Dear Community,
About a year ago, when I was contemplating running for the position of the President of IAJF, a number of people had great advice for me. There was one comment from my nephew Shawn Nili that resonated with me. He said there is no reason for any Jewish person to go to bed hungry given the financially successful Jews we have in our community. I have thought about that every day. When I meet generous people who are willing to share their good fortune with others, it warms the cockles of my heart and I bless them for being part of our community.
It is astounding that people can lose money in the market or in investments and take it in stride without thinking what a great asset that lost amount of money could have been for our community in furthering Jewish education and supporting the needy. It has been often said give till it hurts. I say give till it feels good.
I want to introduce you to a STAR. Her name is Noa Egorin and she is 13 years old. When she heard that we were raising funds to send to the people of Iran through the Norooz Foundation, she directed all who were about to give her a gift for her Bat Mitzvah to contribute to the Norooz Foundation. With a contribution of over $5,000, she was the highest donor to this cause. She put us over the top at $50,000. That fund has served food, medicine, clothing and medical assistance to hundreds of people. We are proud of our future leader in Noa.
Please consider giving to causes that are dear to you. IAJF and the Emergency Fund will gladly accept your appreciated stocks and can provide you with information about how to contribute to us. We are showcasing our Fundraising Chairman, Mr. George Eshaghian this week. When he approaches you, please be generous. You will be happy that you did.
Wishing you a pleasant shabbat.
M. Elie Alyeshmerni
President
The Israelites have dealt with hunger, thirst, exhaustion and have shared their frustrations with Moses for bringing them out of Egypt. He always found a peaceful way to communicate with Hashem and discover a solution or a lesson to guide the people. However, this time when they are desperate for water, Moses loses his temper and strikes a stone with his staff where the water begins to emerge. It is unusual why Moses could successfully overcome this issue in the past, but this time loses his temper and his right to enter the Holy Land. We then remember that Moses’ older sister and guardian Miriam had just passed. The Torah states that when Miriam died, the water ceased, but maybe this means that love, support, and patience had ceased flowing in Moses’ heart. Even our greatest leaders need their community to know that they are not alone.
George David Eshaghian was born in Tehran, Iran. After completing high school at the Etehad Schools (Alliance), George embarked for Israel where he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and Nuclear Power from Technion Institute of Technology in Haifa.
George continued his education in the United States where he pursued and obtained a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and Control Systems from the Polytechnic Institute of Technology of Brooklyn, New York. Following his graduation in 1978, his plans to return to Iran were thwarted by the Iranian revolution.
George’s journey instead led him to Los Angeles, where he was hired by Bechtel Power as an engineer and served in this role for five years. Following his time at Bechtel, George forged a new career path into the mortgage industry, where he successfully transitioned from engineer to mortgage broker, an office he still holds today.
George’s family immigrated to the United States following the outbreak of the Iranian Revolution. George’s father, Mr. Elias Eshaghian, who had been a prominent community leader in Iran, continued his active involvement in non-profit organizations focusing on educational and cultural pursuits for the Persian Jewish community. For example, Mr. Elias Eshaghian and several other community leaders established Eretz Cultural Center in the San Fernando Valley.
From an early age, George has been motivated to serve the Persian Jewish community in a similar manner as well. Initially, George and a group of friends organized the “Tikvah Group” to establish programming aimed at fostering community building for future generations through seminars, parties, newsletters, and other similar ventures. After his marriage to Evline Broukhim, George and Evline became members at Sinai Temple, where George was elected and served as a Member of the Board of Directors for seven years. George later joined IAJF where he primarily focused on Emergency Fund. He has served as a Board of Directors for IAJF for more than fifteen years. George also continues to serve on the board of Fariborz Matloob Foundation / B’Nai B’rith whose mission is to assist children in need around the world, especially in Iran and Israel.
In these ways, George has tried to follow the same path forged by his father, who taught George through his words and actions to put a particular emphasis on helping those who are in need in our greater community. George has been happily married to his wife Evline Beroukhim since 1986.
