Nehardea Magazine

Journal of the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center
No.13, Summer 2001

IRAQI JEWS IN THE DIASPORA

IMPRESSIONS OF A VISIT TO THE USA
Mordechay Ben-Porat

I visited the USA from the 9th until the 27th May 2001. One of the purposes of this visit was to strengthen relations with the Babylonian Jewish Communities of Los Angeles and New York. My wife, who financed her trip, accompanied me.

(R toL) Adv. Meir Fattal, Dr. Eli Hamou,
Mr. Yoel Ini, Consul General Mr. Yoval
Rotem, Prof. Lev Hakak, Mr. Joe
Samuelos, Mr. Ben-Porat, Mr. Joe
Dabbi, Consul Mr. Yoshua Avigdor,
Consul David Gabbai.

Visit to Los Angeles

The moving spirit in Los Angeles was Prof. Lev Hakak who, together with the Committee members, threw a charity ball for the Center with the participation of the Israeli Consul General in LA, Mr. Yoval Rotem and the Consular staff. During the ball the Iraqi Community congratulated me on my receiving the Israel Prize. The artistic section consisted of: Iman, Aziz Jalal and the musician Elias Shasha. A set of the Center's medals was sold and a number of donations for bricks was registered, in order to widen the building of the Center.

Prof. Lev Hakak and Mr. M. Ben-Porat

Visit to New York

Friends of the Center Association was founded and presided over by the sculptor Mr. Oded Halahmy. The soul of this Association is the Zilkha and Shasha Families. Mr. Halahmy held an event in his studio in New York in honor of the Center with the participation of donors from the Zilkha, Shasha and Ben-Yosef Families. Mrs. Georgette Meer, Mr. Maurice Shohet, Miss. Carole Basri as well as other distinguished personalities also participated. Some of the guests who emigrated from Iraq to the States in the beginning of the twenties have never had the opportunity of visiting Israel.

Participants in the charity ball

I presented the activities of the museum and our need to finance the design of the exhibits and to complete of the expansion of the Center building. Messrs. Alfred Shasha, his brother James and his son Robert, together with Mr. Halahmy made and are still making great efforts to include more families in the donors' circle.
The next morning we visited Mr. Saleh Masri whose relations with Israel are very positive. He regularly sends contributions to the Center and other Israeli institutions. Mr. Masri expressed his will to contribute to the exhibits in the museum. >>>

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IRAQI JEWS IN THE DIASPORA
IMPRESSIONS OF A VISIT TO THE USA Mordechay Ben-Porat
I visited the USA from the 9th until the 27th May 2001. One of the purposes of this visit was to strengthen relations with the Babylonian Jewish Communities of Los Angeles and New York. My wife, who financed her trip, accompanied me. (R toL) Adv. Meir Fattal, Dr. Eli Hamou, Mr. Yoel Ini, Consul General Mr. Yoval Rotem, Prof. Lev Hakak, Mr. Joe Samuelos, Mr. Ben-Porat, Mr. Joe Dabbi, Consul Mr. Yoshua Avigdor, Consul David Gabbai. Visit to Los Angeles The moving spirit in Los Angeles was Prof. Lev Hakak who, together with the Committee members, threw a charity ball for the Center with the participation of the Israeli Consul General in LA, Mr. Yoval Rotem and the Consular staff. During the ball the Iraqi Community congratulated me on my receiving the Israel Prize. The artistic section consisted of: Iman, Aziz Jalal and the musician Elias Shasha. A set of the Center's medals was sold and a number of donations for bricks was registered, in order to widen the building of the Center. Prof. Lev Hakak and Mr. M. Ben-Porat Visit to New York Friends of the Center Association was founded and presided over by the sculptor Mr. Oded Halahmy. The soul of this Association is the Zilkha and Shasha Families. Mr. Halahmy held an event in his studio in New York in honor of the Center with the participation of donors from the Zilkha, Shasha and Ben-Yosef Families. Mrs. Georgette Meer, Mr. Maurice Shohet, Miss. Carole Basri as well as other distinguished personalities also participated. Some of the guests who emigrated from Iraq to the States in the beginning of the twenties have never had the opportunity of visiting Israel. Participants in the charity ball I presented the activities of the museum and our need to finance the design of the exhibits and to complete of the expansion of the Center building. Messrs. Alfred Shasha, his brother James and his son Robert, together with Mr. Halahmy made and are still making great efforts to include more families in the donors' circle. The next morning we visited Mr. Saleh Masri whose relations with Israel are very positive. He regularly sends contributions to the Center and other Israeli institutions. Mr. Masri expressed his will to contribute to the exhibits in the museum. >>>
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