Rabbi Elie Abadie, M.D. hails from a long and distinguished rabbinical lineage dating back to 15th Century Spain and Provence. Following the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492, and later Provence, his family migrated throughout the ages through Italy, the Balkans, Greece, Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon. Rabbi Dr. Abadie was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and grew up in Mexico City. He moved to the United States to attend College and University, and later became a naturalized, United States citizen.
Rabbi Dr. Abadie earned his B.A. in Health Sciences in 1983, B.Sc. in 1984 in Bible Studies, Hebrew Teacher's diploma in 1985, and a Master's degree in Philosophy in 1986. He then received his Rabbinic ordination in 1986 from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He attended SUNY Downstate Medical Center, where he graduated in 1990 with an M.D. degree. He did his residency in Internal Medicine, and later his fellowship in Gastroenterology at Maimonides Medical Center, finishing in 1995.
Rabbi Dr. Abadie is the founding Rabbi and Spiritual Leader of the Edmond J. Safra Synagogue, and the Founder and Rabbinic Advisor of the Moise Safra Center in Manhattan. He was the Founder and Head of School of the Sephardic Academy of Manhattan and is the founding Rabbi and Spiritual Leader of the Manhattan East Synagogue, New York City. He is the Director and Professor at the Jacob E. Safra Institute of Sephardic Studies at Yeshiva University. He is a scholar and college teacher of Sephardic Judaism, history, philosophy, and comparative traditional law. He was an Officer of the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), and Treasurer/Vice-President of the New York Board of Rabbis. He is member of the Board of Governors of the Diaspora Museum – Beit Hatfutsot/ANU.
As Co-President of Justice for Jews from Arab Countries (JJAC), he was instrumental in passing a Congressional resolution on behalf of Jews from Arab Countries to be recognized by the U.S government in their negotiations regarding the issue of Middle Eastern Refugees. He has lectured on Jewish themes, philosophy, law, and medical ethics around the world, and enjoys close ties with many government officials in Israel, Bahrain and the UAE. As a member of the board of the American Sephardi Federation and World Sephardic Educational Center, he lectures on Sephardic Judaism, history, and comparative traditional law. Featured in many notable publications around the world, he has been interviewed on several notable news programs, including Fox News, CNN and ABC News. BBC, Russian TV Arabic, Spanish Radio, CCTV and Telemundo, America TV Canal 41, UNIVISION, i24 Israeli Media, Galei Zahal, Arutz 10 and 7. He was featured in the Jewish Voice Weekly, Image Magazine, the Jewish Week, Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Enlace Judio, Diario Judio, Hamevasser, Israel Hayom, Hamodia, LaMishpaha Magazine and many others.
In addition to countless of awards received throughout his career, Rabbi Dr. Abadie received the Orden Del Merito Civil, with the title of Excelentisimo, the highest civil decoration by His Majesty King Juan Carlos I of Spain. He is honored to be following in the footsteps of the greatest Jewish scholar and philosopher Moses Maimonides, who was both a rabbi and a physician. He was Knighted by the Oder of Parte Della Guelfa with with the title of Cavaliere / Sir in Firenze, Italy in 2022.
Rabbi Dr. Abadie is fluent in English, Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic, French, and conversant in Italian and Portuguese. Presently, he is the Senior Rabbi of the Jewish Council of the Emirates, the Chief Rabbi of the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities, and the Chairman of the Council of Sephardic Sages. He is a Medical Gastroenterologist, and is married to Elise Eichler for over 37 years, and together they live in Dubai. United Arab Emirates
