Magen David Sephardic Congregation Celebrates its Past and Purpose with Pride
The Magen David Sephardic Congregation (MDSC), the Sephardic Synagogue of the Nation’s Capitol, hosted a gala celebration on 17 March 2024, to mark its 25th building anniversary and the installation of its new spiritual leader, Rabbi Col. Ari Soussan, PhD.
The event, held at Magen David’s beautiful Beit Eliyahu Synagogue, inside the Albert Emsellem Sanctuary and Sriqui-Haim Mitzvah Hall, was a joyous occasion commemorating the synagogue’s rich history and vibrant community. Founded in 1966, MDSC, located in Rockville, MD, has served as a cornerstone of Sephardic life in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, providing a religious and cultural home for generations of families, many of them refugees or first-generation Americans.
Then-President Sami Totah, after engaging his real estate prowess to secure the location, asked his wife, Annie Totah, to design the synagogue from the ground up. A true monument to the congregation’s character, she infused the structure with Sephardic flavor and Moorish elements. Their son, Elliot Totah, the current Parnas, has spearheaded the post-pandemic flourishing of the synagogue, achieving a 50% increase in membership, according to MSDC’s Vice President Bernard Suissa. Invoking the resilient spirit of classic Sephardic Judaism, Elliot said in his remarks: “We are not victims. We are trailblazers. We are builders, and we are always moving forward” in his remarks.
The evening’s keynote address was given by US Representative David Trone (MD-6). Other speakers included Vice President Suissa; Rabbi Yonatan Halevy, Spiritual Leader of Kehillat Shaar HaShamayim (San Diego, California); Rabbi Col. (Ret.) Sanford L. Dresin, Director of Military Programs, Aleph Institute; and Israel’s Deputy Chief of Mission to the US, Eliav Benjamin.
The American Sephardi Federation’s Vice President for Outreach Gwen Zuares, wife of former MSDC President Mark Zaures, A”H, participated in the inauguration ceremony. The Sephardic Synagogue of the Nation’s Capital has a special connection to the ASF. Past ASF President Leon Levy, A”H donated the synagogue’s Aseret Hadibrot (The Ten Commandments) in honor of ASF Board Member Clement Soffer. Levy also started a legacy of ASF Shabbatons at MSDC that has continued to the present day thanks to the hospitality of former MSDC President Sammy Ymar and his family, Bernard and Rebecca Suissa.
A Legacy of Faith and Community
The gala celebrated MDSC’s significant milestones over its long and storied history. From its humble beginnings to becoming the premier Sephardic institution of the Mid- Atlantic region, MDSC has played a vital role in fostering Jewish identity, preserving Sephardic traditions, and serving as a religious oasis for Jews from Arab and Muslim lands. The event featured presentations highlighting the synagogue’s achievements, a pop-up ‘museum-like’ exhibit recounting the congregation’s past, and special musical performances, including by Hazan Liran Kohn accompanied by a qanun and other instruments, that reflected the diverse heritage of the Sephardic community.
Welcoming Rabbi Dr. Ari Soussan
The gala also served as the official installation ceremony for Rabbi Col. Dr. Ari Soussan, MDSC’s new spiritual leader. Rabbi Soussan brings a wealth of experience and scholarship to the position, and currently serves as the highest active-duty Rabbi Chaplain in the US Army as well as an Assistant Professor and Senior Military Ethics Fellow teaching ethical leadership, military strategy, and warfare at the National Defense University. At a service welcoming him and his Rabbanit, Amy Soussan, M.D., with warmth and enthusiasm, Rabbi Soussan was given a new tallit that had passed through the hands of every MDSC past president or their representative. Rabbi Soussan invoked Israel’s first Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Hakham Meir Ben-Zion Hai Uziel’s Spiritual Will to the Jewish People in his acceptance speech.
Who’s Who
Former MSDC President Sir Charles Dahan accompanied the Kingdom of Morocco’s newly credentialed Ambassador to the United States, Youssef Amrani, for a tour of the pillars of remembrance, the exhibit of the synagogue’s history. Other distinguished attendees included Montgomery County, MD Council President, Andrew Friedson and Portuguese Political Counselor to the Embassy, Henrique Henriques.
Jewish leaders from across the country joined in the festivities, including Rabbi Yosef and Mrs. Marian Zarnighian, Kahal Kadosh Mikveh Israel: Synagogue of the American Revolution, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Rabbi and Mrs. Stuart Weinblatt, Chairman, Zionist Rabbinic Coalition; Jason Guberman, Executive Director, American Sephardi Federation; Rabbi Yonatan and Deborah Halevy, Kehillat Shaar HaShamayim, San Diego, California; Rabbi Moshe Kavka, Co-Director, Chabad of Rockville, Maryland; Rabbi Michael J. Safra, B’nai Israel Congregation, Rockville, Maryland; Ethan Marcus, Managing Director, Sephardic Brotherhood of America, and Rabbi Mitchel Malkus, Head of School at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School of Greater Washington, D.C.
A Night of Celebration and Unity
The 25th Building Anniversary Celebration & Installation of Rabbi Dr. Ari Soussan was a night of joy, reflection, and unity. It was an opportunity for the MDSC community to come together, celebrate its rich heritage, and look forward to a bright future under the leadership of Rabbi Soussan.