CENTRAL CELLULAR

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1650 Bayridge Pkwy
Brooklyn, NY
718-331-2413
2001 Victory Blvd
Staten Island, NY
718-815-4305
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718-351-3680
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Assemblyman Cymbrowitz Sees Dream for a
Cancer Center in Brooklyn Become a Reality
Lena's children Jay and Jennifer, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz and Assembly Speaker
Sheldon Silver with the plaque that officially names the Maimonides Cancer Center building
the Lena Cymbrowitz Pavilion.
Lena Cymbrowitz A”H
ssemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz
proudly participated in a ceremony naming the building housing Maimonides Medical Center's
brand new cancer center, the Lena
Cymbrowitz Pavilion, Wednesday,
September 28th. The ceremony culminates five years of behind the scenes
work
in
which
Assemblyman
Cymbrowitz brought together city and
state officials to raise $5 million of the
funding that made this state-of-theart cancer facility a reality.
Assemblyman Cymbrowitz's late
wife, Lena, was an Assembly Member
who actively advocated for better government initiatives in health care. Lena's
objective was to greatly reduce the
dreadful cancer statistics by making
information about cancer prevention,
detection, and treatment readily available to the public—all of her hard work
was done even before her diagnosis.
Lena succumbed to colon cancer—a cancer that has an over 90 percent cure rate
when caught early—in August of 2000.
The Maimonides Cancer Center
pavilion was named to honor her
efforts on behalf of patients throughout the state, and it was designed
A
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The entrance to the new pavilion
with her ideals in mind.
"I want to thank Maimonides
Medical Center's leadership for helping me realize my dream of a cancer
center, right in the heart of Brooklyn,
that provides comprehensive and
compassionate cancer care. With
50,000 new cancer diagnoses annually in our great borough, it is about
time that we had a cancer center,"
Cymbrowitz said. "It was unconscionable for a borough with 2.5 million people to go without a cancer
center for so long. Now thanks to
Maimonides Medical Center's patient
oriented leadership, we have a cancer
center that will not only save lives, but
also make life easier for cancer
patients and their families.”
"It is important to highlight how
elected officials, seeing a need to provide an important service to the public, came together to make this cancer
center a reality. On a personal level, I
am grateful for the enthusiastic support this project received from
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, City
Council Speaker Gifford Miller,
Borough President Marty Markowitz
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W I T H
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Assemblyman Cymbrowitz...
Gifford Miller and Marty Markowitz
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Douglas Jablon, Steven Cymbrowitz and
Mark McDougle
and my colleagues in the State
Assembly, as well as members of the
City Council's Brooklyn delegation.
On behalf of 2.5 million Brooklyn residents who now have a substantially
improved health care system we
thank you for caring. To all my colleagues in government, we stand
here today because of your efforts,"
Cymbrowitz gratefully stated.
The cancer center housed in the
Lena Cymbrowitz Pavilion is centrally
located at 6300 Eighth Avenue, near
several modes of public transportation and highways. It also has
patient parking. "I remember the
strain on Lena having to travel to
Manhattan to receive her weekly,
and sometimes daily, chemo and
radiation treatments. Making cancer
patients travel extra miles for their
treatment is unconscionable and
now unnecessary thanks to this facil-
Assemblyman Cymbrowitz thanking Maimonides Medical Center for helping to make his
dream of a compassionate, state-of-the-art cancer center in Brooklyn a reality
ity," Cymbrowitz added.
Almost immediately after Lena's
passing, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz
sought out ways of making cancer
treatment more patient-friendly.
Maimonides Medical Center's Cancer
Center was designed from day one
with the patients and patient's family in consideration.
The Maimonides Cancer Center
is a truly world-class facility utilizing
the very latest in technology,
research and knowledge. It also
incorporates the human factor in its
approach to treating patients. From
a calming, attractively designed environment to providing attention to
patients' families, the center is dedicated to healing the whole patient.
The treatment program is fully supported by a comprehensive range of
psycho-social, nutritional, transportation, and other services that are
important in helping the patient deal
with this stressful disease and treatment protocols. A cancer resource
center, partially staffed by volunteer
cancer survivors offers cancer support groups, guided access to cancer
-related books, publications and
Internet sites as well as community
and patient education programs.
"In addition to all the high tech
equipment, the cancer center
includes an active public cancer education program, as well as a full
complement of cancer screenings.
The best way to deal with cancer is
to avoid it. If you can't, then to find
it early, and at whatever stage a cancer is found, to be treated at a stateof-the-art, compassionate facility,
like the Maimonides Cancer Center
that is located in the Lena
Cymbrowitz Pavilion," Cymbrowitz
concluded.
