Rabbi Robert Ichay took his role as leader of the Congregation Or VeShalom very seriously. But he didn’t let the title get in the way of his personal connection with his congregants.
“He had the unique ability to be one of the people and not be above the people,” said Albert D. Maslia, an old friend who lives in Atlanta. “He could also convince people to do something, almost without them even knowing it. He was good like that.”
Rabbi Ichay's sense of humor was often evident, especially during his work at the synagogue.
“We talked about writing a book about the things we’d seen,” said Mr. Maslia, who often accompanied the rabbi. “For instance, there was the funeral that he was to do and everybody was there except the person who died. Yeah, the person who died didn’t show; he got lost. You know, things like that would happen and he’d just take it with a grain of salt.”
Rabbi Ichay led the synagogue, located on North Druid Hills Road, for 33 years and upon retirement was named Rabbi Emeritus.
Solomon Robert Ichay, called Robert by friends and family, of Atlanta, died Monday at home after an extended illness. He was 83. A service is planned for 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at Congregation Or VeShalom. Burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery. Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care is in charge.
Born in Tunisa in northern Africa, Rabbi Ichay did not set out to lead a congregation. He studied in London and ultimately wanted to return to his homeland and teach, said Blanchette Ichay, his wife of 54 years.
“The plan changed,” she said. “He became a rabbi while in London and then he was sent to Rhodesia, which is now Zimbabwe.”
In the mid-50s, he served as a student rabbi at the Manchester Congregation of Spanish and Portuguese Jews before becoming head rabbi of the Salisbury (Rhodesia) Sephardic congregation in 1960. The couple stayed in Rhodesia for eight years before taking up on an opportunity to move to America.
“I was invited to meet him in New York in October 1968,” Mr. Maslia said. “Let me put it to you like this: I spent two hours with him and after the two hours, I pick up the phone and called home and said, ‘I have a live one and I’m bringing him down next week. I think he’s exactly what we want.’ And he proved me right.”
While leading Or VeShalom, Rabbi Ichay helped grow the congregation to more than 500 families, up from less than 200, his wife said. Rabbi Ichay also helped lead the congregation into a new building less than two years after he arrived, Mr. Maslia said.
“When he got here in March of ’69, he said we were going to build a new synagogue,” he said. “And by September of ’71, we moved into a new building.”
Rabbi Ichay was known as a compassionate man who wanted to see the good in people, said long-time friend Larry Thorpe, of Roswell.
“He was a marvelously understanding man,” Mr. Thorpe said. “I would say his main drive was kindness. For me, our relationship was much more than a synagogue relationship. He was like a brother.”
In addition to his wife, Rabbi Ichay is also survived by his son, David Ichay of Atlanta; sisters Colette Harbor of England and Yvonne Cardoso of France; brother Albert Ichay of France; and one granddaughter.
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