Kelly Jemal Massry
Photos Courtesy of Shula Mann Photography
On April 27th and 28th 2025, Magen David Yeshivah invited our community to experience a one-of-a-kind exhibit entitled: Magen David Yeshivah, The First 75 Years. Nostalgic highlights, key figures and telling quotes were displayed on the walls of the school, bringing to life the pivotal moments and the crucial individuals that were central to founding MDY, maintaining its mission and educating its students.
Spanning from 1946 to the present, this two-day event, set up to mimic the interior of a museum gallery, took viewers through the decades as the school began, flourished and expanded. Encapsulating it all was a gorgeous 834-page book filled with thousands of photos, articles and interviews. Taken together, the tome is a historic record piecing together how Magen David Yeshivah came to be the premier institution for Sephardic Jewish education in Brooklyn. The book took 10 years to complete and is truly a collector’s item to be shared for generations. As the community came to see the exhibit in droves, many took home several copies of this work of art to share with family members.
On this special day, whose planning was years in the making, the heart and soul of Magen David Yeshivah was lovingly put on display in visuals that caught the eye. As attendees walked through the exhibit, they took a trip down memory lane, revisiting old teachers, spotting old friends, and paying homage to the visionaries who shaped their beloved school. “When we started the project 10 years ago, we thought it would be the history of MDY, but we quickly learned it was the history of the Syrian community in Brooklyn and the Yeshivah that anchored them and kept their traditions, said Marshall Mizrahi, Chairman of the book and the museum. “ As the book went to print, I realized we needed a large way to share all the amazing details we learned about the prior generations. Everyone in the community has some relation to the founders of Magen David, and I wanted the museum experience to bring those images to Life.”
Central to Magen David Yeshivah’s pedagogical focus was an appreciation for their rich traditions and heritage, as well as forming relationships with rabbinical leaders that would have lasting effects on how they, as graduates, continued to raise their own families. Those tenets held strong back then and still remain in effect today. Because of this very intentional effort, an impact was felt by all who attended Magen David Yeshivah since its inception. The prevailing sentiment felt by every alumni who was asked to share his or her thoughts was gratitude – thanks to a school that regulated them in a Jewish way of life, that infused within them a sense of propriety and purpose and that gave them the ability to both face and inspire the outside world. Because each Magen David graduate means just as much to the administration, the yearbook photo of every person to matriculate from the elementary and high school since their beginnings was given a place on the walls and in the keepsake book. What a magnificent way to pay tribute to this pioneer of a yeshivah and its leaders, teachers, and students.
We thank project chairman Marshall Mizrahi, Editor-in-Chief Grace Hidary Chehebar, Associate Editor Kelly Jemal Massry, Chief Advisor Jeffry Gindi, Associate Advisor Rochelle Beyda, Designer and Publisher Omri Golan and Albert Hakim, and countless others on the research committee for their help in bringing this masterpiece to fruition. Though the museum event has ended, Magen David Yeshivah’s 75-year anniversary book can be purchased by visiting www.magendavidyeshivah.org/75th-anniversary-book.
Own a piece of community history today and delve through the pages that tell the story of a singularly important institution.
“Today was a truly historic day for the Magen David Yeshivah community and family,” said its current elementary school principal Rabbi Ezra Cohen-Saban at the conclusion of the event. “Seventy-five years of memories, achievements and milestones – lovingly collected over the past decade – were brought to life for the entire community to experience. This was a once- in-a-generation celebration of our shared legacy and an unforgettable moment in time.”
*Back by popular demand, the museum will be featured in Lawrence Avenue Shul on July 28th.
Kelly Jemal Massry holds a B.A. from Barnard College, an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and an Ms. Ed from Bank Street College. She is a writer, reading specialist and bookstore owner.
