A Heritage Renewed · A Future Built
Magen Avot
Moroccan Center
Magen Avot Bet Amram
An international center dedicated to preserving, teaching, and advancing the heritage of Moroccan Sephardic Jewry through Torah learning, published works, digital media, historical preservation, and a living community rooted in tradition.
Our Vision
A new home for an ancient tradition.
At the heart of Pico-Robertson, Magen Avot is being built to be more than a synagogue. It will be the central home of Moroccan Sephardic Jewry in North America — a place where the melodies of Andalusia, the rulings of the Hachmei Morocco, and the warmth of an unbroken chain of generations come alive for our community and for those who will follow.
The new building will house:
- A daily place of worship preserving authentic Moroccan tunes and traditions.
- Nightly classes for men, women, and children — teaching our piyutim and customs to the next generation.
- A museum documenting the artifacts, manuscripts, and material heritage of Judeo-Moroccan life.
- A comprehensive library of Moroccan and Sephardic Torah works in Hebrew, English, and French.
- A research and publication center continuing the work of Machon Magen Avot.
- A vibrant community space serving members of every age.
A Future Built
Architectural Renderings
A first glimpse of the new home for Moroccan Sephardic Jewry in Los Angeles — sanctuary, mezzanine, courtyard, and gathering spaces.
Renderings are conceptual and intended for reference only. Final architectural designs may vary.
Library & Museum
A decade of preservation and scholarship.
Founded by Rabbi Mordechai Lebhar in 2015, Machon Magen Avot specializes in publishing and preserving the halachot, customs, and manuscripts of the great Moroccan and Sephardic sages.
In ten years, the Machon has produced more than twenty books and manuscripts; recorded thousands of video shiurim through Darké Abotenu — viewed millions of times — and distributed widely across TorahAnytime and the major podcast platforms.
Our Community
A kehilla rooted in authenticity.
Magen Avot is a vibrant community where men, women, and children find a place that is uncompromisingly authentic. Under the leadership of Rabbi Lebhar and a distinguished circle of rabbinic colleagues, the next generation is trained in the songs, customs, and bearing of our ancestors.
Spiritual Leadership
- Rabbi Mordechai Lebhar — Rosh Kollel & Spiritual Leader
- Rabbi Ben Sousan
Rabbi Mordechai Lebhar
Rosh Kollel · Founder
Leadership
A leading authority on Moroccan Halacha and Minhag.
Rabbi Mordechai Lebhar hails from the foremost yeshivot of Eretz Yisrael and America, where he studied under some of the most prominent poskim of the generation. He currently serves as Rosh Kollel of LINK in Los Angeles and is the founder of Machon Magen Avot Publishing House.
He is recognized internationally as a leading authority on the customs and halacha of the Moroccan and Sephardic tradition. He has consulted on numerous Moroccan publications, lectured worldwide, and partnered with the most distinguished publishing houses in the Jewish world — Artscroll, Feldheim, and Mosaica Press.
His four-volume Magen Avot, on the Halachot and Minhagim of Hachmei Morocco, has helped catalyze a renaissance — in Israel and abroad — in the study and practice of Moroccan Halacha and Minhag. His more recent two-volume English-language edition, Magen Avot Daily Halachah (Mosaica Press), brings the rulings of the Moroccan sages to a worldwide audience.
Rabbi Lebhar has delivered more than 1,185 recorded shiurim on TorahAnytime.
The melodies of Andalusia. The rulings of the Hachmei Morocco. An unbroken chain.
Be Part of Our Story
Dedication & Naming Opportunities.
Every contribution becomes part of a building — and a heritage — that will outlast us. Each named dedication is recognized in perpetuity in the sanctuary; all are tax-deductible.
Major Dedications
- Naming of the BuildingReserved
- Museum of the Judeo-Moroccan CommunityNaming rights to the heritage museum$750,000
- Central Moroccan Resource LibraryNaming rights · Largest collection of its kind in North America$500,000
- Main Sanctuary$500,000
- Aron Kodesh$400,000
- Founders WallEight founder dedications · Two reserved$260,000 / each
- Enclosed Social Area$260,000
- Bima$260,000
- Women's Section (Ezrat Nashim)$260,000
- Children's Play AreaReserved$100,000
- Kitchen$100,000
- Lighting$100,000
- HVAC$100,000
Sanctuary Furnishings
- Bookshelves$52,000
- Ner Tamid$52,000
- Rabbi's LecternReserved$52,000
- PodiumReserved$52,000
- Large East-Facing WindowsTwo dedications$52,000 / each
- WindowsTwelve dedications$26,000 / each
- Washing Station$26,000
- Kis'e shel EliyahuReserved$26,000
- MezuzotFifteen dedications$18,000 / each
Naming rights subject to review and dedication recognition. Renderings are conceptual; final designs may vary.
We Need Your Support
Join us in building a home that will outlast us.
Magen Avot — Sephardic Torah Center will be a beacon of faith and a place of return for those seeking the spiritual home of the Moroccan and Sephardic tradition. We invite you to be a partner in this generational endeavor. Together, we can ensure that the spirit, scholarship, and song of our ancestors continue to thrive — in Los Angeles, and beyond.
Contact Rabbi Lebhar
magenrabbi@gmail.com
Pledge via Zelle
magenrabbi@gmail.com