Intrigue and Revolution

Chief Rabbis in Aleppo, Baghdad, and Damascus, 1774-1914. A dramatic account of traditional Jewish society in the Ottoman Empire at a time when societal norms were being challenged.

Thisis a book of unexpected drama: all eleven chief rabbis appointed in this periodof unprecedented change in the Jewish communities of the Fertile Crescentbecame the subject of controversy and were subsequently dismissed. This tookplace against a background of events rarely discussed in the context of Jewishsociety: crime, hooliganism, slander, power struggles, sexual promiscuity, andeven assaults and assassination attempts on rabbis. Using a wide range oftestimonies gleaned from Ottoman Jewish, Arabic, and European sources, YaronHarel paints a colourful picture of these upheavals set firmly in the socialand political context of the time and far removed from the commonly acceptedimage of Jewish communities in the Ottoman empire.

Jewswere also affected by modernization and political conflict in the wider societyof the time, and these too gave rise to power struggles. The chief rabbis wereat the forefront of these confrontations, especially those that resulted fromthe new inclination towards Western culture. Most of them recognized that thechallenges of modernization had to be met, although in a way that did notendanger religious principles. Their openness to change stemmed from a concernfor the future of the communities for which they were responsible, but theywere often vociferously opposed by those who were free from suchresponsibility. The communal politics that ensued were sometimes heated to thepoint of violence.

Inthe latter years of the empire, many Jews came to support the Young Turks, withtheir promise of liberty and equality for all. The atmosphere of the time wassuch that rabbis had to develop political awareness and engage in Ottomanpolitics. This was another source of tension within the community since the newregime punished anyone suspected of opposition severely.

Thislively and fascinating study based on little-known sources offers a lensthrough which to view the Jewish society of the Ottoman empire at a time whenall the traditional norms were being challenged.