Ready to discover a unique story connecting Brooklyn, New York and Jerusalem? This is the story of Ohel Gavriel Ve’Avraham. It’s a story woven with threads of tradition community and the enduring spirit of the Jewish people.
Ohel Gavriel Ve’Avraham embodies a fascinating cultural bridge. This story starts with Gavriel Avraham Shrem. In 1930 at the young age of 14 he left his family in Egypt. He sought a new life within the growing Syrian-Aleppan Jewish community in the United States.
Shrem’s musical talent led him to become a chief chazzan. He served at prominent Syrian synagogues in Brooklyn including Magen David and Bnei Yosef. For decades he worked to preserve the Aleppan tradition. He documented religious poetry teaching it to scholars and the younger generation. This passion project eventually led to the creation of the Beit Yosef and Ohel Avraham siddur.
The Aleppan community took immense pride in their piyyutim. They feared these religious poems would gradually disappear from memory. This spurred Shrem and others to create a songbook in the early 1960s. It was to have a distinct Syrian-New York flavor. To maintain ties with Aleppans in Israel the book was a cross-continental collaboration.
Published in 1964 Shir Ushvacha Hallel Vezimra proudly bore the name Jerusalem. The printer was Salah Yaakov Mansour. He printed his books in the holy city of Jerusalem. The songbook honored paytanim Rafael Antebi Tabbush and Rabbi Moshe Ashkar. It included religious songs and Zionist songs about the Land of Israel. “Artza Alinu” and “Se’u Tziyona Nes Vedegel” were included. Prayers for IDF soldiers and the State of Israel were also present. The full version of Hatikvah Israel’s national anthem appeared as piyyut number 299.
The community embraced the songbook with joy. Its popularity inspired Shrem to create a complete Aleppan siddur. This siddur would complement his personal communal and literary project.
In 1974 the first edition of the Beit Yosef VeOhel Avraham siddur appeared. It honored Avraham Shrem the editor’s father. It also honored Yosef Seth Hacohen. He was the father of the patron who funded the printing. Salah Mansour in Jerusalem once again handled the printing.
This time Jerusalem offered more than just its name. The siddur included “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav”. Naomi Shemer’s song celebrated Jerusalem and the Six Day War. The siddur also included the complete Hatikvah. Ohel Gavriel Ve’Avraham beautifully reflects the partnership between Israel and New York. It stands as a testament to cultural preservation religious devotion and community collaboration.