CHARLIE SAKA A”H

HIS LIFE, HIS LEGACY

SARINA ROFFÉ

CHARLIE SAKA A”H WAS A VISIONARY WHOSE DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS WERE GUIDED BY TWO THINGS: FAMILY AND COMMUNITY. HIS GOALS IN LIFE WERE SIMPLE: TO HELP, TO BUILD, TO GIVE AND TO INSPIRE. WHEN HE PASSED AWAY ON APRIL 22, 2022, THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY MOURNED HIS LOSS, KNOWING THAT THERE WAS NO ONE WHO COULD ADEQUATELY FILL THE SHOES OF YESHAYA BEN LAURA, MR. CHARLIE SAKA.

Charlie’s mother, Laura Saka, had been advised against having children due to her weak heart, but chose to have a child anyway, and her husband Sam agreed. It was almost as if the young couple knew their child’s destiny, and could not deny him his chance. Charlie was born July 30, 1941.

Nearly nine years later, Laura passed away, leaving Charlie to be raised by his father, with the help of a large extended family, including his grandparents, David and Jamileh Didia, as well as his many aunts and uncles. This team effort clearly put family at the forefront of Charlie’s priorities. For the rest of his life he would always keep family first, and help out any family member who needed him.

In November 1950, Charlie was seriously injured when he was hit by a car, while playing with his friends on the streets of Bensonhurst. Charlie survived multiple broken bones and six days in a coma, eventually making a full recovery. The odds were stacked against his survival, yet he triumphed. This fighting spirit was part of Charlie’s makeup. He used that spirit to get things done throughout his life, no matter the obstacles.

Charlie’s father, Sam Saka, married Mary Minyan in 1952, and from the beginning, she treated Charlie as her own son. The couple’s four children, Charlie’s younger siblings, had no idea during their youth that Charlie was not Mary’s biological child. Her commitment and wholehearted support taught Charlie the importance of making others feel important and valued. He learned never to let anyone in need feel helpless. This type of hesed was the foundation on which Charlie built his life.

At the young age of 12, Charlie got his first job as a bicycle delivery boy for Dilbert’s on Bay Parkway, working for tips. Working at such a young age ingrained in him the principle that one must always make his own opportunities. Things do not just come without effort. Charlie always had a vision of success in business and he had already begun to see it through.

In 1961, when Charlie was 20, he and his father opened 1581 Gift Shop, in Manhattan. Charlie persevered through the hard work and long hours because he understood that he was laying the foundations for his future.

Charlie would have been first to admit that he could not have accomplished all the things he did in his life without his wife Brenda. All of his projects were hers as well, and he was bolstered by the continued support she gave him. From his business to his religious observance, to his family, Brenda was with him wholeheartedly. Nowhere is Brenda’s support more evident than in Charlie’s crowning achievement—the building and expansion of Magen David of West Deal, including the Torah Center named in their honor, the Joe and Eileen Sutton and family Sephardic Social Center and the Gladys Kassin Mikveh.

Brenda and Charlie were introduced in the summer of 1964, by their mutual friend, Alfred Esses. On their first date, the couple got lost looking for their destination. This is somewhat ironic, since they were a couple whose direction in life for every moment afterwards was clear and unwavering.

After about a dozen years of marriage, two pivotal changes occurred. The first came in 1977 when, despite the success of his retail business, Charlie decided to begin a wholesale company. He knew that this would give him more time to spend with his wife and children, and allow him to be more religiously observant.

Charlie’s best friend Mickey Abraham helped him make the transition from retail to wholesale, and Sakar International was born. Over the years, this company developed a global presence by incorporating new technology to produce on-trend, cutting-edge products. Sakar owns and licenses many entertainment and corporate brands, and maintains a diverse portfolio of products. All of this success is a testament to Charlie’s leadership, but he did not do it alone. Charlie established Sakar as a family company almost from the start, when he partnered with his brother, Allen. Then, as soon as they were old enough, Charlie’s children joined the company, working with the enthusiasm and commitment that their father expected. One of the most important guiding principles at Sakar is respect. Charlie treated everyone with respect, from the janitor to the biggest customer.

The second pivotal change happened in 1978, when Charlie and Brenda moved their family to the West Deal neighborhood of the Jersey Shore. It was this move that set Charlie on the trajectory to become “a builder of the community.”

Joe Betesh A”H, one of the founders of the shul next door to the Sakas’ new home, recruited Charlie to join the synagogue committee. Charlie had never volunteered for anything before, yet he rose to the occasion and found success in fundraising, but also in making decisions and getting things done.

