L'Chayim: Elie Abadie (Part 2)

Co-President of “Justice for Jews from Arab Countries” (JJAC), Rabbi Elie Abadie (Manhattan East Synagogue), describes his ties to Israel and discusses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a Sephardic Jewish perspective. With Mark S. Golub.

[hanina]

How cruel it is to kick a person who is already down on the ground!

A convert to Judaism gives up nearly his entire past, and his family and his heritage. When I look back at how I converted, it was like my old self died, and a new helpless, tiny me took the place of my dead self. It is a Mitzva in the Tora to love a convert as yourself. There is no commandment to love your parents or rabbis, but you are commanded to love the convert as yourself, because the convert is emotionally empty.

I converted with Rabbi Ovadya Yosef A.H. when I was 18. Six months later I davened in Ades Synogogue in Mahane Yehuda, and a clean-shaven 60 year old man scolded me, and asked me why I had became Jewish? He said, I should have become Muslim or Buddhist, but not Jewish. I would have answered him that I followed the truth. Does he imagine that Islam or Buddhism is equal to Judaism? Is truth of no value to him!? But I did not say a word, because I was shocked and embarrassed. I think his words were a gigantic Hillul HaShem!

I saw a letter written by Rabbi Moshe Shamma where he says that people converted by recognized Rabbinic Courts not for marriage, are accepted by the Syrian community? Is that true? Are such converts granted membership in the Syrian community?

May HaShem blessed each and every Syrian Jew who loves and draws near converts to Judaism. May HaShem bless them with every good thing, both spiritually and materially!

[hanina]

When I converted to Judaism, Rabbi Ovadya Yosef A.H. said to me, "If you become Jewish, you must keep the Shabbat the rest of your life, and if you intentionally violate the Shabbat, then you are subject to the death penalty. Do you accept upon yourself the death penalty if you would violate the Shabbat?" I already understood this, but I felt unworthy to verbalize such a commitment. Rabbi Ovadya Yosef waited for a clear answer. Finally, I answered "Yes!" and he accepted me.

Now It appears, that at a Syrian synogogue, they will give an Aliya to a known desecrator of the Shabbat, while telling me to get lost.
That doesn't seem to be an absolute mockery of the Fear of Heaven?

[hanina]

Thank you Rabbi Golub for doing such an uplifting interview. I would like to point out, that Israel's declaration of independence says nothing about "democracy." It's to be a Jewish state, by whatever means. The the idea of Israel being also a "democratic" state was only pushed from the 1990's after Oslo, as an excuse to give up land, even as the peace brought only death. Further, the West Bank has NEVER been democratic: not under the Jordanians🇯🇴, not under the British🇬🇧, not under the Ottomans🇹🇷. So why should Israel🇮🇱 make the West Bank democratic for the first time in history?