Middle Schoolers Meet "Council for the Rescue of Syrian Jews" Former President Marcos Zalta

In commemoration of the Day to Mark the Departure and Expulsion of the Jews from the Arab Countries and Iran, Middle Schoolers attended a powerful assembly about Syrian Jewry. This included a fascinating video provided by the Sephardic Heritage Museum, and a talk by a truly amazing visitor: Marcos Zalta, who helped save the lives of thousands of people when he served as president of the Council for the Rescue of Syrian Jews (CRSJ).

Rabbi Meyer Laniado organized and coordinated this program, and he introduced and framed it for the students. Everyone learned about the once flourishing Jewish community in Syria, with its rich history spanning thousands of years, and gained an appreciation for the culture and way of life that was brutally upended. When the State of Israel was established, Jews in Syria were immediately seen as the enemy. Their basic human rights and freedoms were stripped away, and many were imprisoned, tortured, and killed. For decades, most people in the outside world did not know of the plight of the Syrian Jews or that they could not escape. It was young people in the 1990s—including Mr. Zalta, then in his late 20s—who recognized the crisis and led the charge for their rescue. They founded the Brooklyn-based CRSJ and lobbied US and international leaders, pressuring the Syrian government to allow its Jews to leave. The CRSJ’s hard work resulted in the release of over 4,500 Jews, who were able to come to New York to start new lives.

When Mr. Zalta spoke to students, he explained how he came to be such an activist. When he was 14 years old, he saw his father, a simple travel agent in Brooklyn, advocate tirelessly to help free a Jewish man who was wrongfully imprisoned by the Syrian government. His father’s actions inspired Mr. Marcos Zalta, ultimately leading him to stand up and volunteer to join the CRSJ. He explained to Ramaz students that he does not view himself as a “hero,” emphasizing that every person can make choices that have a huge impact. He recognized that Middle Schoolers are in a transitional period of life and are currently building their identities. With this in mind, he urged, “Every choice you make matters,” from whom to look up to—shallow celebrities, or mentors who embody important values—to what to do during free time, to how focused to be during that time. Students left the assembly feeling motivated to examine their own lives and how they can enrich the world around them. Inspired and energized, they ended the assembly with one more celebration of Syrian culture, whose community still thrives in New York today: noshing on mazza, a delicious assortment of Syrian finger foods!

Thank you to Grace and Hank Shalom '05 for sponsoring mazza for the students in memory of Stanley Cayre A'H.