Front cover.indd 1 4/26/2012 3:11:06 PM - Jewish Image Magazine

34 t MAY 2012 t IMAGE
C O M M U N I T Y E V E N T S
The Sephardic Community Celebrates
Rabbi Abraham B. Hecht’s 90th Birthday
Community Leaders Ask Forgiveness
On Tuesday, March 17, the
Sephardic Home for the
Aged, located on Cropsey
Avenue in Brooklyn, NY, was the
setting for a special celebration
which brought together many distinguished
guests. Chief Sephardic
Rabbi of Israel Shlomo Amar
and Chief Rabbi Saul Kassin led
the delegation of Sephardic rab-
Rabbi Shlomo Amar, Rabbi Abraham B. Hecht and Rabbi Saul Kassin (sitting), Joe
Cayre and Rabbi Yehoshua S. Hecht (standing)
Morris Bailey giving a touching speech
bis, community leaders and activists.
Rabbi Herschel Kurzrock and
Rabbi Gershon Tannenbaum, from
the Rabbininical Alliance-Igud
Harrabbonim, gathered to celebrate
the 90th birthday of esteemed Rabbi
Emeritus of Congregation Shaare
Zion, Rabbi Abraham B. Hecht.
Also in attendance were friends
and family, including some of the
children of Rabbi Hecht who live in
proximity to the NY area—Rebetzin
Nechama Kantor, Rebetzin Esther
Kaplan, both of Crown Heights and
Mrs. Shoshana Fasten of West
Lawrence, NY, Rabbi Yehoshua S.
Hecht of Norwalk, CT, and many of
Rabbi Hecht’s grandchildren.
Jack Avital, community leader
and chairman of the Sephardic
National Alliance, was instrumental
in planning the event.
As one of the spiritual leaders
of Congregation Shaare Zion for
more than half a century, Rabbi
Hecht had an enormous effect on
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