History
THE ENDURANCE OF THE COMMANDMENT KEEPERS ETHIOPIAN HEBREW CONGREGATION OF THE LIVING G-D, PILLAR AND GROUND OF TRUTH, INC. FOUNDED IN 1921
סיבולת של עמוד וקרקע האמת,
BY RABBI DAVID MATTHEW DORÉ, SPIRITUAL LEADER AND GRANDSON OF CHIEF RABBI DR. W.A. MATTHEW, ZT’L
The Commandment Keepers Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation ..Pillar and Ground of Truth, Inc. was founded by my grandfather along with many dedicated members. I have read that the congregation no longer exists, that is false. I have read about the “destruction” of Commandment Keepers that is false. I have read that I was in a self-imposed exile, that is false, I have read that membership dwindled to eight members, that is false. The truth is that the congregation and the great legacy of its founder Chief Rabbi W.A. Matthew endures, it does exist, will continue to exist as it has for over 90 years, it has members and thrives in spite of the devastating attacks on its very foundation by what was supposed to be a trusted original member who callously betrayed that trust by the name of Financial secretary DAVID LEE, his co-conspirators, numerous lawyers, real estate brokers, a former Deputy Police Commissioner and a poet from England.
In fact its membership has been growing. So for those who write of its destruction or demise they are mistaken, for those who write of a tombstone or epitaph on the congregation, they are mistaken. The only tombstone that exists is with respect to the ill-planned goals of 8 deceitful people who planned its demise. People who falsely claimed membership in the congregation. Eight people who signed court documents that they were the last surviving members of the congregation and were moving the congregation to New Jersey. Eight people who sought through lies and deceit and obtained the permission of the court to sell the landmark temple located at 1 West 123rd Street, NYC. Those plans have failed. Who are the eight people?, well we will get to them in a moment since they have filed and signed enough papers in court to identify themselves and their destructive and perjurious acts. First some background.
(I am an attorney admitted to practice in the all the courts of New York State as well as Federal Courts. I am a Litigator by specialty which means I appear often in court; as differentiated by lawyers who practice transactional, corporate law. My mother was Florence T. Doré daughter of Rabbi Matthew. I was ordained by Rabbi Matthew at the age of 16)
THE BACKGROUND OF THE DISGRACEFUL ILLEGAL SALE OF THE TEMPLE
Rabbi Matthew founded the congregation in Harlem and commenced the growth of the black Jewish community in the United States. Rabbi Matthew learned from Rabbi Arnold Ford, musical director to the great Marcus Garvey. Ford would eventually return to Africa and Rabbi Matthew went on to grow the work in the United States. The congregation was established in 1921 as the Commandment Keepers Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation of the Living G-d Pillar and Ground of the Truth, Inc. and was based for many years at 87 West 128th Street off of Lenox Avenue in Harlem. (Remember this name because years later RABBI WILLIE WHITE one of the INITIAL conspirators would shorten the name to devise the secret and illegal sale of the temple). The congregation grew throughout the depression and World War II, losing many male members to the war. Rabbi Matthew went on to establish the Ethiopian Hebrew Rabbinical College. Contrary to what has been written, the Ethiopian Hebrew Rabbinical College never merged with ANY other institution, either during or after the life of Rabbi Matthew. The College ordained rabbis, elders and teachers of the Hebraic faith and way of life. During the time at 87 West (as Rabbi Matthew would affectionately call it) the congregation through extraordinary sacrifice and devotion purchased Torahs and pews, many of the pews were donated by the late Florence Matthew, Rabbi Matthew’s devoted wife.
Rabbi Matthew traveled throughout the United States establishing branch congregations in Ohio and Chicago and the Caribbean. Rabbi Matthew and devoted members bought land in Babylon LI to learn the benefits of farming. An avenue in Babylon LI was named during the lifetime of Rabbi Matthew “Matthews Avenue” in his honor.
By the 1970’s the congregation by saving funds purchased their home at 1 West 123rd Street overlooking Mount Morris Park. The last class to graduate the Ethiopian Hebrew Rabbinical College occurred on a warm summer day on June 12, 1971. Elder White became Rabbi William White, Elder Jonah became Rabbi Jonah McCullough and I became Rabbi David Matthew Doré.
By 1973 Rabbi had passed Matthews (his devoted daughter Florence Matthew predeceased Rabbi Matthew in 1971) and services continued in proper order with Rabbi Matthews trusted colleague Rabbi Darnley E. Smalls, my godfather, always at the ready every Shabbat every holiday. Elder Stephen Arvingah, a true loyal follower of Rabbi Matthew devoted his time to taking care of the temple until Rabbi White and David Lee, using false legal documents, had him illegally evicted from the temple, while he was in the hospital. All of his belongings were left out in the street and stolen. Elder Arvingah had resided in the temple pursuant to the wishes of Rabbi Matthew.
By August 1976 Rabbi Smalls had passed and the plan to takeover the congregation was set in motion by ‘Rabbi’ Willie White and David Lee. That fall at High Holy Day services Rabbi White and David Lee sought a complete takeover of the congregation hiring a Cantor Brooks without any authority. To provide for peace I announced that I would conduct Friday evening services pending completion of my college studies. I NEVER LEFT THE CONGREGATOIN. By the time I graduated Yeshiva University in 1977 Rabbi White and David Lee had engineered the lockout of the temple. Changing locks on the rabbinical office door without any authorization. In a legal action I brought against Rabbi White and Lee the court ordered that locks be removed and the order was ignored by White and Lee. In fact they became more intent to the destruction of the temple although it may not have appeared that way since the two acted out devotion to services.
