Bridging Sephardicthe Ashkenazi

DIVIDEA conversation with Yehuda Azoulay, founder of the Sephardic Legacy Series: Institute for Preserving Sephardic Heritage

By Yitzchok Frankfurter

Ami411_Cover Feature.indd 74 3/25/19 10:44 PM COVER FEATURE COVER Bridging Sephardic Ashkenazi DIVIDE

Ami411_Cover Feature.indd 75 3/25/19 10:44 PM Cover feature: Bridging the Sephardic/Ashkenazi Divide

n American poet once said: “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to rec- ognize, accept, and cele- Yehuda Azoulay at a brate those differences.” reception with Sephardic AThis perceptive statement Yitzchak Yosef is all the more true when it comes to the Sephardic/ and to bring Sefardim and Ashke- the largest Jewish community in the Muslim Ashkenazi divide. nazim closer, it certainly resonates. world. Jews were the first in the country to Lest anyone needs to be reminded, many adopt the French language. Today, very few of the greatest Jewish leaders and scholars A Well-Balanced Life Jews remain. were Sefardim who lived in lands under “The entire Jewish world learns the “I grew up in Toronto, and in the syna- Muslim control. In fact, the Rambam, who Rambam, the Beit Yosef, and many other gogues we attended I heard more French, was born in 1138, lived under Islamic rule Sephardic Rishonim and ,” he tells and Spanish being spoken than his entire life. He grew up in Córdoba, in me. “At one point, 90% of world Jewry was English,” he shares. “I went to a Sephardic what is now southern Spain, and after it was Sephardic. But the ratios have changed since school and a Sephardic camp. Everything conquered by the extremist Almohads when the 12th century, when the Rosh and other around me was 100% Sephardic. It wasn’t he was ten years old, his family fled to gedolim and their families and communities until the eighth grade when I heard an Ash- Morocco. In 1166, after a brief yet formative left Spain for Germany.” kenazi rabbi make a brachah on the visit to Eretz Yisrael, then under Crusader Yehuda, however, is determined to bring that I heard someone pronouncing the rule, they ultimately settled in Egypt, first the Sephardic legacy back to the fore. A first- words that way. I didn’t even know that such in Alexandria and then in Fustat (part of generation Canadian, Yehuda is of Moroccan a thing existed. We knew about Ashkenazim, present-day ). The Rambam lived there descent. Both of his parents were born in but we didn’t know that they prayed differ- until his passing in 1204. Yet how many Morocco. His father came to Canada at the ently.” Ashkenazim, the majority of whom cling to age of 23, and his mother’s family arrived “How would you define the Sephardic every utterance of the Rambam, especially when she was five. heritage in a nutshell?” I ask. his Mishneh Torah, are aware of his Sephardic Before the founding of the State of “I would describe it as a unique amalga- heritage? So when Yehuda Azuolay tells me in 1948, there were between 250,000 and mation of Torah and mitzvot and whatever about his mission to promote Sephardic 350,000 Jews living in Morocco, making it positive things we can incorporate from the

