SEPHARDIC HISTORY

David M Betesh

ith great pleasure, we Hallel VeZimrah (Sephardic im associated with the parashah present the annual Heritage Foundation). Due to the (as per Hakham Moshe Ashear), update of activities and efforts of Gabriel A Shrem, Isaac the proper Torah Aliyot Stops accomplishments of J Cabasso, and numerous other and Mishmara readings. Hakham theW Sephardic Pizmonim Project at cantors, the number of missing piz- Mordechai C Nadaf, Joey Mosseri, www.pizmonim.com. monim melodies is currently down to and Haim Shayo contributed to The Sephardic Pizmonim 90. Discovering the remaining miss- these listings. Project, dedicated in memory of ing pizmonim melodies has proven A revamping of the entire web- Hazzan Gabriel A Shrem (1916- to be an increasingly difficult task, site is currently underway. My friend, 1986), is an organization that pre- due to the aging of the population. Sam Franco, has designed a new serves the liturgical traditions of New recordings of already-known prototype for the website, and he is ’s Sephardic Jewish commu- pizmonim continuously get added to being assisted by Sauly M Betesh. nity. Our digital music archive col- the website. When ready, the new version of piz- lection consists of more than 1,200 Updated “Maqam of the Week” monim.com will be more technologi- recordings by some of the most paragraphs can be found in the cally up-to-date and user-friendly. venerated Syrian Hazzanim, past “Miqra” section, as well as in print We plan to launch the new website and present. Since April 2006, we in the “Aram Soba Foundation some time this year. welcomed more than 121,000 visi- Newsletter” that is distributed In the “Maqam” section, there tors from around the world. weekly by Congregation Bnai are charts and tables summarizing We focus our efforts on preserv- Yosef. Included are the correct relevant information on the topics of ing materials from our community’s maqam to apply for the the “Maqam of the Week” lists, infor- Red Pizmonim Book, Shir Ushbaha morning prayers, selected pizmon- Continued on page 134 SEPHARDIC HISTORY

Continued from page 132

mative facts about each maqam, as In addition, Alberto Attia, sent Hazzan Rephael Y. Elnadav A”H, in well as the order of maqamat sec- a copy of a valuable handwritten honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Ezra M. tions as seen in various pizmonim pizmonim manuscript from his great Tawil, in 1974). Thanks to Abie R. manuscripts since 1587. Thanks to grandfather, Yehudah Attia, dated Betesh, Youth Director of Sephardic Leon Sakkal for providing informa- 1858. Due to the fact that it is the , and Rabbi Nathan M. tion about the rare maqamat. personal manuscript of Alberto’s Dweck for organizing this wonder- In the “Prayer” section, we great grandfather, he took a special ful event. We hope that other syn- recommend studying the digitized interest in seeing that it got digi- agogues will copy the prototype Weekday that follows the Old tized and released. The pizmonim created by Abie Betesh and the Aleppo Ritual as found in Mahzor manuscripts provide us with many Sephardic Synagogue. Aram Soba of 1560. Understanding insights into what was practiced in Each year, the “High Holiday” the changes of the prayer texts 19th century Aleppo. Unfortunately, section (a page with all the record- from the 16th century compared to many of the pizmonim melodies in ings for Rosh Hashanah and Yom our Siddur is sure to provide broad the old manuscripts are lost to time Kippur) gets dedicated in memory of insight and a deeper understand- because most were forgotten, prior an individual who has passed away ing on how the Musta’arabi (native to the invention of the tape record- the previous year. The individual Jewish) population differed er. In addition to this manuscript, is honored because they represent from their Spanish Sephardic Jewish Alberto Attia also contributed a PDF the best character traits and values counterparts, as well as how the of the Aleppo Codex available to that we, as a community, strive to influence of the Kaballah changed download. emulate. Over the past few years, the text of many prayers in the We hope that our visitors take this award has been dedicated in Siddur. A PDF of Mahzor Aram the time to download and study the memory of Moisés Saba (2010), Soba from 1560 is available in the works of our Sephardic Hakhamim Joe Savdie (2009), Charles Antoky “Library” section. of Aleppo. We guarantee that this is (2008), Eddie Mishan (2007), Sam Our “Biography” section honors time well spent. Catton (2006), Charlie Seruya those hazzanim and lay leaders In the future, we hope to obtain (2005) and H. Selim Dweck (2004). that are associated with our project. more manuscripts that were part The High Holiday page for 2011 One page that has recently been of the Sassoon Library (Britain, was dedicated in loving memory of created is dedicated to the late 1930) and are now located in vari- our friend and beloved community Rephael Yair Elnadav (1919-2011), ous Jerusalem museums. These member, Mr. Frank Beda, Shabetai the legendary cantor that served manuscripts are mostly from the Ben Batyah A”H. May his memory our community from more than 50 19th century. This effort will require be blessed. years. Hazzan Elnadav officiated at some financing, due to the costs In “Let Jasmine Rain Down,” by numerous community weddings and of making digital copies, but once Dr. Kay Kaufman Shelemay, Gabriel has composed pizmonim in honor done, the material will always be A. Shrem was asked in an interview of these happy occasions. At least available online. (January 1986) about his compila- 10 of his pizmonim are in the Red Our “Youth Pizmonim Contest” tion of the Pizmonim Book. He is Book. Unfortunately, his authorized was a tremendous success, as quoted as saying, “about 13 years recordings are rare, but if any sur- many children picked difficult piz- of my life are in this book. I worked face, we will try to obtain permission monim and sang them in front of on it only at night, because, after to post them. a live audience. At the end of the all, I have to take care of my family. The “Aleppo Library” section night, each student walked away I used to work many times until 1 is our newest addition. It includes with a brand new pizmonim book, a or 2 o’clock in the morning, and as many texts of the works of Aleppo pizza dinner, and more importantly, it is, I used to work with one-sixth rabbis from the 18th through 20th a new pizmon that they will always vision of what the average person centuries. Most of the PDF’s were remember. has. I didn’t care. I’m in love with the obtained courtesy of hebrewbooks. David R. Hidary, son of Rabbi pizmonim books. I’m in love with the org. Thanks to Rabbi David Sutton, Dr. Ricky D. Hidary, was the first pizmonim.”‰ author of “Aleppo–City of Scholars,” prize winner of the contest with his who helped provide information for rendition of “Romemu Lo BeKol” on David M Betesh is a founder of the Sephardic the rabbinic works cited. page 237d (a pizmon composed by Pizmonim Project and a dental student.