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1207 Ave J, Bklyn, NY 718-758-3888
4921 13th Ave, Bklyn, NY 11219 718-854-0623
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I M A G E W O R K S W I T H
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Community
Gathers For Rally
To Support Shaas
Party
Leaders
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rally to support Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, spiritual
leader of the Shaas party and head of Shaas,
Rabbi Arie Deri was held at the Sephardic
Lebanese Congregation (Avenue S and East
8th Street, Brooklyn). Many rabbis, community leaders
and politicians attended the event to support the embattled leaders who have stood up for the Sephardic Jews
in Israel.
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has chastised the Israeli
Supreme Court for issuing a series of rulings that undermine the Orthodox way of life for Jews in Israel. The rulings include a decision to allow Conservative and
Reform representatives to serve on local religious councils. Arie Deri is being convicted of taking bribes breach
of trust and fraud by the secular Israeli courts.
Supporters of Shaas affirm Deri has been the target of
ethnic bias.
Many people attended the rally from the community. Rabbi Elbaz gave an impassioned speech as did
Rabbi Kassin and Councilman Noach Dear who spoke
about the injustices of the Israeli courts.
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JANUARY 2008
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A
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Check out our Community Calendar for
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IC MO AMGMEU N
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C O M M U N I T Y
L E A D E R S
Solidarity Trips
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Community Leaders and Members Visit
Israel, Washington and Spain
F
or 18 years, IMAGE Magazine has been keeping our community
informed about what’s going on in Israel. To show our support, the
Sephardic National Alliance and our very active community leaders
have taken many trips to Israel. They’ve visited important officials, rabbis
and institutions and they’ve discussed important issues. They’ve even gone
to Washington to show their support for Istrael. Here’s a look at some of
the trips we’ve taken together.
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C O M M U N I T Y
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The Sephardic National Alliance Solidarity Trip to Israel
Ben-Gurion Matsas, Jacob Kassin, MK Ariel Sharon, Chief Rabbi Saul Kassin and Jack Avital
T
Ben-Gurion Matsas, Jacob Kassin, President Moshe Katsav
and Chief Rabbi Saul Kassin
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Jack Avital, Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel Bakshi-Doron,
Ben-Gurion Matsas and Chief Rabbi Saul Kassin
JANUARY 2008
o show support and encouragement,
from the Syrian Sephardic community in New York and New Jersey,
some members of the Sephardic
National Alliance (SNA) embarked on a solidarity trip to Israel. With the collapse of the
peace process, the resignation of Prime
Prime Minister Barak, the increased terrorism
and a crippled tourist industry, Israel and its
citizens were facing difficult times.
On a three-day whirlwind tour Chief Rabbi
Saul J. Kassin was accompanied by community leaders Jack R. Avital, Jacob S. Kassin
and IMAGE Publisher Ben-Gurion Matsas to
meetings with prominent political and religious
figures.
Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel BaskhiDoron, spiritual leader of the Shas Party
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, former Sephardic Chief
Rabbi of Israel Rabbi Eliahu Mordechai,
Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Rabbi Massus and
Rabbi Menachum Parush head of Agudath
Israel were among the rabbis who welcomed
the visit of the SNA in these difficult times.
Each of the rabbis expressed concern about
the possibility of returning the Temple Mount
to Palestinian control and the division of
Jerusalem. Each gave a blessing to SNA
members and the Sephardic community in
New York and New Jersey for showing interest in the current plight of Israel.
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The Community Went to Washington
O
ver 150,000 Jews went to Washington D.C.
on a hot day in mid-April to show their support for Israel. Rabbis, community leaders,
businessmen, housewives and students all
took part in this incredible event. The Sephardic community from the Tri-state area was more than well represented. Organizations such as Magen David High
School and Elementary School, Yeshivah of Flatbush
High School and Elementary School, the Sephardic
Community Center, Shaare Zion, Sephardic Lebanese
Congregation and many more sent buses to
Washington. Our thanks to all who went and helped
organize such a massive operation on such short
notice. We can only hope that our actions in
Washington will lead to a peaceful resolution in the
Mideast conflict.
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Solidarity Trip to Spain and Israel
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embers of the Syrian Sephardic community
embarked on a historic solidarity trip to
ancient Sephardic Jewish Spain and Israel,
led by our dedicated leader Mr. Jack Avital.
Mr. Alberto Saba, Mr. Moises Saba, Mr. Isaac Saba of
Mexico, Mr. Shimon Avital, Mr. Jimmy Azizo, Mr. Abe
Chehebar, Mr. Joseph Chehebar, Mr. Steven Feldman,
Mr. Alberto Sutton, Mr. Jeff Sutton, Mr. Saul Tawil and
Mr. Sami Cohen, the Sephardic community leader of
Madrid, Spain were all in attendance.
Solidarity group leader Mr. Jack Avital presented
each person with a personalized itinerary of the entire
trip to read and review. The excitement and enthusiasm
was unbelievable and overwhelming all at once, for
every person of the group. They were all amazed at the
number of exclusive and very special events and meetings that were scheduled in such few days.
