(president, Jewish community of Malta)

Nissim Ohayon writes:

As a community, we felt the need to pay tribute to a man who dedicated a lifetime to serving the Jewish community of Malta, latterly as its president.

Born in Lisbon, my father moved to Malta with his parents and five siblings in 1934, aged five. His father, Rabbi Nissim Ohayon, had been requested to serve as the Jewish community’s rabbi and he obliged.

Having spent his childhood in Valletta, which he considered his home town, he joined the family business, a local luggage manufacturing business, which he then took over following the demise of his elder brothers. He was often referred to locally as ‘Ohayon tal-bagalji’.

He took responsibility for attending to the community’s needs from a young age having lost his father in 1956. This included ensuring that religious services were held regularly and, to his credit, together with the late George Tayar, for a period of 50 years attended to undertaking the Jewish rituals prior to burying community members who had passed away. In this respect, he also ensured that memorial prayers were held for all within the community who passed.

Having been located in leased premises, the community’s synagogue had to make way for demolition/renewal works in two successive instances over a period of 30 years. In his 70s, he laboured tirelessly to secure support for the community owning its own synagogue premises, dedicating time and resources towards making his vision a reality. The inauguration of the synagogue in 2000 was perhaps his happiest moment and a testament to one of the greatest Jewish virtues of which he was a living example – hope and the courage to believe that things can be changed for the better. In a similar vein he foresaw that in time the Jewish cemetery would not be able to accommodate future generations and worked towards obtaining an extension.

With an air of contentment he would explain to family members that he had worked for the living by securing the new synagogue and also for those that would pass away by securing the cemetery extension.

Those who knew him were somewhat struck by his calm demeanour and his humanity. He could effortlessly explain the principles of judaism to his many friends and others he met who were intrigued to know more. He sought to comfort family and friends in difficulty – his advice was always thoughtful, practical and comforting, distilled by his accumulated years of wisdom. His words, spoken softly, made you take note and take comfort.

He did his utmost to help those in need through acts of charity. He was touched by the needy and firmly believed that ‘all is vanity’ and that when we pass over from this world to eternal life, material possessions become meaningless – he was happy to give.

Abraham Chaim had the blessing of a life spent with Miriam Ruth, a loving wife and soulmate of over 60 years, seven children, 17 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

To quote one of Lord Jonathan Sacks’ concluding thoughts from his book To Heal a Fractured World:

“The paradox of altruism is that the hope we give to others returns to us undiminished and enlarged. Perhaps faith is only created in the doing, happiness in the giving and meaning in the courage to take risks for the sake of an ideal. All I know is that the greatest achievement in life is to have been, for one other person, even for one moment, an agent of hope.”

Abraham will be a hard act to follow but in taking inspiration from his life, all those who knew him will renew his spirit for many years to come.

Abraham Chaim passed away on July 3 and was laid to rest in the Jewish cemetery in Marsa on July 5.