Community Magazine January 2019

Remember i ng Ch i ef Rabb i , Hacham Shau l Kass i n, z t ” l Special Tribute 46 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE about miracles, so many times. He worried about us daily, and spent countless hours dealing with crises and pressures in the community at the same time. He also had a hearty laugh, and we loved to watch him in those moments. He wore a lot of his emotions on his sleeve. We are fortunate because our grandfather was genuine.” Sari Kassin, Jakie’s wife, continues, “He was in awe of nature, and could stare out into the ocean for hours. He loved animals, and would get a thrill out of feeding the ducks and birds. He appreciated the beauty of trees and flowers, and would make a blessing on the fragrance of a rose or a gardenia.” All of the grandchildren recall, “The way he lived, the way he carried himself, humble, and modest, was like a malaach. He always carried a sefer with him, even at the zoo, or wherever we were. He thought that children are like angels, and he’d say Hashem loves to hear them sing and play. He went to all of our weddings. He was the sandak at our brits . He taught us all for bar mitzvah and prepared us for our weddings. He cried from happiness at the holidays and made us feel the joy, too.” Our Light, Our Shield Hacham Shaul knew that the Torah is an ocean of information. Once you begin asking questions you cannot help but realize there’s always more to learn; it’s infinite. “The more you learn, the less you know,” is how he explained it. “It is like going up in an airplane. The higher you go, the more and more you can see beneath you.” He had a great attachment to the laws and wanted something the people could grasp on to, so he wrote them in English in a book called “The Light of the Law.” Like the Hanukah candles, no matter how far away we are or how dark it is, the light will always guide us. Hacham Shaul Kassin, zt”l , always walked with his head down, facing the floor. He never looked for kavod, accolades, or credit. He never grandstanded about his accomplishments and never boasted; he just wanted the community to be happy, unified, and close to Hashem. For his family, he was their whole world, their protection, and their shield. His grandson, Rabbi Saul explains, “He served Hashem wholeheartedly and with every fiber of his being. When we were with him, we felt like we were in the presence of Hakadosh Baruch Hu . He dedicated every ounce of his being to Hashem and mitzvot, and did it faster than anyone else. We are the greatest community anywhere. This is because of the patience, guidance, and teaching of my grandfather and great grandfather.” Hacham Shaul, with his pure white skin and long snowy beard, was identical in form and beautiful spirit to his father. Both were the guiding lights of this community, instilling their people with tremendous character and middot , and they did so by example. They showed us how to live, learn, act, and behave. Hacham Shaul cared little for what was in this world. He only worried about Olam Haba and the glories that awaited him as he neared the Kiseh of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Each family member confirms that he waited patiently, every day for the Mashiah to come. He had a new suit ready to go in his closet, and he really believed it would be in his lifetime. The last Shabbat the family stood around his bed singing Eshet hayil, and welcoming Shabbat. The parasha was read to him, and the Kiddush. He was calm; he looked like an angel. Right after Shabbat all his grandchildren came, Nanny held his hand, and his neshama left him. After 73 years together, he left this world with her by his side. My condolences to Hacham Shaul’s family, Tenahamu min hashamayim…Thank you especially to Jacob and Sari Kassin, Barbara and Abe Kassin, Isaac Kassin, Rabbi Saul J. Kassin, Saul Abe Kassin, Rabbi Joseph Dana, Gladys Haddad, and Frieda Haber and all who helped with the writing of this article. Let us all do our best to follow in his holy ways and “catch” some of the kedusha that he spread through our lives on a daily basis. As a community and as people, we are blessed to have known him. The 1993 Safra Bank meeting to confirm that the community would provide all the new immigrant children from Syria a Yeshiva education.