Day One
Their first visit took them to the magnificent and
ancient city of Toledo, Spain. A declared World
Heritage City and at times called the Jerusalem of the
West, Toledo is the historic birthplace of Sephardic
Jewry, and was the capital city of ancient Spain for
many centuries.
Toledo was one of the most important centers of
Judaism, and it became a model for coexistence, tolerance, social, scientific and cultural development of
Sephardic Judaism, Islamic and Christian cultures, in
the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th centuries. These were the
heyday for Jews and Arabs, who were well assimilated
into Spanish society. This was before the bloody, intolerant and violent Catholic Inquisition was unleashed by
the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabel, who wanted complete ethnic and religious purification. This
Inquisition effectively destroyed the Jewish community
completely.
The group was warmly welcomed at a fabulous
luncheon reception with the following dignitaries: the
Mayor of Toledo, His Honor Mr. Jose Manuel Molida,
Chief of Police of Toledo, Mr. Garcia Lopez, and Chief
of Interpol in Spain, Mr. Carlos Salamanca, who was
with them during the entire trip.
That evening in Madrid, at the Palace Hotel, their
dinner reception was truly a once in a lifetime, gala
experience, hosted by the President of the Sephardic
Jewish Community of Madrid, Mr. Sami Cohen. A
kosher gourmet catered dinner was flown in exclusively
from France. They were joined by an elite group of business leaders and dignitaries from the Spanish government, which included Spain’s Minister of Police, Mr.
Pedro Rojo.
The entertainment for the evening was the biggest
surprise of all—a private concert by one of the most
famous singing superstars, Mr. Enrico Macias, who
flew directly from Paris to be with this very small and
select audience.
Day Two
The second day began with a journey to the famous
ancient city of Cordoba. Having decided to travel by
high-speed rail, the municipality of Madrid arranged for
the group to have an entire private, first class compartment on the Ave high-speed train, which travels
between 100-130 mph. The group prayed Shaharit on
the train.
Upon their arrival in Cordoba, another World
Heritage City, they were given an official escort to the
mayor's office and municipality. Her mayoress, Ms.
Rosa Aguilar Rivero told them about an effort by her
government to revive and create a museum in honor of
our great scholar and philosopher Maimonides. She
was delighted to see Sephardic community leaders
from New York, Mexico and Spain coming to visit their
ancient heritage and would like to see more Jewish visitors and tourists come to Cordoba. Cordoba became
the most cultivated and magnificent city in 9th, 10th and
Continued on page 438
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11th century Europe, with hundreds of synagogues,
mikvahs and the greatest of rabbinic academies.
They toured the old Jewish quarter in Cordoba,
where Jews lived until they were expelled in 1492. Soon,
they came upon Plaza De Maimonides, where a bronze
statue of the renowned and most celebrated of all
Jewish philosophers, Maimonides, stands. This statue
commemorates the house where he lived, learned and
wrote his books. From this plaza, narrow Judios Street
leads to the only synagogue that remains in Cordoba.
Day Three
Day three began with a visit to the Royal Palace in
Madrid and an official visit and meeting with His Majesty
The King of Spain, King Don Juan Carlos I. The community members were received very warmly by the
King, who believes in the revival of historic Jewish
Spain. He is at the forefront of fighting anti-Semitism in
Spain and Europe. He feels that Spain suffered as a
nation and a people when the Jews were expelled 500
years ago. Mr. Alberto Saba spoke to His Majesty,
telling him that the word Sephardic comes from the
Hebrew word Sepharad, which means Spain. Spanish
Jews lived for over five centuries in Spain. We have
kept the traditions and customs of our Spanish ancestors and forefathers. We are proud and honored to conduct our religious services and adhere to our religious
traditions handed down to us by our Spanish ancestors.
Then Mr. Jack Avital spoke to His Majesty saying
“We, the Sephardic Jews, have physically lived in many
different countries since the 1500s, but our soul has
always been turned towards our roots in Spain. We hope
and pray that the Almighty G-d bring down His blessings
on this beautiful country and His blessings to you, your
Majesty, and restores the warm and friendly relations
between us (Sephardic Jews) and your nation.”
We, as Jews, felt a huge Kiddush Hashem (sanctification of the name of G-d) to be greeted by His
Majesty King Don Juan Carlos I. That afternoon the
group was invited to a private luncheon hosted by Mr.
Sami Cohen at his residence, where the great community leader welcomed them with warmth and hospitality.
Day Four
The fourth day began with the group’s arrival in
Jerusalem on Erev Shabbat. They all looked forward to
a truly spiritual Kabbalat Shabbat, beginning with Arbit
prayers at the Kotel, followed by a reception dinner for
Aruhat Shabbat. Joining them were many of our holiest
rabbis: Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, Chief Rabbi of
France David Messas and Chief Rabbi of Venezuela
Isaac Cohen. Motzei Shabbat, they were given a private
tour of the Western Wall Tunnels, just recently discovered and opened. Rabbi Isaac Tawil took them to pray,
sing and dance at the spot right below the Kodesh
Hakodashim, which Jews believe to be the center point
of the world. It was a moment of high emotions and
everyone experienced a heavenly spirituality.
