Community Magazine December 2013

he succeeded during that time in influencing many families to enhance their standards of religious observance, and each and every one of those families was a source of immense joy for him. But even this wasn’t enough. In the 1980s, he moved on to his next mission – to create benei Torah – scholars. Quite simply, now that they were elevated religiously, he felt they were ready to learn a daf Gemara – and he was more than ready to teach them. Nothing Gets in the Way of a Person’s Will The hacham was widely acknowledged as a man of strong spirit and conviction. When he resolved to do something, he not only did it, but did it quickly. His zeal carried him through one mitzvah after another, without pause. He strode through life like a warrior, passing his tests but never dwelling on them, or letting them fell him. Whether it was his ordeal in Jordan, his bout with cancer or other personal and communal struggles he went through, Hacham Raful did not get worn down. In the words of his brother Hacham Yosef “He didn’t carry his troubles on his shoulders; he would instead stomp on and trample them, leaving them behind and moving forward.” What for many might have been a life-defining and debilitating experience, was for him nothing more than a challenge to overcome and then move forward. “You Shall Roar Like a Lion to Serve Your Creator” Speaking with reverence and admiration, Rabbi Ozeri described Hacham Raful as an ari – a lion. “I was frightened from this ari as a teenager,” he acknowledges. “He understood his tafkid , his job. It was avodat bor’o , the service of his Creator. He understood: This is what I was created for and this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life – with a roar.” After a brief pause to let those assembled at the arayat absorb that statement, he continued, “He was a mover, a shaker, an innovator and a builder, no question.” Rabbi Ozeri cited the example of the hacham’s seminal role in the construction of Mikdash Melech on Ocean Parkway, where he was once a student. The building had been so dilapidated that firemen tried to close the place down and evacuate the hachamim who had congregated there to learn. Hacham Raful walked into the place, saw the squalor and said to them, “I’ll build you a building.” He enlisted Rabbi Ozeri to drive him around at night and collect money, and Rabbi Ozeri witnessed firsthand as Hacham Raful raised over $300,000. (He wasn’t allowed to stay in the car – the rabbi would make him come in and see how it was done.) He also brought in a decorator and followed the contractor’s every step. “That building is Hacham Avraham’s,” Rabbi Ozeri declared, “but he wanted no recognition for it. He built the building and then walked away. Why? Kevod HaTorah – respect for the Torah. He would say, ‘You need a binyan mefoar’ – a beautiful building – ‘for a yeshivah. You’re not going to learn in a shack.’” Supporting the Needy Hacham Raful quietly took pleasure in financing poor Jewish scholars. “He was probably the greatest ba’al hesed [dispenser of kindness] I ever met in my life,” says Rabbi Ozeri. He would ask anybody and everybody for money to support poor Jews who were learning. “He had a compartment in his wallet just for this purpose and it was always full.” Hacham Raful also attended the very first Sephardic Bikur Holim meeting, where a group of people got together and thought this organization just might be of benefit to our community. The founders were confident they could establish it on $15,000. Hacham Raful pounded on the table in consternation and said they needed no less than $150,000. A few short weeks later, once the money ran out, the founders realized he was right. Hacham Raful was blessed with that rare combination – old age and a life that truly meant something. He valued life so much, and regularly prayed for not just long life, but a life in which he utilized every day to its very fullest. Throughout his life, he never stopped dreaming and building. Even in his old age he envisioned building another congregation in the Bedford Ave. area. Though those around him insisted he should retire and finally rest, his parting line was, “Just introduce me to some donors and I’ll do the rest.” And indeed he did. He went on to build Congregation Keter Torah, a thriving community where the sound of Torah and Tefillah can be heard throughout many hours of the day and night. He never got complacent, and was always looking for his next mission to undertake. His indefatigable fire was legendary and is something that must sustain us all in the wake of his passing. May we now continue in his ways, furthering his vision of a community steeped in Torah and mitzvot and forever drawing closer to Hashem. Hacham Avraham learning at Camp Morris. “He understood his tafkid, his job. It was avodat bor’o, the service of his Creator. He understood: This is what I was created for and this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life – with a roar. He was a mover, a shaker, an innovator and a builder, no question.” 32 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE