Our tears have yet to dry on our cheeks. I am not sure that they ever will dry up. The torrent of tears burst through the dam for millions of Jews in Eretz Yisrael and throughout the world. Suddenly, we have all been thrown down to the ground, pinned down by a loss of spiritual support. Why is all this so? It is because Maran Ovadia Yosef zt”l, was larger than our generation. Or perhaps we should say, the generation is too shrunken, too beaten by the wind to fully appreciate Maran’s greatness. It is still unclear.

When I woke up this morning and heard the tragic news that our teacher Hacham Ovadia Yosef zt”l has passed and left all of Israel as orphans, I could not think straight or comprehend what was occurring in the world that day. Therefore I dedicate to the Jewish people the following biographical portrait of a righteous and accomplished leader.

With the passing of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt”l at the age of 93, Israel lost a giant in Torah and statecraft, a seminal figure who lifted the status of downtrodden Sephardi Jews from the Middle East and North Africa and provided them with the pride and political strength to revolutionize Israeli society. In the history of the re-born State of Israel, political leaders have, for the most part, occupied one domain and Torah scholars another.

It is difficult to compress the immense life and achievements of our master and teacher Hakham Ovadia Yosef zt’l into a few sentences. During his life he accomplished more than most people do in 10 lifetimes. He touched so many people that it is not surprising a reported 800,000 people filled the streets of Yerushalayim for his levaya. The Rav was our national treasure.

On Monday, October 7, the world lost great scholar, spiritual leader and teacher Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt”l. Rabbi Yosef was Chief Rabbi of Israel and he was one of the foremost interpreters of religious law in recent generations. He inspired a renaissance for Sephardic religious life in Israel as the spiritual leader of the Shas party. Rabbi Yosef was 93 years old. Just hours before his passing, President Shimon Peres visited him in the hospital.

Eight hundred thousand people lined the streets of Jerusalem within hours to pay their last respects to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt”l, making it the largest funeral in Israel’s history. The streets were engulfed by a sea of his followers who loved and respected him and were there to honor their supreme spiritual leader. The van carrying his body was held up for hours as masses blocked the route to the cemetery.

The Prophet Yirmeyahu said “He has cast Yisrael’s glory down from the Heaven to the ground.” It is not possible for me, a tiny, feeble candle, to properly eulogize the glory of the sun. Nevertheless, my heart is churning within my breast. I must express my feelings about the loss of our nation’s leader, the leading Posek of the generation, its crowning glory, the pillar of kiruv, the pillar of Torah and of halakha.

The Ljuba Davis Ladino Ensemble has performed all over the world, including Australia and New Zealand and at some of the major venues in Jerusalem. Band members play the bouzouki, a Greek stringed instrument similar to a mandolin; Spanish guitar; and the oud. The musicians as diverse as their instruments.

Supporters of the Sephardic Rabbinical College (SRC)recently gathered at the home of Albert and Joyce Chehebar to celebrate 15 successful years. The SRC was founded by Ezra S. Ashkenazi in 1998, and has since produced over 20 notable community rabbis. Obtaining semikha (rabbinic ordination) at the SRC is not a simple task. Students need to study the laws of Shabbat, mourning, kashrut, weddings and much more, and achieve high grades on their testing. The semikha process is a seven year program.

Rolex watches are so special that only Official Rolex Retailers are allowed to sell and maintain them. With the necessary skills, technical know-how and special equipment, they guarantee the authenticity of each and every part and help customers make the choice that will last a lifetime. William Barthman Jewelers is an Official Rolex Retailer and owner Jerry Natkin recently treated family, friends and clientele to an invitation only, once-in-a-lifetime event celebrating two very special Rolex watches.