Continued on page 440
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Solidarity Trip to Spain and Israel
The next day, Lag Baomer, the group took a trip to
Meron, to visit the Kever (grave) of our great Rabbi
Shimon Bar Yochai. They were joined by Chief Rabbi
Shlomo Amar, Chief Rabbi of Paris, David Messas and
other dignitaries and Israeli Knesset members. That
evening the solidarity trip included a private dinner at
the holy residence of our greatest Rabbi, Hacham
Ovadia Yosef. He personally greeted them with his
home cooking, music and blessings, and Moshe
Habousha provided the music and entertainment.
Hacham Ovadia, who loves music, sang and made
everyone feel cheerful and joyful to be with him.
Hacham Ovadia blessed everyone and our entire community of Brooklyn.
Day Five
The last day began with a private breakfast meeting
with Former Prime Minister Mr. Bibi Netanyahu. Later
that morning, the group visited the newly rebuilt Yad
Vashem Holocaust Museum for a private and exclusive
guided tour. They were officially greeted by the museum chairman and staff.
That afternoon, they were scheduled to visit the
Israeli Knesset and were treated to a private meeting
and official welcome by the Speaker of the Israeli
Knesset, Ms Dalia Itzik, followed by a private meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in his office at
the Israeli Knesset. Mr. Jack Avital recommended
that Prime Minister Olmert pursue peace negotiations with Syria because that will give him and his
government strength and make Israel stronger. Mr
Avital suggested he accomplish this using us, the
Syrian Sephardic Alliance, as a bridge for peace
talks with President Assad. We strongly believe that
President Assad truly wants to have peace with the
State of Israel. And Prime Minister Olmert took his
suggestion—to create an opportunity for peace with
Syria—very seriously.
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C O M M U N I T Y
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Community Leaders Visit Israel
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I
n a show of support, members of the Syrian
Sephardic community embarked on a solidarity trip
to Israel. The group of concerned community leaders who went on a four-day whirlwind tour included
Jack Avital, Marvin Azrak, Abe Chehebar, Jojo
Chehebar, Bunny Hyman Escava, Charlie Gammal, Joe
Levy, Isaac Saba, Moises Saba, Alberto Sutton and
Ben-Gurion Matsas. They all took time from their busy
schedules to show support for the Israeli government,
its leaders, and the people of Israel. Abe Chehebar
remarked, “The least we can do, as Jews in the United
States, is to come to Israel and show our solidarity with
its people.”
The excitement and anticipation of each traveler
was clearly evident as they waited to board the El-Al
flight. Jack Avital, the program coordinator, gave everyone a copy of the itinerary, which they discussed with
great enthusiasm.
Plans included meetings with Prime Minister of
Israel Ariel Sharon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister
of the Interior Eli Yishai, Minister of Police and Internal
Security Uzi Landau, Minister of Defense Benjamin Ben
Eliezer, Minister of Foreign Affairs Shimon Peres,
Minister David Levi, Knesset Member David Tal, and
Yair Peres, from of the Shas party. Also on the schedule were meetings with some of the greatest rabbis of
our time including Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Chief Sephardic
Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron, former Chief Rabbi
Mordechai Eliyahu and the Mekubal, Rabbi Kadouri.
After one look at the itinerary, they were all aware that
this would be a trip that each of them would always
remember.
As publisher of Image Magazine, Ben-Gurion
Matsas took notes on the lively discussions about
everyone's motivation for coming, feelings and reac-
tions to the people they saw and the meetings they
attended.
Each morning, they all had the privilege of praying
in the home of a Sephardic giant of our time, Rabbi
Ovadia Yosef. This honor alone made the trip worthwhile.
Their most impressive meeting took place with
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. He briefed the group on
the current situation and one of the things that he
stressed was that “We cannot rely on other nations, we
have to defend ourselves. A strong Israel gives security to Jews all over the world.”
Members of the group were impressed with the
friendly and frank conversations with Israeli political
leaders and the special treatment that they received.
The group met with Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of the Interior Eli Yishai on a number of occasions. Minister Yishai is a longtime friend of the community. He has visited our community on many occasions.
Minister Yishai joined the group for breakfast and
afterwards, they continued on to a conference where
social issues, as well as matters pertaining to the Shas
political party, their aims and their political future were
discussed.
Ben-Gurion Matsas raised a concern to the minister that the party has lost its original Sephardic
image and has become an ultra-Orthodox Hasidic
party. As a result, many of their previous supporters
are disillusioned and it seems as if the party is going
to lose seats in the Knesset in the upcoming elections.
On another occasion, Minister Yishai accompanied
the group to a Lag Ba'omer celebration and dinner at
the home of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. Despite his busy
schedule, Minister Yishai also spent half a day with the
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IMAGE
Their stay in Jerusalem would not have been complete without an invitation from Mayor Ehud Olmert.
