Beloved community leader and master fund raiser of Brooklyn, New York and Deal,
New Jersey. Also known as Charlie Serouya, he was a highly motivated and
charismatic man who successfully fought the culture of assimilation which
threatened a generation of Sephardic youth. Although he never held an official
position, he had a direct impact on hundreds of young men and boys, reconnecting
them to their religious heritage.
A Visionary in Bensonhurst When “Charlie” lived in Bensonhurst in the 1950s, the
community was small, and in danger of losing its youth to the allure of the
street culture. Recognizing the terrible danger this posed, he set out to do
something about it. Among his first novel ideas, he pioneered the concept of a
youth minyan, named Young Magen David (YMD). Through his dynamic personality he
made YMD a place where children wanted to be. Under Charlie’s guidance, YMD
became more than a minyan, it was a virtual youth program. This would serve as
the model “youth program” for all future programs to follow. He even took the
kids on outings by subway, including trips to the hospitals to visit the sick. Determined to make the minyan work, Charlie used every
connection and innovative stratagem to raise the needed funds. Once, while
working as a chandelier salesman for Mr. David Bibi and Mr. Nouri Dayan at Bibi and company, two nuns came to the store to buy some lighting. As
he helped them to the car he couldn’t help but notice their beautiful new
station wagon. They explained that it was a gift from the Ford Motor Company, to
their religious institution. Never one to miss out on a donation to YMD, he
called Ford and explained to them that he ran a youth program that effectively
attracted kids and kept them off the street. Before long, YMD became the proud
owner of two new blue Ford station wagons, which Charlie used to pick up boys at
home and bring them to early services at YMD.
When boys in YMD approached
their 13th birthday, Charlie would be the one to teach and prepare them for the
big day. He would make all the party arrangements himself. The lucky boys would
receive a siddur inscribed personally in his unique handwriting, a brand-new
talit and koratcha (talit bag), and many boxes of chocolate. Everyone eagerly
awaited their turn to bask in Charlie’s attention. Today, over half a century
later, some of the boys who moved out of Bensonhurst before they turned 13, say
how disappointed they were to have missed the privilege of having a YMD Bar
Mitzvah. Among those who did receive a special YMD Bar Mitzvah – was a boy who
had arrived from Syria just several months before. For that particular young
man, the Bar Mitzvah was only the beginning of a long and enriching relationship
with Charlie. Today that boy is known as R’ Isaac Dwek, Rabbi of the Synagogue
of Deal. On Succot,
Charlie had a huge succah built for the shul. In this way he gave the children a
chance to experience the true spirit of the holiday at a time when, sadly, just
a handful of families had a succah in their own yards. For most of the boys, those
fond childhood memories at YMD became the foundation for a lifetime of Jewish
observance. In fact, many of those YMD children grew up to be rabbis and lay
leaders in the community. Among Charlie’s other personal initiatives in
Bensonhurst was the funding for the local Mikveh (ritual bath house), an
essential component in preserving the sanctity of Jewish family life in the
neighborhood. Despite the economic hardships of the community, Charlie made sure
that the services of the Mikveh were never compromised.
Life in the Army. As a young
man Charlie served in the United States Army. Despite many difficulties he
diligently avoided eating non-kosher food, and so his diet generally consisted
of eggs, fruit, and vegetables. One year he built a succah on the runway of the
army base. When the wind blew it down he enlisted the help of several non-Jewish
comrades who helped him rebuild the succah – and in the process, made the local
news headlines: “Man Builds Religious Booth.”
New Frontiers When Charlie moved from Bensonhurst to the Ocean
Parkway area of Brooklyn in 1965, he continued his community service in the shul
of Shaare Zion. Finally, after many dedicated years of service to the community
in Brooklyn, Charlie moved to Deal, New Jersey. The Deal Synagogue and the
surrounding community then became the new recipient of Charlie’s devotion. And
all the while, he found the time and energy to continue running his wholesale
business. As he did in
Bensonhurst, Charlie would wake much before dawn and drive around while it was
still dark, picking up people to go to the early minyan. For an hour before the
service he would give a class in Hok L’Yisrael. When he noticed individuals
neglecting attendance, he would never give up cajoling them to join him at the
sunrise services. He saw his mission as helping people grow and come closer to
Hashem. However, Charlie
insisted upon proper decorum in shul and firmly discouraged people from
appearing in jeans at the Shabbat services.
Selfless Devotion Charlie
didn’t take vacations. He didn’t go “out to eat”. He didn’t believe in indulging
himself. He was driven to serve others. This would never have been possible
without his Eshet Chayil Sylvia A”H. She shared this devotion of putting the
needs of others first. She understood that loving is giving and not taking and
together they gave and gave of themselves wholeheartedly. Although Sylvia was a
shy and reserved woman she knew when it was time to speak and take action. In
the beginning years of the Deal synagogue, Rabbi Isaac Dwek gave a class for
women to promote the laws of family purity. Sylvia A”H stood up and told the
young women, “I’m married for 35 years and I can honestly say that Mikveh makes
you special to your husband… it makes you feel like a bride every time”. She
shared his commitment to helping people appreciate the beauty of Torah and
mitzvoth. She more than made it possible for him to do all the amazing things
that he did – she encouraged him.
His Loving Family Perhaps because he was orphaned at the age of 3,
Charlie had a special appreciation for the value of a warm and loving family.
Charlie and his wife Sylvia A”H were blessed with one son and four daughters.
Charlie’s worthy son
Abraham (Abe) grew up to join him in their furniture importing business, Charles
Serouya & Son. Guided by Charlie’s loving example, Abe and his four sisters
Anna, Gene, Molly, and Ruthie, raised Torah true families of their own. One of
Charlie’s sons-in-law, R’ Shemuel (Steve) Amon became the rabbi of the Sephardic
Congregation Shaare Tefillah in Eatontown, New Jersey. His other two surviving
sons-in-law are R’ Michael Haber, who became the rabbi of Congregation Tiferet
Torah in Brooklyn NY, and Dr. Jacques Doueck, a prominent dentist.
When
Sylvia died in a tragic automobile accident at the age of 53, he honored her
memory by building a Mikveh in Deal. That Mikveh continues to serve the women of
Deal, providing the community with the essential foundation of a Jewish home. He then took a worthy second wife, Sarah, to be his
partner and indispensable support in continuing his holy work.
Charlie always believed in
seizing the moment. Even the simple act of leaving a message on an answering
machine was an opportunity; he would lower his voice and use the moment to
express his love for his family. A Final Resting Place. Charlie had a great love for
Eretz Yisrael and every morning, for decades, he made a long-distance phone call
to his cousin Yechezkel Nawama, to hear how things were going in his beloved
country. For years, he collected donations from the Syrian communities of
Brooklyn, Deal and Florida to support a century-old shul in Jerusalem called Bet
K’nesset Ades.
It is not surprising then, that one of his wishes was
that his final resting place be in the land of Israel. Charlie made certain to
purchase a plot on Har Hazetim and after a full life of 84 years he was laid to
rest in the land he loved, just a few hundred feet away from the burial place of
the Or Hahaim Hakadosh.
