COMMUNITY MAGAZINE May 2008

12 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Tomorrow’s Legacy I read with great interest (and pride), your cover article about the praiseworthy project of Yehuda Azoulay and Israel Bookshop to disseminate the life stories of some of our great Sephardic Hachamim of past genera- tions. For those who are fortunate enough to read the inspiring accounts in A Legacy of Leaders, I hope that these stories not only elicit longing for bygone eras and the hachamim (rabbis) who lived generations ago, but also bring us to appreciate the hachamim who are leading us today. Did we appreciate the treasures we had in Hacham Baruch Ben Haim zt”l or Hacham Sion Maslaton zt”l during their lifetimes or was it only after their passing that we realized how precious their presence among us really was? We must learn from our complacency and increase our awareness and appreciation of the great Torah scholars among us, so that when our grandchildren read about the Torah giants who were around in our day, we can thrill them with our firsthand knowledge and personal encounters with the leaders who shaped our generation. May the stories of our hachamim inspire us to emulate their ways. J. Betesh Syrians and Mashadis It was truly heartwarming to read about how our community leaders so eagerly came to the service of our brothers from the Mashadi community of Iran and it was equally encouraging to learn how dedicated the Mashadi community is to preserving their heritage. Though the communities do bear many similarities, it is not quite accurate to suppose that the young Mashadi community of today is in the same state of development as the Syrian community once was. From what I have gathered in learning about their wonderful traditions, they face an even more daunting challenge than our community did in keeping their traditions strong. This is most clearly seen in the area of education. While neither community established its own yeshiva within three decades of settling in New York, the Syrian community did not attend college in any significant numbers during those years. In contrast, Mashadi high school graduates today are more than 90 percent likely go on to higher education. As we all know, an individual from any community who goes to college needs a rock solid foundation of Jewish values and Torah knowledge to be able to withstand exposure to “modern” ideas without losing his Jewish identity. This foundation can only be accomplished with a quality 12 plus year yeshiva educa- tion. It must be the goal of any community that wishes to maintain its Jewish tradition to establish yeshivot and aim for no less than 100 percent enrollment of its youth in such yeshivot. I therefore implore both communities to make the establishment of a Mashadi yeshiva their top priority. J. Levy Indigence in Israel The article about Kupat Ha’ir was a fit- ting follow up to your cover story several months ago about the plight of Israel’s poor. Too often we bury our heads in the sand not wanting to know about the dire poverty that exists for so many in Israel. Had we the courage to go out and see for ourselves the incredible difficulties these families face, we would surely take it upon ourselves to help each individual we came across. In the absence of such initiative, charities like Kupat Ha’ir are the next best thing (perhaps even better since neither the recipient nor the donor know each other’s identity). Michelle D. No Laughing Matter I have been reading your magazine from its humble beginning [and] I believe it is well-rounded with much emphasis on Torah and yirat Shamayim (fear of Heaven). That is why I feel compelled to write to you at this time… In the latest edition (April 08) there is a joke about the blind man and the massa and another about the rabbi and the king, with the rabbi’s wife wishing that the decree would have waited to be annulled till after Pesah. Let’s understand that we do not want to be like those who complain about the missvot and the “difficulty” in their per- formance. We do not want our children to feel like this… There are many Jews today that are not observant because they saw how their parents complained about certain missvot (Shabbat, etc) so they said to themselves, “Why? Why go through that?” We also do not want our children to relay jokes about blind people… espe- cially when missvah related. These jokes were cute and even funny, but for children, the impressions are much deeper. I wish you continued success. Know that many turn to you for Torah guidance and feel that you are like the glue that keeps them connected to the right path…As with all kedushah (holiness), the more kadosh (holy) the bigger the Yesser Harah (evil inclination) sticks in, many times unno- ticed or even in the disguise of “bettering” something good. May Hashem guide your footsteps in the right path and may your zechut harrabim (merit of benefiting the many) protect you and your families. Y. F .J. WE'D LOVE TOHEAR FROMYOU! GOT A STORY ABOUT HOW COMMUNITY MAGAZINE HELPED YOU OR YOUR BUSINESS? PLEASE SHARE IT WITH US. SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: MAIL: COMMUNITY MAGAZINE 1616 OCEAN PKWY BROOKLYN, NY 11223 FAX: 718-504-4246 EMAIL: letters@community m .com Letters submitted become the property of Community Magazine and will not be returned unless accompanied by a self- addressed stamped envelope. 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