They met the mayor in City Hall, which overlooks the Old
City. Mayor Olmert stressed the importance of keeping
Jerusalem under Israeli control, which would guarantee
access to the holy sites for all religions. Using a map on
his office wall, Mayor Olmert showed the group the
neighborhoods surrounding the old and the new cities.
Citing and pointing out specific examples, the mayor
explained why it was impossible to divide Jerusalem.
Joe Levy asked what the mayor thought about
Barak's plan to give away three-quarters of the Old City.
It was Mr. Olmert’s opinion that the plan was a mistake
and should not be offered again. The mayor reinforced
the point that the Jewish people are strong, and even
though they are going through challenging times, he
said that they will ultimately prevail.
They also had meetings with the Minister of Health
Nissim Dahan and Dori Gold, the American-born, volunteer spokesman for the Israeli government.
After the second day of their political and social
meetings, they were once again invited to the home of
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef for dinner to celebrate Lag
Ba'omer, where they met the Rabbi's children, Rabbi
and Mrs. Moshe Yosef, Rabbi David Yosef and Rabbi
Tzvi Yosef. They were all happy to see Rabbi Shimon
Alouf, Rabbi of Ahava V'ahva Congregation, who had
recently moved to Jerusalem. Rabbi Alouf gave a small
speech, calling Rabbi Ovadia Yosef a “giant in the
Torah,” and recognizing that we are privileged to live in
this generation and be in the room together with one of
the greatest hahamim and poskim of our generation. He
praised Rabbi Yosef for his astute ability in adapting
halachot to our modern world.
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group when they took a helicopter ride to Har Meron to
visit the grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. On the
return trip, they made a brief visit to the gravesite of
Rabbi Meir Baal Hanes in Tiberias and then headed
back to Jerusalem.
Since Prime Minister Sharon has a unity government, some ministers in his cabinet, such as Foreign
Minister Shimon Peres and Minister of Defense
Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, are members of the opposing
Labor party. Though both Peres and Ben-Eliezer have
similar peace and security plans, they want to execute
them differently than Prime Minister Sharon and his fellow Likud members. Jack Avital told Minister BenEliezer, “While Israel attacks the terrorist groups in the
West Bank, the Israeli people reap the benefits of less
terrorism in Israel.” He praised Minister Ben-Eliezer's
military leadership, particularly after the offensive in the
West Bank, whose aim was to root out terrorist groups.
Mr. Matsas told Ben-Eliezer, “While there is a coalition
government, the Labor party should work in unity with
Likud and endeavor to support the actions of Prime
Minister Sharon.”
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres stressed the importance of continuing with the peace process and going
back to the negotiating table, regardless of the continuing attacks on Israeli soil. According to his many years
of government experience, he feels that this is the proper way to proceed.
Following the meeting with Foreign Minister Peres
they were invited to lunch with Minister David Levy and
Minister of Public Security Uzi Landau at the Knesset.
Before the meal, many Knesset members came to greet
and thank them for showing their solidarity by traveling
to Israel. They requested that the group ask the JewishAmerican public to plan their own trips to the Holy Land.
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They enjoyed a delicious dinner and sang pizmonim with Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. The Rabbi was gracious enough to meet each of the group members privately to discuss personal matters and bestow his
blessings upon them. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef sent a
blessing to the Syrians and Sephardim of New York
and New Jersey.
In addition to meeting Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Jack
Avital arranged for them to visit Chief Rabbi Eliyahu
Bakshi-Doron, former Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu
and the Mekubal, Rabbi Kadouri. It was spiritually elevating to be in the presence of these Torah scholars
whose opinions, guidance and blessings are respected
all over the world.
Thanks to Jack Avital for making arrangements for
all the meetings. Without his tireless efforts, the trip
would never have taken place.
Bunny Escava summed up the feelings of the group
when he said, “This was the trip of a lifetime. I never
imagined that this kind of trip could be accomplished. It
was an experience to see how Israeli people go through
everyday life during these difficult times.”
We urge everyone to visit Israel and support it in
any way they possibly can.
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ews from across the globe gathered in front of
Washington, D.C.’s Capitol building to show their
support in a massive rally for Israel. The crowd,
estimated at 150,000 to 200,000, listened patiently and cheered as numerous speakers took to the podium to voice their support.
The event, organized by the Conference of
Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
and the United Jewish Committees, was put together in
an extremely short amount of time, but intense spreading of the word via e-mail and word of mouth led to the
impressive turnout. There are a few figures to consider
that tell the story. The Washington Metro System transported 110,000 people to the rally. Because of the high
volume of travelers, many people were forced to walk
over two miles to get to the Capitol building. Thus it is
conceivable that as many as an additional hundred
thousand people were at the rally who did not use the
Metro. In addition, many who traveled the long bus ride
to Washington did not get there in time, and it is
believed that the numbers would have increased a
great deal if everyone had arrived on schedule.