I have read that I began a self-imposed exile conducting the occasional funeral. That is false. I never was in exile and neither Rabbi White nor David Lee in any way had the ability to ‘ban’ me from conducting services. Additional it is impolite to refer to a sacred marriage or funeral as ‘occasional’. Such services are very personal and should never be described in such cavalier fashion. I was not required to either join or teach at the Israelite Board of Rabbis as has been written. Regretfully a graduate of that school was a signatory to the deceitful sale of the temple. I have read that Rabbi White and David Lee remained involved in various temple activities, but that would make sense since it was White who betrayed his trust to Rabbi Matthew and participated and in fact orchestrated the disgraceful lockout of members hiring a Robert Brady also known as Menelik to be the Security Officer. Robert Brady was subsequently arrested for a vicious assault upon me and members of my family as we were descending the stairs of the temple.
In contrast to the disgraceful acts of White and Lee; Commandment members NEVER locked either of them or their cohorts out of the temple founded by Rabbi Matthew and they and their friends and family were always welcomed. Even welcoming as a visitor White’s son-in-law JULIAN WORMLEY, the man who would eventually ink his signature illegally selling the temple. They returned evil for good. That is their disgraceful legacy to the Hebraic world community.
THE LEGAL BATTLE
Rabbi White created a fake entity called Commandment Keepers Congregation as a play on words to reflect the legitimate full name of the congregation. He apparently believed that move would ensure his control of the congregation. He discarded the original entrance sign above the door that Rabbi Matthew had personally created so that the new sign would just read Commandment Keepers. After White’s death his son-in-law Julian Wormley (never a member of the congregation ) self-announced himself as President. Another newcomer to the fake entity membership was a Wilhelmina Holliday Hayes the retired Deputy Police Commissioner under the Koch administration. There would be weekly calls from David Lee and Julian Wormley to 911 operators that they were being bothered by Rabbi Matthew’s members.
In 2004 Wormley with eight other people sued me seeking a court order to prevent me from conducting serves. The lawsuit was unconstitutional as a governmental interference between church and state. Who were the eight people? Court records show the following names who signed affidavits: JULIAN WORMLEY; GEORGIA WHITE-his mother in law; BETTY WORMLEY-his wife; DAVID LEE; WILHELMINA HOLLIDAY, ZADIKIM YISRAEL, RABBI ZECHARIAH LEVY, ordained by the Israelite Board of Rabbis and a few others. Zechariah levy and his wife Zadikim WERE AT COURT WITH THEIR ATTORNEY DAVID SCUDIERI AT EVERY APPEARANCE SEEKING TO PREVENT ME FROM SERVING AS SPIRITUAL LEADER. THEY FAILED. I filed motions to dismiss and the case was dismissed.
BUT THE 8 WERE NOT DONE WITH THEIR EVIL DEED. FOR AS THE COURT ACTION THEY COMMENCED AGAINST ME WAS STILL PENDING these same people deceitfully filed a petition with a different Judge seeking permission to sell the temple. SO THE SALE WAS A CONSPIRACY OF A SMALL BUNCH OF PEOLE. THAT IS HOW THE SALE WAS FOOLISHLY ENGINEERED. Despite their deceit, their petition was granted by the Judge and they quickly sold the temple to a COLLEEN TAYLOR. What then followed was the reckless, selfish and callous desecration of a house of worship. TAYLOR agents removed the landmark Star of David in reckless and callous disregard of the sanctity of the temple and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Law. (The temple had been declared a landmark in 1962). They destroyed historic stained glass windows hand-painted by Rabbi Matthew, crushed water pipes allowing walls to be destroyed. COLLEEN TAYLOR THEN SOLD THE TEMPLE TO A JAMES FENTON, the poet from ENGLAND who apparently did not want to live in his own country. Fenton and his agents then laid further waste to this cherished temple. They broke more walls, verbally abused members, made false calls to the police JUST LIKE WORMLEY USED TO DO, destroyed more religious artifacts they did not own, destroyed the ark and the bima, rostrum.
To make matters worse JULIAN WORMLEY and DAVID LEE’s agents confiscated and still possess the congregational Torahs! The congregation will seek civil and criminal liability to anyone in wrongful possession of the Torahs and those who aided and abetted in the theft. JULIAN WORMLEY’S attorneys at the firm of Preston & Wilkins still have (or are supposed to have) the $1.6 million dollars ordered to be held in escrow and not touched without the permission of the New York State Attorney General Charities Bureau. I have been informed that Georgia White and David Lee both claim they did not know what they were doing, however at every court appearance they supported the illegal sale of this cherished temple.
Promptly after finding out about the deceitful sale agreement, the congregation filed a lawsuit and a temporary restraining order against Wormley and Colleen Taylor seeking damages for the destruction of synagogue property and the illegal sale, (Index #106012/07 Supreme Court New York County). Although nearly twenty (20) lawyers for Wormley and Taylor from various offices sought to dismiss the case they failed, with the Appellate Division unanimously their claim to dismiss the case. The case is being scheduled for trial on April 14, 2014.
There is the story. There is no destruction of the Commandment Keepers Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation of the Living G-d Pillar and Ground of Truth, Inc. aka commandment Pillar. The congregation continues to endure, its membership is growing and it will assert its legal rights against those that sought to destroy its reputation and foundation. We are thankful to our neighbors on West 123rd Street who have consistently supported us.
We do this under the guidance of Hashem and ask for continued blessings. As we recite, during the High Holy Days, which are approaching, in the Avinu Malkenu- do this for the sake of them that were slain for thy unity; do this for the sake of them that went through fire and water for the sanctification of thy name.