®

NEW YORK | HACKENSACK | LAKEWOOD | MONSEY CHERRY HILL | PHILADELPHIA

Ami411_Cover Feature.indd 76 3/25/19 10:44 PM Yehuda Azoulay visiting Rav Shaul Kassin “In keeping with the ways of many of the both fields discourages any inclination to sages of Aleppo, my grandfather did not defect from the straight and narrow. When make a living from the Torah. He was a he shut up his fabric shop each day, grand- trader in fabrics, spending a few hours in father would return to his studies and sit his shop and the rest of the day at his studies. among the sages of the beit midrash.” What would have been surprising in Eretz “My goal is to promote Sephardic Judaism Israel was considered normal in Aleppo. in any way possible,” Yehuda tells me with Once a certain scholar came from Eretz Israel evident passion, “whether through educa- to Aleppo. He went into the beit midrash and tion or the media. We are currently working asked the local scholars about a halachic on a Sephardic encyclopedia, which is a year ruling that was the subject of a dispute in or two away from completion. Part of it is Eretz Israel. They could not answer him. funded by the Israeli Ministry of Education They told him, ‘We have no answer, but and the rest by a philanthropic family. The there is a sage among us; perhaps he can project will cost a quarter of a million answer your question.’ He asked them, ‘And dollars. where is he studying?’ They told him, ‘In the “Our group has also saved hundreds of secular world,” he states assertively. “If you textile market.’ manuscripts from Iraqi archives. We’ve study the history of the Jews in Morocco or “He went to the market and found him lobbied the United States Congress, and in the Ottoman Empire or Egypt, they didn’t grappling with rolls of satin fabric. He asked Ottawa we were in contact with Prime Min- isolate themselves from the rest of society. him, ‘Is it possible you have knowledge of isters Harper and Trudeau. We’ve also They participated in it up to a point, but they such-and-such a halachah?’ The sage gave lobbied the government of Morocco and the also knew how to draw the line and maintain him the answer, then said, ‘Wait for me. I royal family. And there are other things in kedushah in their homes and communities. have a transaction to complete with this roll the works that I’m not at liberty to mention. Our greatest gedolim, from the Rambam to of fabric, and then I shall tell you the source.’ “I actually just received an email from the the Arizal, worked to earn a parnasah. On “He went to wherever he went, sold what- -based JIMENA (Jews Indigenous the other end of the spectrum, c The best ever he sold, and returned to his shop. He to the Middle East and North Africa). The term to describe it would be ‘balanced took the scholar from Israel by the hand, organization is in the midst of discussions Judaism,’ and there is still much to learn from went with him to the beit midrash, climbed with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo regard- such an approach today. I’m not saying that up, took from the bookcase a copy of Nehar ing certain cultural property agreements we are better than the Ashkenazim, but our Shalom, showed him the reference and re- with Arab lands. There’s a big movement unique lifestyle can bring a big, shining turned to his shop. The scholar said to the trying to have Jewish property excluded, brightness to the entire Jewish world.” people in the beit midrash, ‘Have you taken and I was asked to represent 12 organiza- Yehuda’s description of Sephardic culture leave of your senses? You have such a trea- tions in North America. as “balanced Judaism” reminds me of the sure in your midst, and yet you let him waste “One of the things I’m involved in is the narrative that appears in the critically ac- his time among spools of fabric?’ return of sifrei Torah, books, manuscripts claimed book Aleppo Tales by Rabbi Haim “Our teaching has always been that it is a and land. But I don’t really do it aggressively Sabato, whom I have the great privilege of fine thing whentalmud Torah is combined because I’d rather focus on what I feel are knowing personally: with secular employment, since success in more realistic goals. I’m not going to spend

וזאת תורת המנחה • מנחה היא שלוחה אשריכם AS AN EXPRESSION OF HAKARAS HATOV THOUSANDS OF HOURS ישראל! were learned this Purim by avreichim in AN INTERNATIONAL RELIEF RESPONSE Eretz Yisroel as a Mishloach Manos for their partner Kehillos in Chutz La’aretz.

Giving every individual the opportunity to collectively make a difference. 866.953.2735 [email protected] Ad paid for by private donors

Ami411_Cover Feature.indd 77 3/25/19 10:44 PM Cover feature: Bridging the Sephardic/Ashkenazi Divide