Flying down seemed to be the easiest way to and
from the rally. Some air travelers returned to New York
before 6 pm, while a number of bus riders did not get
home until the early hours of the following morning.
Some of the bus riders, though, had the opportunity to
become the recipients of a great act of hesed. The day
of the rally brought clear skies and high temperatures.
After a couple of hours, drinks were pretty much impossible to find. Amazingly, many New Yorkers brought
back stories of Washington residents coming out of
their houses, offering the exhausted rally participants
cold drinks to help make their visit a more enjoyable
one.
More than 35 states were represented, as well as
100 college campuses. Two thousand students from
Yeshiva University were thought to have attended the
rally. Classes were canceled for those who wanted to
attend the rally. A large contingent from our community
made the trip to Washington by car, train or plane.
Businessmen and women, business owners, housewives—people of all professions—took time out from
their hectic schedules for this important event. The
Sephardic National Alliance had major representation,
as well as our community leaders and rabbis.
Students from Magen David and Yeshivah of
Flatbush were among the many who filled the crowd.
Buses were also arranged by many of the community
synagogues, and the Sephardic Community Center.
The main goals of those who attended were well
represented by the large number of distinguished
speakers. Former New York City Mayor Rudolph
Giuliani was perhaps the most adamant in his support
for Israel, stressing the fact that Israel has stood by the
United Sates as its ally before, and must be backed
now. “The desire for peace must not overcome common
sense,” said Giuliani.
New York Governor George Pataki spoke along
similar lines, receiving a tremendous ovation when he
said that the Palestinian Authority harbors terrorists. He
also tried to explain Israel’s point of view. “The moral
equation strongly tells everyone who understands freeContinued on page 448
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dom, who understands morality, that Israel is engaging
in a just war in defense of its people.”
Israeli Minister of Housing, Natan Sharansky made
a strong point when he informed the crowd that “Never
again can we be quiet when Jewish people are being
killed.” For Sharansky, the rally had a special meaning.
As he mentioned in his speech, 20 years ago, American
Jews gathered at the same point to fight for the release
of Soviet Jews in the former U.S.S.R. The Soviet Jewry
movement eventually allowed countless Jews from
Russia to emigrate to either the United States or Israel.
The enormous crowd in our nation’s capital is hopefully
a sign that American Jewry will once again accomplish
their primary objective of a proper end to the conflict in
the Middle East.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
was another favorite of the crowd. Expressing the feelings of those there, Yasir Arafat was singled out as the
troublemaker in the Middle East. “Arafat does not want
a Palestinian State next to Israel, he wants a
Palestinian State instead of Israel. Yasir Arafat is nothing more than Osama Bin Laden with good PR.”
Netanyahu also referred to the PA Chairman’s view of
the future as “Arafatistan.”
While it is far too early to foresee the long-term
impact of the rally, we can only pray that our support will
be felt by our family in Israel, as we all hope for a peaceful end to the current turmoil in our homeland.
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ith signs of “Never Again” and
“Not On Our Watch,” Jews—
young and old—representing
dozens of different groups and
philosophies, poured onto the National Mall
in Washington, D.C. for the “Save Darfur”
rally. They came from around the country to
raise awareness about the genocide occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan, where a
sovereign country is supporting militant
groups that are attacking Sudanese citizens. To date, hundreds of thousands have
been killed and many more injured in continued violence in this African country.
The event featured many prominent
voices, including politicians and Hollywoodtypes. While the organizers had a permit that allowed
up to 15,000 people to gather, there was easily twice
that many in attendance. The gathering was not a
“Jewish rally,” even though a majority of the participants
were Jews. These groups came after hearing a call
from their rabbis, the Rabbinical Council of America, the
Orthodox Union, Hadassah and other groups, that promoted the event as a worthwhile humanitarian cause.
The Brooklyn community didn’t get the call to participate from the outside. Instead, they learned about it
first hand. Sam Sutton of the Brooklyn Sephardic community traveled to Darfur and witnessed the situation
himself. Once the rally was scheduled, he and others, in
a true team effort, assembled a group that would participate. The Sephardic Bikur Holim arranged to have a
bus ready for community members that wanted their
voices heard—who spoke volumes simply by being in
attendance and being counted. Rabbi Ricky Hidary of
Merkaz Moreshet Yisrael publicized the event through
his organizational channels, and the AWARE
Committee of the Bikur Holim helped plan the trip.
Mindy Elo, Robby Setton, and David Dweck all pitched
in and helped the group come together.
Mindy Elo greeted the over three dozen rally participants at 8:00 am in front of the Sephardic Community
Center for the ride to Washington. “After a four hour bus
ride, there we were, standing in front of Capitol Hill. It
was incredible to see such a diverse group of people
united for one cause; coming together to help others
that live on the other side of the world,” Elo said.
