International Syrian Jewish Heritage Center Video

Our community is really one of the oldest [music] community in the world since Damascus being being one of the oldest civilizations in the world. [music] We it goes back thousands of years. And what I know exactly about uh how old our community goes from the plaque was on uh Jobar it it says 272 years before BC Hashem since we you know we came here and our community stayed together intact because we kept all our minhagim and we carried it from back home to to the US. Rabbi Hamra, he was the chief rabbi in in Syria and he helped everybody in the community and I don't think anybody from the community he didn't ask him for help and he never do it. He was very strong and he was really really the rabbi in Syria and Damas have time was for everything for the government for the rabbi for for everything. Rabbi Hamra, everybody you ask everybody Shami hali and everything, everybody help him. >> He told me how he [music] did what he did to get us out of Syria. And I saw that in my own eyes going around all these organizations telling me how much of risk Rabbi Hamra took to try to u you know take [music] everybody out. >> Okay. Rabbi Hamra will leave Damascus came here and after go to Israel and in Israel he got land in Halon. You can make mikvah. can make a big big uh yeshiva big this and 19 I think like 1997 you have the lot have good rabbi I have now in Isra in Hon Rabbi Binam Hamra you have K so [music] some good people from the community decided to build a center uh in Hollon where he lived the end of his life uh in his memory in his name and basically The way I understand it is to bring together the Jews of Syria. I guess Jews of Damascus, Jews [music] of Aleppo. I know I know Mr. You know, whatever he does is Shamahim. I know the rabbi son Benny uh is also behind it which is Kim. >> And what he [music] wanted is to keep us all together to keep our together. Shalom. [music] to create a a place that could [music] be specific for the Syrians. Israel is a melting pot. You know, everybody gets there and everybody all of a sudden finds themselves in the same shoe [music] and you got 17 different denominations all praying together. And uh I think we should be able to to build this place >> to create a center which would hone in on specifically the traditions of the Syrians and be a place where we can meet and we can gather and whatever they're going to do there >> and and really make it [music] a crown jewel of of his legacy. They will have uh shul a bit midrash a museum. We're going to build the migail also for men's and ladies and uh also if somebody came from Israel they want to do the bar mitzvah we have uh like a few a few rooms to stay for Shabbat. I came up with this idea to collect 200 people each one six $500 a months which is $6,000 a year for six years and we'll be able to continue this job with a 7 million and two in total and that's what we need. We have some people now when I give him the idea they love it and they like it and this is one of the uh life opportunity. I I wish them luck. I mean it sounds like a great idea and I hope this idea will uh you know become a reality. Please everybody give support to our community. When I say our community, I mean our community here and our community in Hon, Israel and everywhere that there are. I'm going to personally give support to Benny and to this beautiful institution. Let it rise. Let it build. Let the people come. Let it be full in the name of the great Rabb Abraham Mhamd who gave his life to the people of Damascus. I need everybody please help Please foreign. Foreign speech. Foreign foreign foreign speech. Amen. Amen. [music]