Presented by the Shehebar Sephardic Center
Since Shehebar Sephardic Center’s inception more than 25 years ago, they have evolved into a remarkable and significant global outreach program. The program’s main goal is to ensure Jewish continuity through education, made possible through the work and devotion of Rabbi Sam Kassin and Rabbi Eli Shamoula. This dynamic international network trains and sends rabbinical leaders to the four corners of the earth, from Hong Kong, to California, to New Zealand. This program helps revive dying communities by instilling Jewish values and practices, educating Jews about their history, preventing assimilation and assuring continuity.
These new starting communities are provided with rabbinical leaders who are able to transform them into thriving Jewish centers. This highly accredited leadership program has given its rabbis skills in public speaking, handling substance abuse, philosophy, psychology and family counseling; and provides community members with the skills to become shochetim (kosher butchers) and mohelim in order for these communities to sustain their rich heritage and provide for all their needs. During the course of the next decade, they hope, with G-d’s help, to be able to place 100 additional rabbis in communities throughout the world.
If you are traveling to any of our cities and would like to find a rabbi, kosher food or services, please contact SSC at 212-594-4250 x171 or ssc@bentex.com.
Torremolinos
One of our communities is located in Torremolinos, Spain, just seven miles from the city of Malaga and is situated in the heart of the Costa del Sol in southern Spain, on the Mediterranean coast. The Jewish community of Torremolinos is an orthodox community mostly composed of Sephardic Moroccan Jews, a small and cozy community that hosts a large number of Jewish tourists that come from all over the world, as well as the many Jews that live in the surrounding cities.
Facilities
The community of Torremolinos is a thriving and developing community that offers many facilities:
The Rabbi: The Rabbi of this exceptional community is Rabbi Shaul Khalili, who studied and received his rabbinic ordination at the Shehebar Sephardic Center in Jerusalem. He is a qualified shochet and a certified mohel. Rabbi Khalili is doing his utmost to ensure the spiritual growth of the community, with more plans to ensure the future of this community. He can be contacted at 34-952-377414 or at saul15@wanadoo.es.
Synagogue: The current Synagogue and center called The Communidad Israelita de Torremolinos is located at Adva Palma de Mallorca in Torremolinos, Spain and was built five years ago in response to the growing community and the need for a bigger and more modern venue. This beautiful building also serves as the site of daily classes for adults as well for the many rabbis who have visited: Rabbi Shlomo Amar, Dayan Ehrentreau, Rabbi Yacov Perez, Rabbi Sam Kassin, Rabbi Daniel Oppehnheimer, Rabbi Efraim Dines and Rabanit Jungreiss, to name a few. There is a daily Minyan for all the daily services, including Shabbat and Jewish holidays, and a Kiddush for Shabbat.
Talmud Torah Yeshiva: They currently have more than 30 children from age two to bar mitzvah-age, with an increase in enrollment every year. For kids up to age eight, the community has a daily after-school program. For kids nine to bar mitzvah-age the community has a special Sunday school program along with a bar mitzvah study group. The younger kids come on Sunday for Jewish arts and crafts lessons. The Talmud Torah also prepares activities/parties related to the Jewish holidays with the children, where parents and grandparents are welcome to participate. And this year they started having activities for boys and girls after bar mitzvah age.
Kosher Establishment: All the kosher facilities are under the instruction of Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreau from the London Bet Din.
Butchery: The shechitah (slaughtering of animals according to Jewish law) is done by Rabbi Shaul Khalili under the instruction of Dayan C. Ehrentreau and is sent to other places in the area besides the city of Torremolinos like Madrid and Gibraltar. The butchery also offers other kosher items brought from London, France and Israel under reliable hashgachas.
Kosher Restaurant: It has a Morocan-style meat menu. It serves in-restaurant and also caters for groups on Shabbat, to take out.
Kosher Pizzeria and Bakery: It offers a Chalav Yisrael Italian-style menu as well as challot, rolls and salads for Shabbat that are parve.
Mikveh: It was designed and constructed under the instructions of Rabbi Meir Posen. Recently opened, it has a mikveh (ritual bath) for men as well as a separate mikveh for women with all the stringencies observed. Rabbi Khalili also helps with the mikveh in the Jewish community of Marbella under the instructions of Rabbi Posen.
Services: The Jewish Community of Torremolinos also offers other services performed by the Rabbi of the community, Rabbi Shaul Khalili, who is also a certified mohel.
Weddings: The community offers Jewish weddings for local Jewish residents or anyone abroad who is interested in getting married in Spain. Rabbi Khalili is recognized by the London Beth Din to act as a Mesader Kidushin. Many couples from England, Canada, France and Spain get married in Costa del Sol and other areas.
Brit Mila: Rabbi Shaul Khalili offers this service even if it is necessary for him to travel to other areas in Spain.