Gloria Blumenthal of the Sephardic Community
Center traveled with a different group to D.C. Gloria’s synagogue filled two buses with people. “I was enormously
proud of the Jewish turnout from all segments of Jewish
life,” she said. “I saw yeshivah students, ultra-orthodox
men and women, members of all synagogue movements.
They were inundating the Mall in Washington D.C.”
The first speaker was famous author, and
Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, who stood at the podium in front of a screaming crowd, and in a broken voice
stated firmly, “In 1943, people were dying around me in
the concentration camp and the United States did not
help! Now there are others in danger, and the
United States should stand up for them, help
them!”
Humanitarian groups say people in Darfur
have become victims and are being killed, simply
because of the ethnic group they were born into.
We remember that historically Jews suffered from
pogroms and discrimination for the same reason.
Gloria Blumenthal reminds us that we shouldn’t forget this, “We have not forgotten our experiences
from both the long-ago and recent past, and we
don’t want to see others suffer the same as we
have; this is why we are ready to work toward that
goal by coming to rallies on behalf of other groups,
such as those in Darfur. We will let our government
officials know that they are being held responsible
if they remain silent.”
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Heritage Trip to Poland and Israel
n Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day),
the Syrian community took their first-ever adult
heritage trip to Poland and Israel. 45 community
adults spent five days paying respect to the dead
in the concentration camps of Poland and then flew to
Israel for Yom Hazikaron (Israel's Memorial Day to its
fallen soldiers) and to celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut
(Israel's Independence Day).
Rabbi Aryeh Hendler, the historian and their tour
guide, made this trip to Poland a spectacular learning and growing experience. On the first day of the
trip, they went to see the Warsaw Ghetto wall, which
was 11 miles long, 11.5 feet high and 5 feet thick. It
was built in 1940, with Jewish money the Nazis confiscated.
On the second day, they visited the Majdanek
Concentration Camp: 360,000 innocent people were
murdered there. Half of them were Jewish. They spent
five hours in the concentration camp. They stood beside
a pile of ashes of 100,000 people killed there. 180,000
Jews were gassed there. 180,000 non-Jews were shot.
Rabbi Hendler explained that non-Jews weren't killed in
gas chambers. Why were the Jews the only ones to be
exterminated as rats in gas chambers? Because Jews
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O
were not considered human. They were like vermin, so
why waste bullets on them? They just killed them like
vermin and rats.
They went into the gas chambers. They saw the
scratches on the walls. The people who were murdered
there didn't have family left to sit shiva, so the students sat
on the floor and silently wept for them.
They saw the ovens where the victims were cremated. They touched their shoes. One bunk had about
100,000 pairs of shoes.
On the third day, they went to pay their respects to
the victims at Zbilatovska Gora. They spent five hours
with Rabbi Hendler in Auschwitz II, otherwise known as
Birkenau—the death camp where most of the murders
took place.
They marched about a mile to the entrance to the
camp in a silent procession led by two Sifrei Torah and
the flag of Medinat Yisrael. It was very touching. This
was the first time a Sepharadi Sefer Torah was ever in
Auschwitz. In Birkenau, they witnessed firsthand the
sheer size of this death factory.
The trip to Poland and Israel confirmed one thing:
“Am Yisrael Hai”—the Jewish people will suffer, but will
endure and always live on. Amen.
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Synagogues
“In the field of religion, approximately 40 synagogues have been established (in our
community). Among them are some of the most beautiful houses of worship in the
world, rising in majesty, and comparable to the outstanding synagogues of Florence
Italy and Central Europe. Our community has remained loyal and faithful to our traditions of Sinai. Our rate of intermarriage is almost non-existent; unmatched anywhere
else in the world. Our daily, Shabbat and holiday attendance at all of the synagogues is
extremely high. Torah classes at all levels for men and women of all ages are abundant
and increase daily. Our elementary and high school yeshivot are attended by a higher
percentage of our community than any other group in the world. In the field of social
activities, the achievements have been truly phenomenal.”
–Sam Catton, Men of Faith and Vision
The following are some articles that were published in IMAGE Magazine during the past 18 years.
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Shaare Zion
A Community Program for the
Community's Future
Raymond Beyda
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As most of us know, a problem-free marriage is a
rare occurrence. All of us need a period of adjustment
in the first year to adapt to the demands of living with
another person. Most of us also need some tutoring on
the way to maintain the bliss of marriage after the
‘album and video’ are collecting dust on a shelf. Our
seminars for newlyweds aim to address and remedy
many of these problems. In a recent conversation with
Hakham Baruch he told me, “You must tell the people
that the learning of Torah may have grown recently, but
it is of utmost importance to our community that the
growth not only continue but it must increase. Torah is
the answer to all of our problems whether it be marriage, drugs or any of the serious issues plaguing our
beautiful kahal (congregation).” The Rabbi then added,
“Be sure to tell them that The Shaare Zion Torah Center
is of utmost importance to the character of future generations. Our future depends on its success and growth.”