Yehuda Azoulay visiting Rav

my whole life battling governments. I’ve spoken at the UN and I testified before the House of Commons Subcommittee on International Human Rights in Ottawa about the threat posed by the Iranian regime and the historical significance of Purim. I don’t believe that it’s possible to achieve everything politically, which is why I basically do my own thing. I was told by the Safra Foundation that when you support an event, the event comes and goes, but when you support something tangible like a book or a documentary, it lasts forever. I do occasionally speak pub- licly, but that’s not my focus. “I’ve written five books under my own name, starting at the age of 20, but we’ve years. Then one day someone said to me, ‘If halachah are often different. Many of the published approximately a dozen titles in you’re raising all this money for non-profits, known differences have to do with Pesach. total, and five or six more are coming out why not do it for real estate investments?’ Sephardic Jews are permitted to eat rice, very soon. B’ezrat Hashem we’re going to “That was over four years ago, and today corn, peanuts and beans on Pesach, while have dozens and dozens of books. My goal I manage a very large mortgage investment are prohibited from eating is to keep the printing presses running con- portfolio called Concrete Mortgage Capital them. There are also differences in the pro- stantly. I’m also going to be making YouTube Inc. I also have a small wealth management nunciation of Hebrew as well as in the videos on Sephardic history. company called Yellowstone Wealth Man- for davening. “The pitfall is that Sephardic culture on agement. Having these businesses allows More importantly, there are differences in its own will get you nowhere. You can cel- me to focus on Sephardic Legacy and Ezrat Jewish practice that affected the very family ebrate Mimouna or have a henna party, but Achim, which is an organization for needy structure of these communities. For the next day you’re back to nothing. The Sephardic Jews in Toronto.” example, when Rabbeinu Gershom issued brachah is when you have the Torah and the his famous edict against it was way of life our taught us. Our institute The Two Leading accepted by the Ashkenazim but not by the has three or four writers working on text, Subcultures of Judaism Sefardim, and many leading Sephardic and I hope to make more documentaries as There are two distinct subcultures within gedolim, including the Baba Sali, had more well. The objective is to be like a miniature Judaism, and while the beliefs of Sephardic than one wife. ArtScroll.” Jews are more or less similar to those of the While the term “Ashkenazi” is derived I ask him how he supports himself. Ashkenazim, Sephardic interpretations of from the Hebrew word “Ashkenaz,” meaning “Baruch Hashem, I am married and the Germany, the nomenclature has now broad- father of three beautiful kids. I support my ened to include most European Jews. Simi- family by operating two businesses, and I larly, the Hebrew word “Sefarad” means believe that the brachah for that came from Spain, but all Jews who hail from Spain, Sephardic Legacy. “I went to a Portugal, North Africa and the Middle East “I used to be a teacher and vice principal are considered to be Sefardim. Sephardic of a school called Torah High, which is a Sephardic school Jews are often further subdivided into Se- division of NCSY for public high school and a Sephardic fardim and Mizrachiyim. The former refers students, and I used to raise money for my camp. Everything to Jews from Spain and Portugal, and the books on the side. I also raised money for latter to those who hail from Northern Africa needy communities in , Lakewood around me was and the Middle East. Up until the 1400s the and Toronto. I was really good at it and 100% Sephardic.” Iberian Peninsula, North Africa and the brought in several million dollars over the Middle East were all under Islamic rule, and

