Prof. Ephraim Isacc's Passover greeting letter


Dear Friends and Members of the Wide Yemenite Jewish Community:

As we get ready to celebrate the holiday of our Freedom, we must also remember that the month of Nisan represents a New Year. Let us make this season a time of change and renewal for the whole Yemenite Jewish community. Let’s start a new chapter to work together respecting each other for the benefit of our children.

I have written to you in the past about the need to stand together and work together. If mistakes had been made in the past, let us say “bygones be bygones” and find a new path of cooperation and mutual support.
I understand that some of you may rightly have some reservations about the Federations' programs and priorities. With this letter I would like to assure you that we are ready and willing to listen to any of your comments, in order to make a real change considering your wise advice.

Yemenite Jews are unquestionably the richest Jews in Jewish learning and culture, ironically the poorest economically. Right now as the Hag Pesah is approaching I am worried about as to how to feed some families of widows, single mothers, and other needy household-- which is one of our responsibilities. Moreover, we need to find ways to educate our children, in particular the venerable tradition our ancestors passed onto us.

The attrition of Yemenite Jewish culture is not detected, and international organizations are oblivious to it. Yemenite Jews may be economically more successful today than they were half a century ago; but their culture is waning. Let’s make a different choice. Yet “if we are not for ourselves who will be for us?”

It is important that Yemenite Judaism is rejuvenated; but that should be done in a way that such a rich heritage does not lose its identity. We are not calling for a single unit of Yemenite Jews, but a coalition of all synagogues and community groups to work together towards this goal. We consider diversity very important as we unite towards a common goal. Our Yemenite Jewish Federation must operate within the limits of the authority conferred upon it by every single synagogue, community group, and interested individual members in order to attain the objectives it sets out. The Federation is only a symbol of our identity and unity.

Yemenite Jews need each other for support to realize their strong potentials to make contributions in many areas of interest to our community as well as the Jewish world. I am turning to each and every one of you to work together to make the necessary changes in our Community to make progress.

I appreciate your interest very much and look forward to hearing from you and meeting personally each and every one of you at your convenience.

Very Important:
We are updating our database and need your email, name and address to keep you informed about all community events. Please email your info to the following address: jewishyemenites@aol.com

Hag Kasher Va-Same’ach!

Yours sincerely,
Ephraim Isaac
President

Yemenite Jewish Federation of America 15 West 16th Street New York, NY 10011

Ephraim Isaac, B.D., Ph.D., D.H.L., D.Litt.
704A Rosedale Road
Princeton, NJ 08540
609-751-0223
609-577-2233 (mobile)
609-921-7781(fax)
eisaac@post.harvard.edu
e.isaac7@verizon.net
eisaac77@aol.com