SAM DOMB

THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN A JEWISH EDUCATION

SARINA ROFFÉ

“WITHOUT CHILDREN LEARNING TORAH THERE WILL BE FEWER JEWS IN AMERICA IN 20 YEARS. WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH A TORAH EDUCATION,” SAID SAM DOMB, HOTELIER, VOLUNTEER AND PHILANTHROPIST. “INTERMARRIAGE INCREASES EACH YEAR, SO I DO WHAT I CAN TO HELP SCHOOLS AND YESHIVAHS SO CHILDREN CAN LEARN TORAH. MANY PARENTS CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY $20-30,000 FOR THEIR CHILD’S JEWISH EDUCATION.”

A Holocaust survivor, Sam narrowly escaped death at the hands of the Nazis during World War II. He spent his formative years wandering through the forests of Eastern Europe to Russia, lived in Siberia and other places until the end of the war. His story is one no child should have to endure.

On September 26, 1939, the family was awoken in the early morning hours, had to leave everything behind and were forced to begin marching with the rest of the community, many still in their night clothing. Sam’s mother was holding him in her arms when she tripped and fell and was subsequently shot by the Nazis as Sam and the rest of the family watched.

They continued to march and during a break, Sam’s father tried to hide the five-year-old with a Polish friend, as they were leaving Poland. But the friend turned Sam and other hiding children over to the Germans. Sam, who was courageous even at age five, saw the Germans begin killing the others in groups of 10. He ran deep into the forest with another boy only a few years older than he, whom he called “my angel.” Sam and his friend wandered through the forests until they passed into Russian territory. They walked along arduous paths, starving and thirsty, they hid in basements and crevices, in forests, beneath bridges and between corn stalks, utterly destitute and sometimes freezing.

The author of He Hath No Let Me Die! From Ashes To Life, Sam did not have the luxury of a formal education. As a child, he saw evil and destruction in its most ugly form and survived against all odds. After the war, he was 11 when he first attended a school and received some Jewish education. Later he moved to Israel where he lived on a kibbutz and served in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). In Israel he married his wife Sara, a Yemenite Jew, and the granddaughter of the Chief Rabbi of Yemen, and they moved to New York.

Sam’s story is one of rags to riches. He washed dishes, operated an elevator and did many menial jobs before a few breaks helped him enter the hotel industry. Through hard work and dedication, Sam was able to develop his business and help the Jewish community in many ways. And it is that generosity, that commitment to helping others for the future of Klal Israel, that makes him the focus of this month’s profile.

“We were born Jewish, we have to continue and remain strong and powerful,” said Sam. “In the Diaspora, it is easy to intermarry. If we send children to learn Torah, if a father says kiddush on Friday night, then his son will say it, and the tradition continues.”

While many Holocaust survivors began to question G-d’s role after the war, Sam said, “an inner voice instructed me not to abandon the faith of our forefathers.” Over the years, Sam’s devotion to Jewish causes grew, as did his observance. Among them the National Jewish Outreach Program, which sponsors programs like Shabbat Across America and heritage projects, as well as Hebrew instruction.

Indeed, Sam is the angel for many schools and synagogues. Manhattan Day School, Ramaz, Ohel Moshe and Ahi Ezer Yeshiva are just a few of the schools that he generously supports.

“He lives his life to put children in yeshivahs. He supports many yeshivahs in a very big way every year. He makes sure children get educated,” said Bunny Escava, the president of Ahi Ezer.

“I personally view Jewish education as a key factor in our nation’s struggle for survival. I have established a one-man enterprise in which I invest all my energies in supporting educational institutions and Jewish schools,” said Sam. “Jewish education is the best guarantee of Jewish survival, and it is that which will protect us from assimilation.”

He has also rescued several synagogues from disrepair, including the Carlebach Shul, Ramath Orah, West Side Institutional Synagogue, and Congregation Ohev Sholom in Manhattan, as well as synagogues in Israel.

“I just felt obligated in my heart because of the darkness of my past. I had to do something to light the future. It’s a great spiritual feeling sitting in a synagogue that has been restored. That is when I feel G-d smiles at me.”

Sam is the founder of Young Israel of Jamaica Estates and Tifereth Israel, a Yemenite Synagogue in Manhattan that his children Ronnie, Jay and Michele attend. After his wife Sara died in 1992, Sam established the Sara Domb Youth Center in Queens to offer educational activities for Jewish youth and the Sara Domb Scholarship Fund for Jewish studies.

Today, Sam is a business mogul, supporting the State of Israel and is a passionate advocate for Jewish issues around the world. He remained involved with Israeli politics most of his life and developed friendships with the Chief Rabbis

“Sam took me to see President Clinton in 1992, just the two of us,” said Bunny Escava. “We stood in line and when it was our turn, he spoke to President Clinton for 10 minutes about what he wanted him to do for Israel and he kept the whole line waiting.”

Sam has spoken at many events and has been outspoken about the importance of Israel and Jewish education to the continuity of the Jewish people. Bunny noted that on Friday nights in Florida, Sam and his life partner, Orly Gal, who has become an important part of his family life and his philanthropic endeavors, make a lavish dinner and always invite people for Shabbat to his apartment. It’s really special.

“Always generous and welcoming, Sam and Orly are the perfect hosts, plus Orly is a wonderful cook, which makes for the most memorable and delicious Shabbat dinners. You never know who you’ll meet at their dinners, because their guests are the most interesting and diverse people from around the world. The dinner conversations are always riveting and often reveal Sam’s insight on a variety of subjects. I feel blessed to count Sam and Orly as my friends and to be included in their spectacular Shabbat dinners,” said Rachelle Matsas.

One of the greatest joys of Sam’s life was the recent birth of his great-granddaughter Stella Sara Mazal, daughter of Adam and Anna.

Sam wrote “For me, the Land of Israel and Jerusalem comprise one complete unit. This unity can never be surrendered because Israel and Jerusalem are bound together. Forever.”

A genealogist and historian, Sarina Roffé is the author of Branching Out from Sepharad (Sephardic Heritage Project, 2017), Sarina holds a BA in Journalism, and an MA in Jewish Studies.