78 AMI MAGAZINE // MARCH 27, 2019 // 20 ADAR II 5779

Ami411_Cover Feature.indd 78 3/25/19 10:44 PM the Muslims generally allowed Jews to move is at the forefront of promoting this heritage. freely throughout the region. It was against It does a great disservice to everyone when the background of this relative tolerance the history of the Jewish people isn’t told in that Sephardic Jewry developed. As a result, a complete and holistic way. When a person Sephardic Jews have historically been more reads the standard books on Jewish history integrated into the local non-Jewish culture he is reading a book with missing chapters, than Ashkenazi Jews. In the Christian lands and those chapters contain the untold story where Ashkenazi Judaism flourished anti- of Sephardic Jews. Semitism was much more rampant, which “My ambition is to bring this knowledge had the effect of segregating Jews from the into the schools and museums. There are larger society. other organizations out there with similar While nowadays most are goals, but unfortunately many of them aren’t Ashkenazi, the early Jewish settlers of North religious. Then there are organizations that America were Sephardic. In Israel, by con- preserve sefarim and manuscripts, such as trast, a little more than half of all Jews are the Sephardic Heritage Foundation in the Mizrachiyim—descendants of those who Syrian community and Rav Yaakov Hillel, lived in the land since ancient times or were but their scope isn’t as broad as ours. forced out of Arab countries after Israel was “In Israel, the Bitton Institute is painstak- founded. Yehuda’s primary mission is to ingly going into all the curricula currently highlight the beauty of the Sephardic version being taught in the elementary and high of Judaism and thus bridge the divide schools and incorporating Sephardic history. between Ashkenazim and Sefardim, primar- That’s what I want to do in America and ily in North America. Canada too. Our story is barely being told. I ask Yehuda what inspired him to under- Nobody’s asking anyone to become Sep- take this mission. hardic, but our contributions and history “I was inspired by my parents and the must be recognized. rabbi of my , Chacham Amram “It’s not an easy mission, but I think I’m Assayag, who is a talmid of Rav Mordechai uniquely suited for it. I’m not too modern Eliyahu and Rav . Chacham and I’m not too chareidi. I’m right in Assayag brought a sense of pride into my between, so I can easily reach both worlds. community through the teachings of the Chacham Ovadia gave me a blessing spe- Sephardic chachamim, hillulot and piyutim cifically for that, and I accepted it humbly.” chanted with the ancient Moroccan melo- dies. He embedded all these things into our With Rav Ovadia Yosef souls. So it’s all really thanks to him.” Yehuda’s forerunner in recent times was “How big is the Sephardic community in Rav Ovadia Yosef, zt”l, whose motto was Toronto?” I want to know. “l’hachazir atarah l’yoshnah”—to return the “There are about 15,000 Sephardic Jews. crown to its former glory. This embodied We have 18 , one and one both a social and halachic agenda. On the school. About 80% of us are Moroccan, and social level, it was widely viewed as a call to there are also two Bukharian synagogues pursue a political agenda that would bolster and an Iraqi one. the standing of Sephardic Jews in Israeli “I’ve always felt that there was a great need society, as they had historically suffered to educate our own. Right now on my desk discrimination and were generally on a lower I have a biography of Rav socioeconomic level than their Ashkenazi that was given to me by his family, and A counterparts. With regard to Jewish practice, Legacy of Torah, which is a book of Sephardic it referred primarily to the obligation of commentators on the parshah. Our institute Sefardim to abide by the rulings of their own

Ami411_Cover Feature.indd 79 3/25/19 10:44 PM Cover feature: Bridging the Sephardic/Ashkenazi Divide

poskim, especially the Beit Yosef. As Rav Ovadia wrote in , “Even if a hundred Acharonim disagree with the Beit Yosef...no teacher is permitted to rule strin- gently contrary to the Beit Yosef’s instruc- tions to rule leniently.” In other words, Sefardim should not try to emulate their Ashkenazi brethren, even if it means that their observance of certain mitzvos may not be as demanding. I ask Yehuda if he is inspired by Rav Ova- dia’s message. “Very much so. It summed up his whole desire to bring back our Torah luminaries, like the Beit Yosef and the Rambam. But whereas his efforts consisted of authoring sefarim because he was a , I’m doing it through educational material. I once told him about a certain biography of Sephardic Yehuda Azoulay with Rav Yaakov Hillel gedolim, and he couldn’t believe that such a book existed in English. ‘Only Sefardim?’ I really wanted to know more about him. effort, I flew to Israel and spent a week in he asked me several times, incredulous that “When I started Sephardic Legacy, one of the . I was all of 24 years old. Every we’d finally made it. No one will ever be the first things I wanted to do was to write day I went to Chacham Ovadia’s house for able to fill his shoes, but he wanted Sep- about our rabbis. I was surprised that , Minchah and Arvit. I ate in his hardic Jews to follow their own ways.” nothing had been written about Rav Ovadia house a few times as well. The idea was for Yehuda then tells me about the relation- in English, but there were other things I had me to get to know some of the MKs so ship he was privileged to enjoy with that to do first before tackling that, including I could represent them, and I was going to late Sephardic . “When I was 14 I went finishing yeshivah. After I returned home I move to Brooklyn for that purpose. to Camp She’arim, which is run by the rosh made sure to go to Israel at least once a year “At the time I was still living in Lakewood. yeshivah of Waterbury, and my brother and so I could visit his synagogue and pray with I lived there for the four years I was studying I were the only Sefardim there out of 60 him. A few years later he found out about in BMG. Then I moved to Washington bachurim. It was there that we had the zechut my work. Heights to attend the Azrieli Graduate to meet Rav Ovadia Yosef. Then when I was “Around that time, Shas created an orga- School of Jewish Education, which is part 18 I went to Yeshivat Mikdash Melech, nization called American Friends of Shas, of University. After I earned a double which is the first-everSefardi -American and I was one of the people being considered master’s in education, I moved back to my yeshivah in Israel, whose rosh yeshivah is Rav for its executive director. As part of that hometown of Toronto. To make a long story Chaim Benoliel. Every Motzaei we short, that’s when I really started to would go to Yazdim, a huge Persian syna- strengthen my to Rav Ovadia, even gogue where thousands of people came “My goal is to though I ended up declining the position every week to hear Rav Ovadia speak. It was with Shas. But every year I continued to go broadcast all over Israel, and then the next promote Sephardic to Israel for the month of Tishrei and pray day it would be shown via satellite in places Judaism in any every morning in . I also slept in the like Tehran, Djerba, Morocco and even way possible, building next door to Rav Eliyahu Attias for Brooklyn. four consecutive years so I could pray with “I was beyond impressed the first time I whether through him on Yom Kippur. Moshe Habusha was heard him speak because he was very char- education or the the chazzan there. ismatic. It wasn’t just his divrei Torah; it was media.” “For the last ten years of Rav Ovadia’s life also his sense of humor and poetic language. my appreciation for him only grew. And the

