Records of the Central Sephardic Jewish Community of America, Women's Division

The Women's Division of the Central Sephardic Jewish Community of America was organized in 1943, two years after the Men's Division organized under the leadership of Rabbi Dr. Nissim J. Ovadia. His wife Mrs. Mazal Ovadia was the Founder and the 1st President of the Women's Division (1943-1945). The Women's Division devoted its efforts to charity and Jewish and patriotic causes. During the war the Women's Division was engaged in Red Cross work and the sale of war bonds. It aided the Hebrew education of Sephardi youth with scholarships and prizes, and assisted Israel by participating in the rescue work of Youth Aliyah, and with the sale of Israeli bonds. The Women's Division assisted Sephardi communities abroad with food, clothes, and drug packages, and made contributions to the Rabbinical College of the World Sephardi Federation.

Women's Division activities focused primarily on charities and raising money for the Community and for various Jewish causes. The Women's Division organized yearly benefit luncheons honoring a well-deserved member of the Board of Directors, and issued a yearly journal. The woman of the Community raised large sums of money towards establishing the Sephardic Home for the Aged, which the Men's Division sponsored. In 1985-1988 the Women's Division raised money for the new Misgav Ladach Hospital in Jerusalem.

One of the priorities of the Women's Division activities was always education in Israel. The Committee for Scholarship for Secondary Education established many scholarships for institutions and individual students, first under the chairmanship of Mrs. Rosalie Hendricks, and since 1983 under the leadership of Mrs. Irma Cardozo. During the presidential term of Mrs. Lucy Touriel and Mrs. Rachel el-Hassid a scholarship of rabbinical students was established at Lady Judith Montefiore College in London, England, in memory of Dr. Nissim J. Ovadia. Under Mrs. Emily Levy's tenure many scholarships were awarded to qualified students in Israel in memory of Simon Nessim, past President of the Community. A scholarship at Yeshiva University for Sephardic Studies Program was established in tribute to Dr. Isaac Alcalay, Chief Rabbi of the Community. Under the tenure of Mrs. Ruth Schulson scholarships were awarded at Stern College for Woman, at the school for Blind (Kerem Or), and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Ben Gurion University in the Negev in honor of Haham Dr. Solomon Gaon.

Another endeavor of the Women's Division was the cookbook Sephardic Cooking written by Emilie Levy with the help of Mrs. Fortuna Roth, Mrs. Gloria Kirchheimer (Levy's daughter) and Mrs. Irma Cardozo. In 1988, after the Women's Division made substantial profit on Sephardic Cooking, the project was turned over to Levy so that she could handle the sales on her own and benefit from the proceeds.

In 1989 the Women's Division merged with the men under the name"Central Sephardic Jewish Community of America, Inc.” under the presidency of Cardozo. She served for more than 10 years in this capacity. At the end of 1996, after the Community could not continue to function properly anymore, it was decided to liquidate the organization and to divide the money amongst the schools, institutions and synagogues that the CSJCA supported for many years.

1943-1946

Mrs. Mazal Ovadia

1947-1951

Mrs. Lucy Touriel

1951-1953

Mrs. Rachel El-Hassid

1953-1955

Mrs. Lucy Touriel

1955-1957

Mrs. Julia Politi

1957-1959

Mrs. Lucy Touriel, Mrs. Rachel El-Hassid, Mrs. Lydia Emmanuel

1959-1961

Mrs. Fanny Angel

1961-1963

Mrs. Flora Behar

1963-1969

Mrs. Emilie Levy

1969-1971

Mrs. Mathilde Emmanuel

1971-1973

Mrs. Mathilde Emmanuel, Mrs. Shirley Elias and Mrs. Blanche Altchek

1973-1977

Mrs. Emilie Levy

1977-1981

Mrs. Ruth Schulson

1981-1983

Mrs. Emilie Levy

1983-1989

Mrs. Irma Cardozo

1989-1996

Mrs. Irma Cardozo (President of CSJCA, Inc.)