Several years ago, the Rabbi initiated the program
and today he is stressing its importance to us for the
future of our community. What we have accomplished
in the past several years is very important, but what is
more vital to our community is what we still have to
achieve. May Hashem grant us the wisdom, the foresight and the support to succeed in His holy work,
Amen.
Raymond Beyda is the director of the Shaare Zion Torah
Center. The original article has been edited for length.
18th ANNIVERSARY
he original Shaare Zion Congregation
was started in 1941 and was located
between Avenues T and U, and Ocean
Parkway. The Hadaya families and several other community members donated the original
house. That property was sold in 1957 and the
money was used as a down payment towards the
new synagogue now located at 2030 Ocean
Parkway.
A general meeting was called and a substantial-sized committee was organized to structure the
new synagogue, which promised to be the largest
undertaking of our community ever. It became the
new mother synagogue of the Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn.
On any given weeknight, you’ll find about 60
young men and some not-so-young men there.
Most of these men also participate in classes every
morning and spend part of their Sunday and Shabbat
learning Torah and developing their abilities in a positive way. The classes vary from beginner to advanced
and cover all areas of Torah scholarship—Mishnah and
Gemara, Halakha, Tanakh, Parashah and Mussar.
Language is not an obstacle. Lashon Hakodesh,
English and Arabic are spoken—as well as Spanish and
Portuguese.
In the early days of our project, we invited Hakham
Leon Guindi to conduct a morning class in Arabic. The
result surpassed even our wildest fantasy. What started
out as a class developed into a new minyan at 6 am followed by intense learning between 6:45 and 8 am (and
sometimes beyond if the heated issues were not
resolved to the satisfaction of the over 35 men who
attend daily).
Another idea that proved to us that ‘you never
know’ is the ladies program—especially our Monday
sessions. We never imagined that over 70 women
would find the time to become ‘regulars’ in a class of
Halakha!
Famous woman guest lecturers visit the Dome to
speak on issues of concern to our women. The series is
called “Woman of Valor” and the crowds have grown
with each new guest. Valet parking is provided to insure
safety and convenience for the 500-600 women who
attend.
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Rabbi Moshe Shamah, Councilman Simcha Felder, NYC
Landmarks Preservation Chairman Sherida Paulsen, Mrs. Levy,
Synagogue President Eddie Levy, Chief Rabbi Kassin and Rabbi
Benjamin Seruya
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Inside Magen David
Magen David Synagogue
Declared A Landmark
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T
he overcast skies and threat of rain did not
deter the excited crowd of community members that gathered on a June morning to mark
a momentous occasion. They had all gathered
on 67th Street in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn to witness the
unveiling of a plaque that designated the Magen David
Synagogue a New York City landmark.
The synagogue was designed by architect Maurice
Courland and was constructed in 1920-21. It has long
been an integral part of the community and is considered to be the “mother” synagogue. Besides the daily
prayer services that have been taking place at the synagogue for over 80 years, it has been home to countless community and family events, both joyous, and
unfortunately, tragic.
It should be understood the name Magen David
Synagogue can be misleading because it was so much
more than a synagogue. The synagogue has always
been a center of Torah and purity, represented by the
Talmud Torah, the mikveh and of course, the synagogue itself. And it has played host not only to weddings and bar mitzvahs, but to visiting dignitaries and
some of the greatest rabbis of their respective generations.
The ceremony began with the introduction of
speakers by Sherida E. Paulsen, AIA and chair from the
Landmarks Preservation Commission. From the steps
in front of the synagogue she introduced the morning’s
first speaker, Rabbi Daniel. Rabbi Daniel talked about
his past association with Ahi Ezer and how as a result,
he had been to Magen David Synagogue on many
occasions, mostly for funerals of community members.
Rabbi Daniel pointed out that the spirits of all those who
had passed away over the years were at the ceremony
to honor this magnificent synagogue that has been
used since the ’20s.
Chief Rabbi Shaul Jacob Kassin was next to speak.
The Rabbi spoke about his amazement that 80 years
ago, a handful of people had the foresight to build such a
beautiful building—even by 21st-century standards. The
Rabbi recalled how over the years, our community has
come to unite many times in the main synagogue. In
addition he made note of the fact that the synagogue has
played host to a large number of happy occasions and
dedications. Rabbi Kassin blessed us that we should
hear only good news in the future, because we are a people of peace to the extent that even in our conversations,
we begin and end with the word “Shalom”—peace. In
closing, the Rabbi informed the crowd that the Jewish
people as a whole cannot exist without peace and unity.
Rabbi Benjamin Seruya took a trip down memory
lane, fondly recalling his bar mitzvah in 1945, his wedding, and the bar mitzvot of his children—all of which
took place at Magen David Synagogue. The Rabbi then
proceeded to give a brief history of Sephardic Jewry in
the United States. The major emigration of Sephardic
Jews to the United Sates began in 1900 when Joseph
Continued on page 458