80 AMI MAGAZINE // MARCH 27, 2019 // 20 ADAR II 5779

Ami411_Cover Feature.indd 80 3/25/19 10:44 PM Genetics 101: more I knew him, the more I wanted with tattoos and someone in a black hat EVERYTHING to know everything about his back- sitting next to each other. There is certainly ground and accomplishments. His no uniformity. That’s the way it is in both son, Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, Israel and Brooklyn. We are divided geo- YOUR FAMILY once told me no one was as thorough graphically and with regard to customs, but NEEDS TO KNOW... as I was in doing research. I hired we are not divided spiritually, emotionally Rabbi Shai Cabessa to go through all or culturally. We have the same mentality 54 sefarim written by Chacham and way of life. Yes, Jews from the same Ovadia and choose the main topics geographical region tend to stick together, MARCH 31 for inclusion in the book. I also hired but we’ll also mix with each other when it someone else to go through all of the comes to marriage. available biographical information, “I’m trying to preserve Sephardic culture 9 AM - 12 PM and then I oversaw the entire project. in the tradition of Chacham Ovadia, CONG. BNAI YESHURUN We were fortunate to get a lot of Chacham Yitzchak Nissim and Rav Yosef 641 W ENGLEWOOD AVE, TEANECK NEW JERSEY firsthand information from the Messas. I don’t mean this in a bad way, but SPEAKERS: family.” none of them wanted Sephardic Jews to be “How would you describe the Ashkenazim. G-d bless everyone, but when finished product?” someone is born chasidish he should remain “Chacham Benoliel articulated it chasidish and follow his . Sefardim have best: ‘You walked a fine line when to know that they don’t have to go elsewhere. writing this book.’ It’s an accurate descrip- In a certain respect, the problem is that we Rabbi Dr. Dr. William Dr. David tion of Chacham Ovadia, who was simulta- have it too easy; a Sefardi can go to Aaron Glatt Kearns Pelcovitz neously with the hamon am while being a and become or he can become a tzaddik and gadol. In my opinion, he was Lubavitcher. In Montreal, a major chunk of truly one of the greatest leaders in Jewish the Sephardic community is either Breslov history.” or Chabad, when all they really have to do

