Community Magazine June 2021

22 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE “Ethics of the Fathers” presents us with the basic principles of Torah values – and few embodied these values more than Izzy Shamah, who passed away this past March at the age of 98. Rav Yisrael Salanter (1810-1883) taught that it is harder to change one character trait than it is to learn the entire Talmud. Fortunately, our sages provided us with a priceless manuscript of wisdom, Pirkeh Avot (“Ethics of our Fathers”), to guide us in our pursuit of character development. This text is customarily studied during the weeks between Pesach and Shavuot, as part of our preparations for receiving the Torah. As I learned it this year, while also conducting interviews and researching for this tribute to Mr. Isadore “Izzy” Shamah, a”h , who passed away just before Pesach, I was struck by how many of the essential character traits prescribed by our sages he embodied. Izzy (Ezra ben Rosa) was very blessed, in every way. Not only was he a successful businessman who raised a beautiful family, but he was also blessed with the gift of clarity. He understood what was important in life, and he dedicated his life to bringing goodness into the world. Both personally and professionally, Izzy epitomized the three “pillars” upon which the world stands, as taught in Pirkeh Avot (1:2) – Torah, avodah (service of Gd), and gemilut hasadim (kindness to others). He was instrumental in the foundation of Beth Torah in Brooklyn, and he spent his life extending loving kindness to others. True Wisdom Having never finished high school, Izzy lamented his lack of education, never considering himself “smart.” But according to Pirkeh Avot ’s definition of “smart” – “Who is wise? One who learns from all people” – Izzy was about as “wise” as they come. He considered his time in the army, where he received an exceptional score on his IQ test, equivalent to a college education. As Isaac, his oldest son, says, “He felt that the army helped him grow up, see the world and blossom.” His experiences, first in Savannah, Georgia and then in France, taught him skills like cryptography and coding and decoding messages as he rose to the rank of sergeant. He returned with newfound confidence and self-worth that allowed him to take on the world. He began to work hard, to hustle, to pounce on every opportunity that presented itself. And he continued learning, about business and about himself, from every experience. As told to Sophia Franco in a 2005 interview for The Sephardic Angel News , Mr. Shamah acknowledged, “You cannot run a business by yourself. It was this lesson that I had to learn before I could become a true success. I was arrogant enough to believe that nobody could do the job as well as I could. It was a rude awakening when I found out they could do it even better, but it is what I needed to hear to move forward…” Having acquired the precious asset of humility, he went on to not only succeed in many endeavors, but also guide others toward success. Pirkeh Avot A Tribute to Isadore " “Izzy " Shamah MOZELLE FORMAN A Walking