Our community has been shaken and heartbroken over the sudden loss of our beloved Rabbi David Jamal A”H. He was approximately 67, and was Niftar from COVID-19
Everyone knew the Rabbi with his infectious smile, but behind the smile was a lot of pain. The Rabbi was in heavy debt and has a large mortgage. His humility and independence did not allow him to ask for help.
The rabbi served our community faithfully for the past 40 years, giving all he had. His laughter and giant smile will be forever in our hearts.
The Rabbi was constantly helping others, NOW is the time to help the Rabbi and his family.
Everyone who knew Rabbi Jemal knew that he was a great man, a malach who loved everybody. To someone who didnt know him, it is very hard to describe who he was on paper. The Rabbi was humble beyond words, and always had true simcha that was contagious. He treated every individual with respect, always careful to never make anyone feel bad.
He would teach boys of all ages how to sing Sephardic “Pizmonim” and Lag Baomer songs at Yeshivat Ateret Torah, and spent an incredible amount of time teaching Sephardic children giving them the proper education of their heritage, making sure they all knew how to read all the Tefillos with the correct Sephardi Minhagim.
The rabbi was also a mohel, and loved doing brit millot. Once, he was asked to do a brit milah in Manhattan, for a family that was not so affiliated with Judaism. During the brit, instead of singing traditional songs that are usually sung, he started to sing “hava nagilla”. Immediately, the whole room transformed as the crowd started to sing and dance, radiating happiness. He celebrated everyone’s simcha as if it was his own. He attended every one of our semachot, and sang and danced as if it was his child getting married, or his child that was born.
In a video provided to YWN below, you can see Rabbi Jemal a few months ago at the Siyum Hashas at MetLife Stadium, singing and dancing, his heart full of joy.
The last thing Rabbi Jemal was seen doing before being taken to the hospital a few weeks ago, was dancing at the front window of his home for young children who came to wish him a Refuah Shilaima.
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