By being involved in the shul, Charlie had the privilege of becoming close to one of his strongest mentors, Rabbi Ezra Labaton A”H. Hired in 1982, he and his wife Emily helped bring the blossoming community together. The Rabbi taught Charlie the concepts of Tikkun Olam, making the world a better place, and Tzelem Elokim, recognizing Hashem’s presence in everyone. The Rabbi’s passion impacted the Sakas’ lives in numerous ways.

“The Rabbi had an intelligence that compelled people of all ages and backgrounds to gravitate towards him,” said Sammy Saka. “His Saturday morning speeches, over the thirty years in which he served as rabbi, were inspirational and we were all impacted by those speeches.” It was Rabbi Labaton’s influence that got Charlie and his sons involved in Torah learning, which has had a lasting effect on all of the Sakas.

After Rabbi Labaton passed away, Rabbi Shaul J. Kassin, the new rabbi of the shul, became one of Charlie’s greatest friends and inspirations. Rabbi Kassin also admired the things Charlie could get done. “People knew that if Charlie was involved in a project, it was a good cause and would get completed, so they donated. He had an uncanny ability to raise money, and it would get done especially quickly, without delay. Once Charlie had an idea, it was in motion the next day,” said Rabbi Shaul Kassin. “He looked to see what was lacking. Then he dreamed it, wrote it up and built it.”

The fulfillment of Charlie Saka’s visions are all over the community. Aside from spearheading the building of the shul, Charlie was instrumental in adding to the property, assisting with each addition so that the community’s needs would be served. He pushed for a large social hall, and later its expansion, so there would be a beautiful place with room for the community’s special occasions. He took a leadership role in building the expanded midrash and Torah Center so that the growing shul would have more places to pray and to learn. When the Social Center, which had been built for parties and for the seniors was destroyed by fire, Charlie was not discouraged. He took it as a sign that it needed to be rebuilt “bigger and better.” He saw to it that the building was expanded to accommodate even more. When Charlie saw that the West Deal community needed a mikveh, he and Brenda took on the project and created a spa-like building that allows women to fulfill the important mitzvah of family purity. Since the complex has expanded and there is so much activity, a house on the property is made available for the caretakers, visiting guests and rabbis to stay.

Charlie helped support Hillel Yeshiva, assisted in building the DSN Community Center, and helped create the Saka Edition of Yalkut Yosef, an English translation of Sephardic halakha. Today, Batei Midrash all over the world house these books.

In each of his endeavors, Brenda was at Charlie’s side, helping and supporting, and doing the work people take for granted, such as shopping for groceries for the shul, and arranging the hanging of plaques.

It was not only at home in New Jersey that Charlie and Brenda’s graciousness was felt. It could be felt in other places when they traveled for business. Whether to New Orleans or Hong Kong, they always brought enough food to feed others. In Las Vegas, they sponsored minyanim and sebets to accommodate the businessmen and friends who were there. At first, Brenda would bring food from home and heat it up in her room, but eventually, since so many people attended, Charlie and Brenda had the meals catered, always wishing to make everyone as comfortable as possible.

Charlie’s contributions even affected those outside the community. Weeks after Charlie’s passing, in a touching ceremony attended by Charlie’s family, friends and town council members, the mayor of Ocean Township dedicated the street leading to the Magen David Synagogue complex in Charlie’s memory. It is now “Charlie Saka Way.”

Charlie built a successful business and gave from his heart to help the community, but he was always focused on his family. He and Brenda raised their children to follow in their footsteps. All of their children are community leaders, a testament to how effective it is to lead by example.

Sammy has been leading Hillel Yeshiva for two decades, supporting every facet of the school from education to expansion. During his tenure its enrollment has grown to 1,200 students. Raymond is dedicated to ensuring the success of the shul. He fundraises, advises, innovates, and recruits others to get involved, ensuring that Magen David of West Deal can effectively and positively serve the community. Jeffrey is Chairman, and one of the founders of the DSN Community Center, which is the heart and soul of social activity in the Deal area. Everyone is looking forward to the opening of the DSN Beach Club later this year. Laurie (Saka) Mizrachi is Chair of Sephardic Bikur Holim’s New Jersey branch rejuvenating the organization and propelling it into the future. Sally (Saka) Cohen studies the community’s past, and as Director of Sephardic Heritage in Hillel Yeshiva, is active in bringing the community’s history to the next generation.

When Charlie Saka passed away, he left a legacy to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of which they can all feel proud. He accomplished so much because he dreamed big, but more importantly, because he turned his dreams into visions, and his visions into reality.

A genealogist and historian, Sarina Roffé is the author of Branching Out from Sepharad. She is president of the Sephardic Heritage Project, Co-Chair of the Brooklyn Jewish Historical Initiative and Chair of the Sephardic Research Division of JewishGen. Editor of the journal Dorot, Sarina holds a BA in Journalism, and MA in Jewish Studies and an MBA.