Community Magazine January 2019

Remember i ng Ch i ef Rabb i , Hacham Shau l Kass i n, z t ” l Special Tribute 44 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE to the animals in the zoo. He would show us which animals were kosher, so that everything we did was a lesson. Shabbat and holidays were so special, and he would prepare for eachwithdiligence. Hewould cry tears on Sukkot andPesach, describing the happiness we should all feel. He would put the sukkah up himself, even way into his 80s. He always wanted to make the mitzvah. We were very happy as children, although financially we had nothing. I remember he would take us to the bakery on Saturday nights to buy the frozen cakes, as on Friday we did not have the means to buy them, and we would have an exciting cake party Saturday night. He made us feel special, and that we were lacking nothing. He would make it a point to teach us every day. I remember at 10 years of age on Friday before Shabbat he would teach us Navi Yeshayahu. I could not wait for the hour to pass, as I’d hear all the other kids playing outside. What I would give to have that hour back.” Gladys Haddad, Jakie Kassin’s daughter, recalls beautiful images of her grandfather. “He adored his wife and showered her with love and respect.  He held her hand, and would not eat without her. They did everything together. He loved hearing that one of us was expecting, and would be the first to run to the house or hospital to bless our babies. We grew up with all the generations in our house, and Papa was involved in every detail of raising us to love and learn Torah.  He prepared each grandchild for his bar mitzvah, assembled the sukkah and picked the lulav for each family. He bought us presents for Hanukah, took us to the matzah factory to pick the very best pieces of matzah for Pesach, and gave us his special flavor for each holiday. Family was his life.” Jakie recalls, “My father had so much respect for women, and would do anything for my mother. They were together always, caring for each other tenderly. He would come home from shul, she would kiss his hand and he’d bless her. He was always concerned for her. He would explain that had it not been for the women we would not have a community. He would tell us about the women of the Torah in Egypt taking such good care of themselves. They would make themselves beautiful for their husbands, even after extremely hard workdays. It is said they had six babies at a time. They came to Egypt with 70 people and 210 years later, left with 3 million. He would say…the women did that.” The Next Generation While his own marriage was a successful and powerful shidduch , when it came to marrying off his children, with respect, he allowed them to choose. As in all things, he was tolerant, patient, and trusting. All four daughters-in-law loved him like their own father. Sari remembers, “When I got married, of course it was intimidating, but we all fell in love with him right away. He was extremely intelligent, smart and witty, excellent in English and mathematics, and he even wrote beautifully. The best years of our lives were when we were living with him, watching him. On Fridays he would wash and cut all the vegetables himself. Sometimes I would ask him halachic questions, saying, ‘Are we allowed to do this?’ He would always answer lightly. ‘Better not to, if you can think of another way.’ He was sometimes lenient for the community but was very strict for himself and his family.” She continues, “Hewas immaculate, andmany would say that at all times he looked like he just stepped out of the mikveh . The second Shabbat was over he’d go get his tzizit and white shirt and wash it himself in the sink, hanging it to dry. The love we had for him was unusual. We loved serving him and catering to him when he let us, making him a dish or a chiffon cake that he liked. We always wanted to please him. He loved feeding the kids. In Deal he would wake them up and prepare breakfast and teach themTorah. Most of the time he gave us directionwithout having to speak. Fromwatching, we learned.” The rabbi’s daughter-in-law, Barbara, Abe’s wife, also recalls so many happy years living together with her father-in-law. “We had such a good relationship. He very loving and wise. He was my go-to for advice and he was the teacher for my children. He would remind me to be close to my children but never to show favoritism. He taught me how to put shalombayit above all, and he could, because he had it! Even though he was so involved with the community he was also involved with our kids, their schooling, and their progress. He carried the babies, shoveled snow, and cleared the dishes…Hewould say it was his honor and his privilege to do it. He was anav , humble, and so loveable. He had a contagious laugh we adored. I loved him truly.” “Whatever was happening in our lives, we knew we could go to Papa,” explains Rabbi Saul. “It was a comfort zone for us. You could talk to him, or get a blessing. His hands brought Rabbi Montsour with Hacham Shaul, Isaac Kassin, Morris Kassin, and Yehuda Habshush. Hacham Rabbi Shaul Kassin, Mr. David E. Franco, Chief Rabbi Jacob Kassin, and Mr. Eddie Sitt at MDY.