“So you’re a disciple of his,” I say. is look in their own backyard, at their own Rabbi Steven Rabbi Elan Rabbi Gideon “He gave me brachot many times. I brought mesorah. That’s what I’m trying to convey. Pruzansky Segelman Weitzman my whole family along plus my parents, “I am not trying to sow division, chas brothers and friends. It was very hard to get v’shalom. I visited Auschwitz in May with a • DNA & Halacha in, but we did. Even a few months before group from Aish, even though I don’t have • Genetic Abnormalities & he passed away I was able to speak to him any connection with other Pregnancy Loss on the phone to ask for a brachah for a boy, than the fact that I’m a Jew, and as a Jew it’s • How to handle Genetic and we had a son after Chacham Ovadia important that I be educated about it. The Issues in Shidduchim & Life passed away. We named him Ovadia Yosef, problem is that most Ashkenazim don’t feel • New World of Science & Halacha and since my father’s name is also Yosef it the same obligation to learn about us. They INCLUDE: TOPICS • Genetic Screening 101 was a two-for-one package.” think that the only thing going for us is that we have great food! Yes, it’s a great culture Targeting the and we’re very colorful, but there’s a lot more Whole World to being Sephardic than that. We’re all part “The Ashkenazi world is composed of of the same Jewish fabric.” many diverse groups. Is that also true of the “In Israel there’s always been an issue of Sephardic community?” I want to know. Sephardic Jews being second-class citizens. RABBINIC HOST COMMITTEE: Rabbi Yosef Adler “Yes and no,” he replies. “There’s less label- Has the situation been resolved somewhat?” Rabbi Shalom Baum | Rabbi Aharon Ciment Rabbi Daniel Feldman | Rabbi Yehuda Halpert ing because we are blessed to not have any “My father fought in the Six-Day War, and Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot | Rabbi Haim Jachter Reform or Conservative denominations. One he always felt that his European-born friends Rabbi Binyamin Krohn | Rabbi Steven Pruzansky synagogue or institution may be more reli- had an easier time advancing in the army. Rabbi Larry Rothwachs | Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky gious than another, but you can have a guy He even joined the , who were Rabbi Moshe Stavsky | Rabbi Michael Taubes COMMUNITY COMMITTEE: Rina and Nahum Felman Mindy and Yisrael Gottesman | Shelly and Robert Lefkowitz | Monique Victor and Curtis Rindfleish

Ami411_Cover Feature.indd 81 3/25/19 10:44 PM Cover feature: Bridging the Sephardic/Ashkenazi Divide

Yehuda Azoulay visiting Baba Baruch Abuhatzeira

mostly Moroccans. (Editor’s note: The Black Panthers was an Israeli protest movement of Jewish immigrants from North Africa and the Middle East. It was one of the first or- ganizations in Israel trying to achieve social justice for Sefardi and Mizrachi Jews, bor- rowing the name from the American group by the same name. It is also sometimes re- ferred to as the Israeli Black Panthers to distinguish them from the American radi- cals.) Nowadays, the problem exists mainly in the chareidi community than in the more modern or secular communities.” “Whom are you targeting, the Sephardic reader, the Ashkenazi reader or both?” “Both. There are all kinds of educated people out there including rabbis, laymen and businessmen of all different kinds who are simply unaware of a vast swath of Jewish history.” my first non-Jewish exposure. I started off erations. This is another means of preserv- “If you had a single message for Ashke- with the music from Fiddler on the Roof, ing our heritage. nazim, what would it be?” and everyone laughed because they knew “A lot of Jews are simply unaware of the “To paraphrase Rav Shlomo Amar, I would that it was neither Middle Eastern nor Sephardic tzaddikim. That’s why when I say that they should know how special the North African music. ‘That’s the problem,’ started my organization I decided to focus neshamah tehorah and peshutah of the Sep- I explained. ‘Some people think that this on them and their teachings first. From hardic Jew really is. That’s probably one of is the sum total of Jewish music, but there’s there we can work our way down to the the reasons why we don’t have the same a whole other side to it.’ Then I went other aspects of our culture and history. dominance as the Ashkenazim, who are the through some of the Jewish music from I’m happy to tell you that there’s a lot of powerhouses of the yeshivah world, because various Sephardic countries including interest being shown from all kinds of Jews. we’re so simple that we just stayed in our Andalusia, which is very important. Ev- Not a week goes by without a call or email own world. But a lot of it also has to do with eryone loved it. from a random person reaching out to me, history. When the Ashkenazim were being “I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of which I find very inspiring. Someone asked butchered not just by the Nazis but during bakashot, but they’re old Sephardic melo- me yesterday which American Sephardic the Crusades, then later by the Cossacks dies connected to the parshat hashavua that yeshivah he should attend in Israel. Our and during the pogroms, our situation was have been passed down through the gen- institute has become not only a vehicle for a lot better. Of course there were violent education but a valuable resource for outbursts here and there—the life of Jews anyone with questions. Our team is sup- in Arab lands was also a roller coaster of ups ported not only by Sefardim but Ashkenazim and downs—but overall it was much less Yehuda’s as well. It used to take me a year to raise brutal. We’re also trying to educate non-Jews forerunner in enough money for a book; now it takes as well.” only weeks or even days. “To what end?” recent times was “I recently wrote a book about Rav “My goal is to get this information into Rav Ovadia Yosef, Amram Ben Diwan called The Miracle the hands of every reader. A while ago I gave zt”l, whose motto Worker. It’s not the usual style of the Sep- a two-and-a-half hour lecture on Sephardic hardic Legacy Series, but it fell into my lap. music at the Berklee College of Music in was “l’hachazir We printed 2,500 copies, and 2,000 were Boston. There were a number of non-Jews atarah l’yoshnah.” sold within two months. The books are in the audience as well, and it was probably also available in French and Spanish.

