kyiv was targeted.

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

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While you're here
Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

The Birkin bag is made by Hermès. 
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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'Brazen'

Director: Monika Mitchell

Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler

Rating: 3/5

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

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The President's Cake

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Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Power: 190bhp

Torque: 300Nm

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57kg quarter-finals

Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Hamed Al Matari (YEM) by points 3-0.

60kg quarter-finals

Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) RSC round 2.

63.5kg quarter-finals

Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Shamlan A Othman (KUW) by points 3-0.

67kg quarter-finals

Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Ahmad Ondash (LBN) by points 2-1.

71kg quarter-finals

Ahmad Bahman (UAE) defeated Lalthasanga Lelhchhun (IND) by points 3-0.

Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Seyed Kaveh Safakhaneh (IRI) by points 3-0.

81kg quarter-finals

Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Ahmad Hilal (PLE) by points 3-0

The%20specs
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Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELong-range%20dual%20motor%20with%20400V%20battery%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E360kW%20%2F%20483bhp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E840Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20touring%20range%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20628km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100km%2Fh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.7sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20210kph%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh360%2C000%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeptember%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20WallyGPT%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2014%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaeid%20and%20Sami%20Hejazi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%247.1%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%20round%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile

Company: Rent Your Wardrobe 

Date started: May 2021 

Founder: Mamta Arora 

Based: Dubai 

Sector: Clothes rental subscription 

Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded 

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8

Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm

Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km

Price: Dh380,000

On sale: now 

Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest

Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.

Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.

Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.

Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.

Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.

Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia

The essentials

What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature

When: Friday until March 9

Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City

Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.

Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.

Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
 

Updated: September 08, 2022, 8:54 AM