SSC Rabbinical Conference

Sephardic rabbis from across Europe, North America and Latin America, as well as Eastern Europe and Russia gathered for an inspirational Rabbinical Conference, sponsored by the Shehebar Sephardic Center. Held annually for the past 20 years, the conference attracted key Jewish leaders, current and past alumni.

The SSC was honored to host key leaders including Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger, the Rishon Le’Zion Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi Doron and Chief Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl of the Old City.

The three-day conference focused on education and rabbinical orientation, with an emphasis on present and future leadership. The various lecturers discussed the connection between man and trees and their mutual need for deeply embedded roots in order to grow and flourish.

According to the head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Sam Kassin, “Man is like a field of trees that needs water to take root and be strong. If we are not well rooted we will never be strong.”

Rabbi Yaakov Peretz opened the conference with his talk on the “Need of Morality in Leadership,” highlighting that the moral side of a leader in our generation is that the person is tested not only by his knowledge, but also on his moral leadership.

In his talk “Integration of Rabbi in Community Leadership,” Dr. Gad Abecassis, former Senior Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Education, highlighted the various community structures and the need for integration of the rabbi in community leadership.

Former Tiberias Mayor and Knesset member Yigal Bibi illustrated how to bring people to Judaism in a peaceful way and build community in his talk “Building Peacefully.”

In the session “Peshat and Derash,” Rabbi Moshe Patichi spoke of the need to engage in the rabbi’s sermon in the literal meaning of the Scripture and not in the midrash of the text.

Interior Minister Eli Yishai, who arrived after the memorial service of the disastrous Caramel fire, spoke of the need of the leader to be humble during his presentation “Humility in the Leader” He offered words from the Mishnah: “It is better to be the offended and not to offend.”

During “Who Should Be Called a Talmud Hakham,” Rabbi Prof. Joseph Power spoke about the current inflation in the distribution of titles and that not everyone today is eligible for the title of Talmud Haham. The titles should be given to those who are widely knowledgeable and educated to fit the needs of a leader in the 21st century.

“Financial Laws” with the Dayan, Rabbi Ezra Basri, addressed the need of a rabbi to deal with financial laws and ways to resolve them. Rabbi Basri said that true leadership lies in how a rabbi holds to his decisions no matter what the community thinks. If a community does not feel that a rabbi has made a just decision, the rabbi should never fear in writing down the decision and his reasoning and sending it to the community. The community may not agree with the decision but the rabbi will earn their respect.

Rabbi Eliyahu Ben-Dahan, former CEO of the rabbinical courts, spoke of how the rabbinical courts system is being developed so that content is emphasized and the rabbis and Dayyanim adapt to the demands of audience and community in Israel. Rav Dahan told fascinating stories about his experience over many years of releasing Agunot.

The talk “Attentiveness and Wisdom in Building Community” was the focus of a discussion by Rav and Dayan Eliyahu Abergel, who spoke of past an current community rabbis and the need to be attentive to the community, using wisdom to bring people closer to Judaism.

Rabbi Yechiel Wasserman spoke of the Department for Religious Affairs and the wonderful combination and partnership between the Department, the Jewish Agency and Midrash Sephardi. This cooperation enables rabbinical training students to be placed in various communities around the world.

Religious Affairs Minister Mr. Yaakov Margi spoke of the need for legislation in the Knesset that addresses religious service. He stressed that the combination of religion and the establishment can create good things.

Rabbi Avraham Edelstein spoke of the need for the leader’s devotion; only out of devotion can one reach success.

Rabbi Sam Kassin spoke of the need to develop two character traits: vision and perseverance. As a leader, a rabbi should strive to do great things out of a dream or vision of what could be.

Avraham Duvdevani, chairman of the World Zionist Organization, spoke about the special relationship between the WZO and Rabbi Sam Kassin. Rabbi Duvdevani reminded the audience that Rabbi Kassin is the image of a leader.

Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi Doron spoke of the determination and the need to develop the global Jewish world and the Sephardic world in particular. He said it is important to be attentive to the roots from which we come and develop from the past to the future. He compared communities to the lone tree in a field. Just as a tree needs roots to grow, so do humans. Our present needs are based on the roots of the past.

Rabbi Tuvia Kiel, conference moderator, said that as leaders, we must not chastise the public and speak negatively. We need to see the positive in them and try to always see the good in man.

More than 160 attendees filled the yeshivah from morning until night during the conference. On Thursday evening, there was a formal dinner, attended by the rabbis and students from around the world along with their wives. The evening’s guest of honor was the Rishon Le’Zion, Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi Doron.

On Friday, attendees took an educational tour of the City of David, followed by Shabbat prayers led by Rabbi Sam Kassin.

After the prayers Rabbi Benizri gave a Dvar Torah. Following the Shabbat meal and a speech by student Rabbi David Bitton, the students and their wives enjoyed a celebration meal. Rabbi Tuvia Kiel spoke of the meaning of the prophet’s Jeremiah’s prophecies. He spoke of how Jeremiah remains a leader through thick and thin and always looked for the comforting side of things and gave hope during the roughest period of time, the destruction to the First Temple. Jeremiah didn’t succumb to his troubles and instead looked ahead for a better future. The bakashot singing went on into the night, and the participants dispersed at midnight.

Shabbat lunch was accompanied by singing and Torah teaching. Rabbi Tuvia Kiel gave a tour of the Old City in the afternoon, which included a visit to the Churba and Ramban synagogues, newly renovated.

Shabbat ended with the words of Rabbi Sam Kassin: “If I am needed to clean streets in order to serve the Jewish nation, I would be happy to do so, since that is the kind of sacrifice needed from all who want to lead our people.”

The conference would not have been able to take place and be such a beautiful success without the generosity of the sponsors. The Shehebar Sephardic Center hopes to continue this tradition, and hold many more conventions in the years to come. The SSC thanks its generous sponsors: SSC President Salomon Bendayan, Ricky Cohen, David Galinski, Century 21 Department Stores and the Gindi Family, David J. Hidary, Ronny and Toby Hirsch, Gerard Mizrahi, Morris and Richard Sutton.

Since its inception in 1980, the Shehebar Sephardic Center has grown into a world renowned institution with an outstanding reputation for high quality programs, as well as a resource for Sephardic communities worldwide to identify rabbis, dayans, teachers, mohels, shochets and spiritual leadership. The SSC has trained more than 150 rabbis, 15 dayanim, 60 teachers, 40 mohalim, and 25 shochetim. These spiritual leaders now serve Sephardic Jews in 70 cities on five continents around the world. Seen as the global source for Sephardic training, the SSC receives calls daily from Diaspora Jewish communities looking for rabbinic leadership to build a kahal, lead holiday services, to teach in a school, or to oversee the kashrut of a restaurant. No matter what the need, the SSC fills the gap by sending its graduates to the remotest towns or the most highly populated cities, to serve and inspire the people there.
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Community member and historian Sarina Roffe, holds a journalism degree from the University of Maryland and an MA in Jewish Studies from Touro College.