It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Mrs. Altoon (Tunie) Safdeye a”h, wife of Mr. Ellis (Eliyahu) Safdeye z”l, renowned philanthropist and one of the senior lay leaders of the Syrian Sephardic community.
Mrs. Safdeye was a daughter of Judah and Margee Sultan. On the eve of World War II, she married Ellis, who was born in Manchester, England, a son of Judah Aslan Safdeye, a leader of the Halabi Syrian community.
Ellis went on to found E. S. Novelty Company, importing novelty products, and then, in 1962, E. S. Originals, a product line of footwear, becoming one of the most successful businessmen and one of the pioneers of the American footwear industry.
While Ellis and Tunie were successful in the world of commerce, most important to them was raising a family of bnei and bnos Torah. The Safdeyes attached himself to yeshivos and chachamim, utilizing their largesse to support mosdos haTorah and individuals in need.
The Safdeyes had a particularly close relationship with Yeshivat Ateres Torah in Flatbush and its rosh yeshiva, Chacham Yosef Harari-Raful. The younger division of the yeshiva, the Ellis Safdeye Elementary School, was named in Mr. Safdeye’s honor.
Mrs. Safdeye is survived by her brother, Ezra Sultan; her children, Alan Safdeye, Joey Safdeye and Vicky Esses; and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The family is sitting shivah until Sunday morning at 69 Philips Avenue in Deal, NJ. Shacharis is at 7 a.m., and Mincha/Maariv are at 7 p.m.
The telephone number is 732.531.6410.
Yehi zichroh boruch.
{CB Frommer-Matzav.com Newscenter}
