Henry & Yona Hassan

Anshei Shalom is proud to present  this year’s Keter Torah Award to Yona and Henry Hassan. After Yona and Henry moved to West Hempstead in 2004, Henry tried the various minyanim in the neighborhood. On his first trip to the small house on Hempstead Avenue that housed Congregation Anshei Shalom, Henry was taken by the intimate and friendly feel to the shul. On his way out of shul that first Friday night, a well-dressed individual came up and introduced himself by saying “Hello, I’m Yehuda Pearl. Who are you?” It was only later that Henry realized that he was the rabbi of the shul.

Henry emigrated to the United States from Morocco as a small boy. From a very young age, Henry accompanied his father to shul each Shabbos and quickly acquired his love of davening and respect for the shul. Wherever they davened, Henry and his father were the first to arrive, a tradition that Henry tries to keep alive to this day and to teach his children. Henry is often asked why someone with so obvious a Sephardic last name is davening in the Ashkenaz minyan. The short answer is that growing up in Monsey, and having been educated at the Yeshiva of Spring Valley, Henry is more comfortable with the Ashkenaz nusach of davening.

Henry quickly integrated into Anshei Shalom. Within a few months of joining, Henry became a board member. Henry stayed on the board through the next 3 terms. Henry also acted as Assistant Gabbai for two terms and Main Gabbai for one term. After serving as Gabbai, Henry took on the role of the shul’s Treasurer.

Yona has always had an avid interest in chessed and volunteerism. While single and living on the Upper West Side, she had many roles in her shul, the local Jewish community and the community-at-large. After getting married and moving to West Hempstead in 2004, Yona quickly became active in many community initiatives. Yona is a member of the Anshei Shalom Chesed Committee and has worked in numerous capacities on the HANC PTA. She is on the Board of the Mikvah Association, she is active with the local Girl Scout troop, and Yona was definitely the brains behind the scenes when Henry was the shul Treasurer. Yona’s greatest joy is raising her children, Rina, David and Ayelet, together with Henry.

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