Community Magazine November 2012

The Sephardic Division Rabbi Kalmanowitz proved true to his word. As soon as the yeshivah was settled in its new home, he began bringing in young men from Sephardic and Arab countries to learn at the venerated institution. He had worked together with legendary community leader Mr. Isaac Shalom to save European Jews from the clutches of the Nazis since 1940, raising funds, applying pressure to various government officials, and working to spread awareness of the tragedy unfolding in Europe. Meanwhile, Mr. Shalom had been on the go since 1934, travelling to Sephardic communities around the world, doing whatever it took to ease the burden of his brethren. In 1947, he persuaded Rabbi Kalmanowitz to join him in NorthAfrica, to see what he could do to help. One product of that trip was the introduction of the Otzar Hatorah school system, which, under the leadership of Mr. Joseph Shamah, operated a network of schools throughout the land of Israel and in various Sephardic communities in the region. After World War II, with unrest sweeping the Arab world in the wake of the establishment of the State of Israel, the organization shifted its focus onto the Sephardic Jews in their home countries. Within five years, the network had grown and was educating over 10,000 children throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Another result of this collaboration was the arrival of 13 young men from Arab countries whom Rabbi Kalmanowitz brought back with him to Brooklyn under student visas to join theMirrerYeshivah. One of these young men was Rabbi Abraham Portal. Seeking to settle in America, Rabbi Portal returned to Morocco in 1953, so that he could legally apply for a permanent U.S. residency permit. Upon obtaining the permit in June of 1956, Rabbi Portal returned to the states, bringing with him a fresh group of students, some as young as 11 years old. The yeshivah welcomed the 14 boys with warmth and open arms. “When we got off the boat,” says Rabbi Shimon Cohen, a member of that group, “Rabbi Kalmanowitz was there waiting for us, along with Rabbi Feldman [the legendary mashgiah of the yeshivah] and his wife. The yeshivah placed us in a dormitory on East 9 th street, gave us some spending money, and took care of all our needs.” But though the boys were eager to learn, they did not understand Yiddish – the language in which all the classes were taught. To solve this problem, the yeshivah arranged for a tutor, named Rabbi Yitzchak Tarshish, who taught the boys the language and helped them with their studies. With some Yiddish in hand, yet firmly holding on their Sephardic heritage, this unlikely group of Moroccan boys turned out to be the founding class of the Mirrer Yeshivah high school, a noted institution to this day. The boys eventually integrated fully into the student body – Rabbi Cohen even served as the ba’al koreh (designated Torah reader) of the yeshivah, as well as toke’a (one who blows the shofar – ram’s horn) on Rosh Hashanah – and maintain their connection to the yeshivah to this very day. In fact, Rabbi Kalmanowitz used to comment about how the Sephardic contingent was “the essence of the yeshivah.” First Group of students from Egypt( left to right): Elie Mosseri, Albert Chehebar, Maurice Salama, Albert Rodriguez, Max Shweky, Unidentified Board Member, Haym Setton, Joey Lizmi, Ralph Sasson, Abe Laniado, Jack Salama, Rav Avrohom Kalmanowitz, Victor Mizrahi, Mr. David Politi, Maurice Nahum, Morris Setton, Jack Shalom, R’Avraham Enkawa, Josh Setton HeSVan 5773 noVemBeR 2012 45