Sarah Dabbah
How do you celebrate an organization that has helped literally thousands of community members? Or recognize individuals who donated years of their life to be at its helm? On Monday, November 18th, hundreds of supporters gathered to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of SBH by honoring the past and current presidents of the organization.
Congregation Shaare Zion was full of the men and women who each played a part in building SBH into what it is today, including the 10 past and current presidents: Fred Bijou, Dr. Robert Matalon, Joseph D. Beyda a”h, Dr. Mayer Ballas, Sam Sutton, Jeffrey Gindi, Victor Grazi, M.D., Lee M. Cohen, Jack A. Aini, and David J. Beyda.
M.C. Marshall Mizrahi began by introducing SBH President David J. Beyda who kicked off the evening giving each of the presidents a round of applause. Rabbi Benhaim led a very special Hamotzi (blessing of the bread) before Rabbi Eli Mansour took the stage. The rabbi so eloquently shared how SBH helped shape him from his days as a volunteer for holiday packaging during his youth.
After watching a beautiful video tribute to our presidents (available on @sbh_updates Instagram page), former SBH Board Member Rabbi Ozeri took the stage to speak about the selfless dedication it takes to take on the role of president as well as the dedication of our board members and captains. Honorary Board Member Ronnie Tawil then had the privilege to present each president with their award, as well as Mrs. Barbara Beyda who accepted it on behalf of her husband Joseph Beyda a”h. It was truly incredible to see all of these giants together on one stage for probably the first time ever, standing in unison.
President David Beyda took the stage again to share just how much SBH has grown over the last 50 years. “With Hashem’s help, the strength of the community, our dedicated volunteers and staff…SBH will continue to grow, to serve, and to rise to every challenge,” said David. “Because the spirit of service, the commitment to each other is in our DNA and is who we are,” he continued. David touched on some of the many advancements SBH has made over the last several decades, including a full-blown counseling center, the work of our Fertility Division, and announced Lev Hatikvah, a new program that addresses the needs of widows and orphans in the community. David then announced SBH’s big plans for growing its footprint: a complete two-story renovation to the flagship on Kings Highway and the purchase of a new facility for the Tawil Family Jersey Branch.
Equipped with more knowledge of the breadth and depth of SBH’s many, many services, M.C. Marshall Mizrahi showed our audience just how many different people mobilize to help every single client. Through a vignette that demonstrated SBH’s comprehensive holistic approach to serving its clients. Many audience members were left in awe as he took us through a mock case that ended with over two dozen professionals and volunteers involved in helping get that client back on her feet.
Following a video showcasing how we are the ‘Building Our Future’, SBH VP Eddie Rishty presented Charles Anteby with a beautiful award to mark 15 years of his unwavering dedication to the organization and most notably our youth! Rabbi Meyer Yedid then shared his gratitude to SBH who helped him and his family when they arrived to the country.
The night closed with a very special note – literally. We were treated to the world debut of ‘By Your Side’ which was written exclusively for SBH’s 50th featuring community creatives Abe Heaney, Irv Safdieh, Ralph Hanan, Isaac Silvera, Sam Tawil, Albert Ashkenazi and Marshall Mizrahi (also available on our Instagram @sbh_updates!). It truly was an incredible night that left so many motivated to volunteer, support and celebrate SBH!
