About

Mr. Joe Mansour, President

Joseph D. Mansour was born in Brooklyn and has been part of the Syrian-Sephardic community his entire life. After graduating from Yeshivah of Flatbush, Joe spent a year in Jerusalem studying at Beth Midrash L’Torah (BMT). On his return to the US he continued his studies in Brooklyn College. Since completing school, Joe has worked in the apparel business where he currently operates Peak Season, an innovative brand which specializes in manufacturing and marketing youth collegiate and sports apparel.

On his spare time, Joe has been heavily involved in enhancing Sephardic Heritage and Jewish Education. Since 2004 he has served as the official Secretary of the Executive Committee of Shaare Zion Congregation, the largest Sephardic Congregation in North America. It is there that he also serves as the chairman of the Young Adult and Youth Programs, initiating many new programs and projects catering to the younger generation.

Joe joins the Sephardic Legacy Series as a President and Project manager where he assists in new intitiatives, fundraising and as a contributing author. It is his goal to preserve and strengthen our rich Sephardic Heritage through various publications for future generations.

Joe lives in Brooklyn with his wife and children.

Rafaella Levine, Chief Editor and Co-author

Rafaella Levine combines her skills as translator, editor, and writer for the benefit of Sephardic Legacy Series. She takes Yehuda’s research and turns it into the masterpieces that SLS publishes.

She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Judaic studies from Michlalah Jerusalem College and has resided in Jerusalem with her family ever since. She has translated books on diverse topics: mussar, Israeli law, and a novel, but now runs a boutique ghostwriting business.

Eric Benchetrit , Political Affairs Advisor

Eric Benchetrit is a financial services industry consultant, providing professional development training and mentoring and is considered by his peers as one of the most informed and knowledgeable authorities in his space. He provides financial advisors as well as their clients’ accountants and lawyers, with technical assistance and his opinions and expertise are regularly called on by life insurers and banks to assist in their product development, including sitting on their Advisory Boards. He’s worked at the head office of insurance companies at the wholesaling distribution level, been a faculty member and part-time Professor for Seneca College’s Financial Services Practitioner certification program, has lectured at prominent financial services industry events, been a guest on radio call-in programs, written articles in industry publications and been profiled in the Canadian Business Journal. He is a member of CALU (Conference for Advanced Life Underwriting), an industry political advocacy group, which maintains a constructive, consultative relationship with federal government representatives. He holds a Specialized Honours B.A. in Political Science from York University and is an active member of his community, volunteering his time with the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto’s Professional Advisory Committee, as Vice President of the Canadian Friends of Laniado Hospital, as a board member of the Sephardic Kehila Centre and Communaute Juive Marocaine de Toronto. He has also been a member of a political riding association and assisted MPs, MPPs and candidates in previous election campaigns. Eric has been active in assisting Sephardic Legacy Institute, raise the profile of the Sephardic Community as a vibrant, politically relevant, constituency in Canada and the United States. Eric is married with 2 children and resides in Toronto, Canada.

Dr. Adam Ohayon

Dr. Adam Ohayon was born and raised in Toronto, Canada to a Moroccan father and mother from Fes and Tangier, respectively. After high school he attended Yeshivat Sha’arei Mevaseret Zion in Jerusalem where he not only engaged in Torah and halakhic studies, but was privileged to learn advanced Moroccan hazanut and minhagim under the direction of Rabbi Kefir Barukh Mevorakh Dadon. Upon his return from Yeshiva, he became co-founder and co-author of the Darké Abotenou Project with the sole purpose of disseminating Moroccan-Judeo laws and traditions through daily emails and a multi-volume work currently undergoing publication. Darké Abotenou also provides a media outlet for those seeking to learn Moroccan liturgy as well.

In 2008 he was awarded a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Psychology from York University. He eventually earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at the University of Toronto in 2013 where he graduated with Honours and served both as Graduating Class President and Academic Representative. Following his dental training he pursued advanced education in New Jersey and earned his General Practice Residency diploma from Newark Beth Israel Medical Centre.  He is currently pursuing a joint Master’s of Science Degree and Dental Specialty Certification in the field of Periodontology at the University of Toronto where he manages oral gum and bone disease both surgically and non-surgically. Dr Ohayon also works in Toronto’s only private dental emergency clinic and is also being certified in intravenous sedation to put his patients at ease during surgery.

Despite his academic and professional achievements, he has an affinity for studying Tora and has dedicated himself to learning and teaching Torah with a focus in Halakha and Gemara. He also serves as a hazan at Bet Yosef Sephardic Congregation in Toronto, as well as, internationally for the High Holidays. During Shabat and Holidays he has been delivering multiple lectures to his synagogue constituents on various topics for over ten years. Dr. Ohayon enjoys being involved in his community through various avenues and has recently been elected to the board of Abir Yaakov Congregation at the Sephardic Kehila Centre. He has also attended various Jewish enhancement trips including the Aish Hatorah Leadership Trip to enhance his leadership qualities. In 2013, the University of Toronto has also awarded Dr. Ohayon the Gordon Cressy Student Leadership Award for his efforts both on campus and in his community at large.

Dr. Ohayon is married to Esther Ohayon with whom he has three sons, Avraham, David and Yosef all of whom he dedicates most of his time now. He speaks English, Hebrew, and French.

Leon Sakkal, Contributing Author

Leon Sakkal was born and raised within the vibrant  Syrian community where he attained a great pride for his Sephardic heritage.  After graduating Deal Yeshiva, Leon excelled in his studies at Yeshiva Mikdash  Melech of Yerushalayim for the two subsequent years. Later,  he returned to join “Beth Medrash of Long  Branch”, a new and vibrant Yeshiva headed by Rabbi Shlomo Diamond shlita, where he currently continues a full-day  of study. Leon’s goal is not merely to increase the awareness of  Sephardic hachamim, but to instill an overall motivating pride within Sephardic  Jews worldwide.

Ariel Picillo, Contributing Author

Ariel Picillo was born and raised in Toronto, Canada and attended Or Samea’h Yeshiva in Yerushalayim and Yechivat Ner Yosef before attending Yeshiva University in New York City. After studying Accounting and Information Studies for four years and earning a Bachelor of Science, he returned to Toronto to pursue a career and start a family. Throughout this time he worked tirelessly on a Moroccan Daily Halakha project based on the teachings and halakhic rulings of Moroccan Rabanim. Daily e-mails were sent to 4,500 subscribers in both English and French until these years of work culminated into an organized book on the subject, the likes of which the world has yet to see. This book is to be published, B”H, by Pesah of 2014 in conjunction with Sephardic Legacy Series and Israel Book Shop Publications. Today, the organization known as Darké Abotenou still sends periodic e-mails on pertinent topics in halakha as practiced by Moroccan Jews and archives them at www.darkeabotenou.com. These written traditions are complimented by an oral tradition received and recorded by Rabbi David Kadoch whose treasury can be found at www.youtube.com/darkeabotenou.