Victor Ozair, M.Sc, P.E.
The Iraqi Jewish community in Los Angeles celebrated the second Babylonian Heritage gala at Summit Bel Air Hotel on 1 June 1997. About 270 guests filled the charming, richly decorated ballroom and the veranda of the hotel to honour our affinity to our common heritage and to confirm our continuous support to our Babylonian Heritage Center in Israel.
It was a unique evening filled with nostalgic music and songs played by an Israeli band and later, with Arabic music by a Chalghi of famous Iraqi singers and their choice ensemble. There was abundance of food varieties with hors d'oeuvre, dinner and sweet table offering the best of Israeli and Persian delicacies with ample supply of wine donated by the Carmel Company .
Prof. Lev Hakak the Master of Ceremonies, organized a silent art auction of paintings by eminent Iraqi Jewish artists, who contributed their work for this festive event. One hundred copies of Mr. Ben-Porat's book "To Baghdad and Back" were given to the guests autographed by Mr. Ben-Porat, Chairman of the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center, who came from Israel for this occasion.
The gala was filled with excitement and joy, with much music and dancing. The guests, overwhelmed with emotion, surrendered to the melodious rhythms played by the band of Shlomi Amber, an Iraqi Jew from Israel. Several ladies and men jumped on the chairs and the tables to dance, swaying to the rhythm of the music, while most of the audience happily joined in with the singer and his songs. Several guests engaged in joyful conversation with old friends, who came unexpectedly to the gala.
The Israeli consulate was represented by two consuls in Los Angeles, Mr. Aharon Ben-Nathan and Miss Roni Shem-On. Both consuls have their roots in Iraq.
Many thanks go to Mr. Efrem Harkahm and Mr. Uri Harkahm, who have contributed financially to the Center and who offered the space in their Bel Air Summit Hotel for this festive accasion. Also special thanks are offered to Mr. Naji Harkahm, who donted for this event hundreds of copies of an articulate and eloquent short history of the Babylonian Jews.
Many thanks and appreciation go to Prof. Lev Hakak, a highly respected personality in our community, for his dedication and commitment to this event.
Lev Hakak is a Professor at UCLA. He is the author of ten literary books, a licensed attorney in Israel and in California. He is the founder and editor of our Los Angeles Jewish community journal, Yosef Haim.
Our thanks are also extended to Mrs. Yvette Dabby, Dr. Abe Kattan and Mr. Victor Ozair, active members of this community, who worked so hard to create this delightful and excellent gala, an event long to be remembered.
The following is a speech given by Mr. Victor Ozair at the start of the gala to introduce Mr. Ben Porat.
Dear friends,
This is our second gala celebrating our affinity with our common heritage and confirming our continuous support for our Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center in Israel.
We are all here proud to state that our roots are in Iraq. We are proud to say that we have proved ourselves to be far above the average in all fields of endeavor, whether in Israel where we were totally underestimated and ridiculed or in any other country in the world. Thus I believe we should answer the call for help from our Heritage Center, the master piece of achievement in Or Yehuda.
History has shown that on very rare occasions you may find here and there giants who flourish with genius of dazzle with unparalleled accomplishments. These striking individuals shine above all.
My dear audience, I wish to introduce Mr. Ben Porat as one of those giants.
Mr. Ben Porat was an active organizer in the 1940s in the Underground Zionist Movement in Iraq which led to the mass emigration to Israel in 1950-51.
He has been active in saving Jews from Iran and Ethiopia. He was an active member of the Knesset in Israel, then a cabinet minister and deputy speaker of the Knesset. He was founder and chairman of the World Organization of Jews in Arab Countries (WOJAC). He is the founder and chairman of the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center in Or Yehuda, Israel. Chances are that this Center could have never been established without the significant creativity, outstanding achievement and insight of Mr. Ben Porat.
We are proud and honored by you, Mr. Ben Porat, for you have blossomed from among us to accomplish so much. May God bless you with good health and long life.