Community Magazine October 2012

Syrian Pogroms of the Late 1940s When Rabbi Hamra was born in Damascus in 1943, life was relatively peaceful for the Jewish community, which generally upheld Torah tradition. The children attended the local Talmud Torah and were able to learn about their heritage freely. Life was generally comfortable, and the people did not feel the intense constraints of exile. Things changed in 1947 when the UN voted to establish the State of Israel. Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East, North Africa and beyond rioted to protest the formation of a Jewish state. From authoritarian governments to thugs in the street, Arabs made no secret of their hostile intentions towards Jews of all nationalities and ages. Things were no different in Syria, where the relationship between the Jewish community and their Arab neighbors deteriorated to the point where Jews were subjected to deadly violence at the hands of Syrian nationalists and Muslim fundamentalists. The Jews in the cities of Halab (Aleppo), Kamisheli and Damascus found themselves in grave danger as pogroms broke out. The Arabs set fires to synagogues and schools in Halab, curfews were imposed on the Jews in Kamisheli and on August 5, 1949, a cowardly grenade attack during Friday night prayers at the El-Manashe kinees in Damascus killed 13 innocent Jewish congregants – most of them children, while wounding dozens more. Hacham Abraham’s grandfather and namesake, Abraham Shamricha a.h. , was the hazzan (cantor) in the El-Menashe kinees , and Rabbi Hamra vividly recalls the events following the bombing. “When my grandfather returned from kinees that night, I remember that his jacket was covered with blood and pieces of skin, and I knew that he was hurt. I was only about six-years-old, but it is a sight that I will never forget.” Sensing the constant threat of danger that hovered above their heads, the Jews began fleeing Syria in droves. The once thriving Jewish communities of Syria, which numbered about 30,000 in 1948, declined sharply and by the early 1960s, just 1200 Jews remained in Aleppo, 250 in Kamisheli and 4500 in Damascus. Rabbi Hamra felt a responsibility to help preserve Jewish life and Torah observance in Syria, and in 1961, he joined the faculty of Talmud Torah, where he taught both religious and general studies. Two years later, he assumed the role of principal. He stood at the forefront of Jewish education in Syria for years and eventually became assistant to the Chief Rabbi of Syria, Hacham Nissim Indibbo z.s.l . In 1976, approximately a year after Hacham Nissim’s passing, Rabbi Hamra was appointed the new chief Rabbi of Syria, a title he retained until 1992, when he finally emigrated to New York. Throughout his years of service to the Syrian Jewish community, he worked closely with the people and assisted them on all matters, big and small. There were, however, certain factions of Syrian Jewry who opposed his authority, and at one point HachamAbraham decided to resign and asked the people to choose a different leader. Community leaders declined and implored the rabbi to resume his position. But Hacham Abraham insisted that the Chief Rabbi be chosen through elections. When preparations for a vote were finally organized, 76 percent of the ballots supported the return of Rabbi Hamra, whereupon he reassumed the title of Chief Rabbi. CelebratingWhere We Come From…and WhereWe're Going The ornate silver shells encasing the two historic Torah scrolls glistened beneath the afternoon sunlight, as hundreds of community members joined the merriment and celebration. With bright smiles and hearts full of joy, men hugged the sifrei Torah as they tapped their feet and swirled in circles, women stood on the sidelines clapping and reciting prayers and children sat on their fathers’ shoulders, their eyes wide with wonder. Suddenly, the third exquisite new sefer, generously dedicated by several members of the community in the merit of the venerated kabbalist Rav Haim Vital surfaced in the midst of the celebration. The exhilaration was palpable as the procession marched along East 9 th street and made its way towards Ahi Ezer Congregation. The doors to the synagogue burst open and the sounds of the familiar Syrian-Jewish pizmonim (hymns) became amplified as the people found their seats in the main sanctuary. The rabbis assembled on the dais, and began addressing the crowd. “The two sifrei Torah before us today are ancient scrolls, approximately 250 years old,” announced Hacham Abraham Hamra, the final Chief Rabbi of Syria, referring to the two Torahs that were rescued from the city of Damascus by Mr. Habib Bagdady. “It is beautiful to see that the Jewish people continue to thrive and grow despite the suffering that we have been through, and our love for Torah is shown through the dedication of the new sefer Torah in Rav Haim Vital’s merit.” After expressing gratitude to Mr. Bagdady for his valuable service to the community and to the individuals and families who sponsored the new Torah, Rabbi Hamra continued by introducing the inspiration behind the entire sefer Torah dedication mega-event. “Today’s dedication is a subproject of The International Syrian-Jewish Heritage Center. After leaving Syria, a large part of our community settled in Holon, Israel. It is there that we hope to build a center for Syrian-Sephardic Jewry, to continue the traditions of our beautiful heritage. Even though the Jews of Syria established many beautiful communities throughout the world, we have to remember that we are still in galut (exile) and that the land of Israel is our true home. We must remember the importance of building up the Holy Land, and therefore I request from you to please, open your hands and help Hacham Abraham dancing in the street with the new sefer Torah. To his right is Victor Jarada of Yeshiva Lev Torah TISHREI 5773 OCTOBER 2012 29