Thousands of people joined together at Ahi Ezer Congregation, on the 18th day of Tishrei, Hol Hamoed Succot, to pay respect to our beloved leader Hacham Sion Maslaton. It was a day set aside for simcha, a day where no eulogies can be heard, yet still people felt a need to attend what turned out to be one of the largest funerals our community has seen. Many were outside, listening from a loudspeaker, sitting in the Succah, or standing on the street, where the police had closed off Ocean Parkway out of deference for the crowd.
Rabbi Sion Maslaton was born in Damascus, Syria, on October 15, 1915. At age five he journeyed with his parents and siblings to America. Even at such a young age, Hacham Sion displayed a deep devotion for G-d and the mitzvot, when he refused the persistent efforts of others to get him to eat on the boat as he was unsure of the kashrut.
Upon arrival in America, Hacham Sion’s father, the Tzaddik Rabbi Mordechai Maslaton A”H, established Ahi Ezer Congregation for the immigrant Syrian community. In addition he set up classes for young boys to teach them K’ria and Torah as at that time there were no yeshivot or day schools in the community. It was there, in addition to his father’s home, that Hacham Sion began his Jewish education and his love for learning. Even before he became a Rabbi, Hacham Sion could always be found with a sefer. On his way to work, on his way home and at home he would constantly be learning from a wide range of seforim.
In 1938 Hacham Sion traveled halfway across the country to meet his future wife Victoria Zalta. She is a true aishet hayil (woman of valor) who supported and aided her husband in all his endeavors.
Shabbat and Yom Tob would find Rabbi Sion Maslaton at his father’s side, leading the prayers and reading from the Torah. In the evenings classes were held by both Hacham Mordechai and Hacham Sion. The Rosh Hashanah before his father passed away, after 40 years of serving the Syrian community, Hacham Sion, as per his father’s wishes, took over Hacham Mordechai’s holy work. One of his first projects was to edit and publish the Siddur Et Ratzon, where he included some poems and songs composed by his father, along with the proper pronunciation on the Hebrew vowels. A complete set of Et Ratzon Machzorim soon followed.
Ahi Ezer became Hacham Sion’s second home, or more aptly his first home in his mind and in his heart. He held classes morning and evening for men and women on many different subjects. Every Wednesday evening, he gave a class in Gemara speaking in Arabic. When a newcomer came to class who only spoke English, Rabbi Maslaton would explain the Gemara in Arabic, and out of consideration for the newcomer he then proceeded to explain it in English.
Hacham Sion felt it his duty to be personally involved in the many spiritual and halachic requirements of his congregation. He was the Baal Koreh during prayers, read from the Torah on Shabbat, blew the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, sold kaparot on Yom Kippur, the arba minim for Succot, and matzah for Pesach, and read the Megillah on Purim. One Purim after overhearing a conversation where a congregant expressed concern that he had not heard every word of the Megillah, Rabbi Maslaton called him over and personally reread the entire Megillah for him. Many people have credited Rabbi Maslaton with turning them into Shomrei Shabbat, not with rebuke and censure, but with a gentle word, a handshake, and “We hope to see you in Shul this Shabbat.”
Hacham Sion also spent a lot of his time with the children of his congregants, knowing they would determine the future of our community. He taught them for many years at their schools and at the shul on Seventy- First Street. He will be missed.
