Community Magazine October 2012

helping community members through the process of naturalization.” Over the past two decades, the organization helped over 10,000 individuals gain U.S. citizenship. The First SY Mayor It is likely the municipality with the highest concentration of Syrian-Sephardic Jews in America. So it’s no wonder that Deal, New Jersey was the first city in the country to elect an SY mayor, in the Honorable Harry I. Franco. Though it started as only a summer resort town, Deal and the greater Jersey Shore area is now home to thousands of SY families all year round. Mayor Franco began his political involvement back in 1969, through the local community board. “I never thought I’d be mayor,” he recalls, “but I wanted to get involved.” It was in 1995 that he was elected mayor of Deal, and he has held the prestigious office ever since. Asserting his desire to look out for the interest of everyone in the community, Mayor Franco says, “I try to be fair and open minded.” His accomplishments include cutting the burden on taxpayers while still beautifying the neighborhood by setting up the Deal Endowment Fund “that beautifies Deal… helps us plant flowers, trees and beautify the Borough.” Mayor Franco says that his involvement in politics allowed him to introduce our community to the greater public. “It is important to educate people about our basic traditions. Neighbors should know why we walk to synagogue.” The mayor explains that educating the society around us about our customs helps us earn their understanding. Another of Mayor Franco’s achievements is the advancement of medical care in the area. He raised millions of dollars to purchase medical equipment for Monmouth Medical Center, an accomplishment which he attributes to the “generosity of members of our community.” The mayor reports that this campaign allowed the hospital to understand our community, which, in turn, led them to agree to set up a kosher food dispensary. The Community’s First State Official The next major political milestone was achieved in 1998, when for the first time, a Syrian-Sephardic Jew was voted to a public post in Albany. Lena Azizo Cymbrowitz a.h. , who had been a member of the Sephardic Voter’s League, was elected by a large majority to statewide office to represent the 45th District in the Assembly. One of her colleagues at the Sephardic Voter’s League said, “She ran against three male opponents, but she somehow resonated with the voters in the district. She was a voice for those who didn’t have a voice.” A critical issue which Lena took to heart was that of helping childless couples. At the time of her election, health insurance providers were not paying for fertility treatments. Lena co-sponsored a bill extending health insurance to include the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and to classify infertility as a disease. Despite fierce opposition from religious groups who regarded infertility treatments as “tampering” with Gd’s handiwork, Lena pushed forward, and succeeded. To get this proposed legislation passed, Lena had to get the support of then-Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. “She sat down with him and explained it to him,” her colleague recalls. Anticipating the Senator’s opposition, Lena was taken aback when Bruno promised support. He related that he had a relative who was having difficulty conceiving, and thus the issue resonated with him, too. “Everything in life comes from Hashem,” said Lena’s colleague. “Subsequent to that, the legislation passed.” Lena continued to work devotedly on behalf of community interests until her untimely passing in 2000 at age 43. Sephardic Politics Gets Serious For decades, individual Sephardic leaders quietly made connections with elected officials at all levels of government, but it wasn’t until the founding of the Sephardic Community Federation (SCF) in 2005 that these efforts became organized and coordinated. Through the SCF, community leaders seek to go beyond individual relationships with candidates and members of government and begin to flex the community’s muscle as a voting bloc. Unlike previous forays into politics, the SCF had formidable substance. The organization had a respectable budget, a focused mission, and an active board of directors who were already well respected by powerbrokers and government officials. “We work on issues that affect the city, state and country,” points out SCF Co-chair and longtime community advocate, Ronnie Tawil. “We’re part of a broader fabric.” In this respect, the SCF works with other Jewish communities to achieve common goals. Aggregating the many years of civic work and the numerous contacts with elected officials that the community leaders had collectively amassed, the SCF instantly became a political force that could get things done quickly and efficiently. “We developed long-term relationships with dozens of elected officials,” says Mr. Tawil. “We earned their awareness and trust and we work hard to keep it that way.” Mayor Harry Franco of Deal, NJ is considered the first "SY" to hold the top civic position in an American city Mr. Maurice Hedaya, one of the founding members of the Sephardic Voter's League, continues to advocate for voter registration within the community. TISHREI 5773 OCTOBER 2012 45