Senate Resolution No. 1253

BY: Senator KAPLAN

CONGRATULATING Nissim Djiji upon the occasion of
celebrating his 100th Birthday

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to commemorate
and recognize certain milestones celebrated by citizens of this great
Empire State; and

WHEREAS, Senior citizens bring a wealth of experience and knowledge
to the increasingly active roles they play in today's society; their
past contributions and future participation are a vital part of, and
valuable asset to, the fabric of community life and activity; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
congratulate Nissim Djiji upon the occasion of his 100th Birthday to be
celebrated on Saturday, July 10, 2021; and

WHEREAS, A resident of Great Neck, New York, Nissim Djiji was born
on July 10, 1921, in Baghdad, Iraq to a prominent family of tobacco
wholesalers; and

WHEREAS, In 1940, feeling unsafe by the approach to Egypt of the
North African campaign of the Second World War, Nissim and his brothers,
Carmi and Ezra, fled to the Iraq-Syria border and made their way to
Israel; soon after in early 1941, the remaining Djiji family fled to
Israel just before the Farhud, a Nazi-inspired pogrom erupted in
Baghdad; and

WHEREAS, Nissim Djiji spent 15 years in Israel serving in the Army
in communications and later working as a customs agent in Haifa; he met
and married the former Salha (Sally) Soleimani in 1950, and the couple
had their first child, Aviva, before moving to Tehran in 1955, where
Nissim worked as a clerk for an Italian company; and

WHEREAS, They had their second child, Verna, in Tehran, and in the
late 1960s, Nissim Djiji owned and operated Goldis Cinema, the only
theater showing American films in their original, undubbed language; the
theater has since been renamed Golriz; and

WHEREAS, As the Iranian Islamic revolution began to escalate in
1978, Nissim Djiji and his family left Iran for the United States,
settling in New Jersey, where they purchased and operated the Rialto
Theatre in Ridgefield Park; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his beloved wife of 62 years, the late Salha
(Sally) Soleimani, with him throughout have been his two daughters and
sons-in-law, as well as four grandchildren and one great-grandchild; and

WHEREAS, Nissim Djiji, with his zest for life, has inspired and
enhanced the lives of his family and friends; and

WHEREAS, This exceptional centenarian has experienced the incredible
joys and sorrows characteristic of and reserved for those with the
stamina and courage to savor a full life; and

WHEREAS, Nissim Djiji has enriched the lives of those around him
through his joyous and sincere love for others and through the quiescent
charm and wisdom which comes only from a fullness of years; and

WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to publicly
recognize those who have reached such a remarkable age and who have
witnessed and celebrated the innovations, cultural developments and
awesome achievements of this country during the last century, while
themselves contributing to the growth and excellence of this great
Empire State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate Nissim Djiji upon the occasion of celebrating his 100th
Birthday; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Nissim Djiji.