82 AMI MAGAZINE // MARCH 27, 2019 // 20 ADAR II 5779

Ami411_Cover Feature.indd 82 3/25/19 10:44 PM Putting all this stuff out isn’t easy. I sometimes wish I could be the person who just walks into the Judaica store and finds these books! “The first person who was shot in the Civil War was a Sephardic Jew. In Boston, they used to close the ports because of Shabbat. The first correspondence from President George Washington was addressed to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, which con- sisted of Spanish and Portuguese Jews, and the first synagogues in America and Canada were Sephardic. That doesn’t make one group better or worse, those are just the facts. I’ve spoken at Chabad Houses, shuls, schools, yeshivot and universities. I love it. And I don’t make any money, as all the royalties go to the orga- nization.” “I don’t know if you saw this, but Congresswoman Alexandria Ocassio-Cortez claims to be descended from Sephardic Jews.” “Yes. So does . He was the emcee at the event my organization held in Congress. He spoke for 25 minutes and mentioned that he’s the descendant of conversos.” I inquire about Yehuda’s affiliation with the Syrian Jewish community. “Our president is Joe Mansour, who lives in Brooklyn. My affiliation with the Syrian community goes back to Camp Shivtei Yisrael, which I went to as a 12-year-old. I went on to attend Syrian yeshivot and learned in the kollel of Rav Ezra Zafrani in Lakewood, aside from the Ashkenazi yeshivot I went to. I get a lot of chizzuk from being around chasidic Jews. They should be blessed forever. Lakewood is beautiful. I loved learning in BMG. But it’s time for the Sephardic Jews to shine as well.” “Azoulay was the last name of the Chida, who is the subject of one of your books. Are you a direct descendant?” “Yes. Our family has a Megillat Esther that was passed down from the Chida’s grandson. We were also told by our parents and grandparents that we’re descended from the L’Avraham. We’re originally from Fez, Morocco. I was just at his kever on Har Hamenuchot a few weeks ago.” “Are you aware of the Skverer Rebbe’s relationship with the Chida? He quotes him constantly. I think he even has original kisvei yad of his.” “No, I didn’t know that, but that’s certainly fascinating. People were blown away when they saw the Belzer Rebbe and Chacham Ovadia dancing together. Look, we all originally came from the same area of the world. I’m not saying that everyone should go back to his roots and become Sephardic, but a lot of people could use a refresher course in history.” l

Ami411_Cover Feature.indd 83 3/25/19 10:44 PM