About · Sephardic Rabbinical College

Founded to keep our rabbinate our own

The Saul & Sally Ashkenazi Sephardic Rabbinical College was established by our founders, Rabbi Shimon Alouf and Ezra S. Ashkenazi, to educate aspiring rabbis from within our community.

Its goal has never changed: to equip young men from our own families with the knowledge and skills to lead our community's schools, synagogues and organizations for years to come.

Our focus is to help aspiring rabbis become true talmidei hachamim, with expertise in practical halacha, in teaching, and in leadership. More than fifty men have completed the program, and over thirty serve in critical positions throughout the community today.

In 2024 a newly invigorated SRC 2.0 committee, led by our Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Avi Harari, with the guidance of our rabbinic advisors Rabbi Shimon Alouf and Rabbi Harold Sutton, renewed the program. That summer SRC also published its first magazine.

To produce the next generation of talmidei hachamim from within the Syrian community, with the skills necessary to be effective spiritual leaders in our community schools, shuls and organizations.

Our mission, as set forth by our co-founders Rabbi Shimon Alouf and Ezra S. Ashkenazi

Our rabbanim

Rabbi Avi Harari

Rosh Yeshiva

Rabbi Harari gives SRC's daily halacha shiur, three hours of learning each day, and leads the SRC 2.0 committee that has rejuvenated the college.

Alongside him our students learn with Rabbi Shimon Alouf, Rabbi Raymond Harari, Rabbi Jack Savdie, Rabbi Albert Setton, Rabbi Harold Sutton and Rabbi David Tawil.