THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
`Jews of Rhodes' Chronicles
Ancient Sephardic Community
By ALLEN WARSEN
Dr. Marc D. Angel of New
York's Spanish-Portuguese
Congregation Shearith Is-
rael authored a remarkable
book titled "The Jews of
Rhodes" and subtitled "The
History of a Sephardic
Community" (Sepher-
Hermon Press).
Interestingly, in I
Chronicles 1:7, the name
Rodanim, a descendant of
Adam, is mentioned, and in
the Jerusalem Talmud,
Megillah 1:9, Japhet's de-
scendant "Rodes" is re-
corded.
According to a tradition, a
Syrian Jew bought the re-
mains of the shattered Col-
osus of Rhodes considered
among the seven wonders of
the ancient world.
However, the first defi-
nite information about
the Rhodian Jewish
community was recorded
by Benjamin of Tudela in
his book "Massoth Rabbi
Benjamin" ("Travels of
Rabbi Benjamin"). The
book contains detailed
descriptions of 300
localities he visited in the
course of 13 years begin-
ning in 1666 CE. Rhodes
was one of the localities.
There, Benjamin "found
a community of about 400
Jews led by Rabbis
Hananel and Eliah."
In 1309, the Knights of St.
John captured Rhodes from
the Seljuk Turks. Under
their rule, the Rhodian
Jews, like their co-
religionists in other Christ-
ian countries, were subject
to various forms of dis'-
crimination. And shortly
after the expulsion of the
Jews from Spain and Por-
tugal, the Rhodian Jews
were driven from their
country.
However, in 1523, Rhodes
was recaptured by the
Turks. Soon afterwards,
Sultan Suleiman encour-
aged the Jews to return to
their country offering them
special privileges.
Many Jews returned to
Rhodes and the Jewish con-
verts, who remained there,
returned to Judaism. In ad-
dition, Sephardim from
RABBI MARC ANGEL
Salonika, Smyrna, Con-
stantinople and other cities
came to live there.
Disagreements arose be-
tween the Romaniots, as the
native Jews of Rhodes were
called, and the newly ar-
rived Sephardim. Their dis-
agreements were mainly
over religious practices.
They differed, for example,
over such matters as liturgy
and "shekhita" (ritual
slaughter of animals).
"Shekhita" especially was a
major bone of contention.
"As a result, members of one
group might not be permit-
ted to eat meat slaughtered
by members of the other
group."
Yet, both groups par-
ticipated in the communi-
ty's self-government and
elected "parnassim"
(community leaders) to
administer communal af-
fairs.
Significantly, the Rho-
dian, like the other Jewish
communities of the Otto-
man Empire, conducted
their public affairs in accor-
dance with "halakhic" rules
and regulations. To inter-
pret "halakhic" laws, the
communities established
"chief rabbinates" headed
by talmudic scholars.
Rhodes' first "hakham
hakalal" (the community's
chief rabbi) is believed to
have been Rabbi Moshe
Hacohen. He was succeeded
by Rabbi Moshe de Vus-
hal, the authiir of "Yismach
Moshe." The last chief
rabbi was Reuben Eliyahu
Israel. He died in 1932.
British Scholars Back Israel
NEW YORK — Ameri- rael's action in Lebanon.
The letter also added,
cans for a Safe Israel has
been publicizing a letter - "We consider that those
in the Diaspora who urge
signed by a number of
Israel to give in to the
British scholars in support
of Israel, including Nobelr pressure of the UN and of
the Carter Administra-
Prize winner Ernst Chain.
tion are misguided and-
The letter supported Is-
rael's-policies on not return- • appeal to world Jewry to
treat any rationalization
ing to the 1967 borders;
of such defeatism with
keeping Jerusalem united
the contempt it deserves.
under Israel's sovereignty;
"More than ever before
no Palestinian state on the
the unity of the Jewish
West Bank; Sadat's visit to
people is being put to the
Jerusalem does not give
test and we should not be
Egypt the right to dictate
found wanting."
peace; and support for Is-
Friday, Joe 23, 1978 5
Sephardi Literature in U.S.
Includes Fiction, Bible Works
By RABBI MARC D. ANGEL
Spanish was the "Me'am
Over the centuries, a vast
Lo'ez." This was an en-
literature was created in
cyclopedic biblical, com-
Judeo-Spanish. Usually
mentary, whcih not only
printed in "Rashr script, it
presented explanations
included novels and short
and interpretations but
fiction, essays, plays, poetry
also laws, customs and
. ..
and books on all sorts of sub-
folklore.
::
Rabbi Yaacob Hulli pub- ::.
jects.
sympahr
Some communities could
lished the first volume of
FRUIT
boast of their own playw-
"Me'am Lo'ez" in Constan-
BASKETS':
rights and actors. Even in
tinople in 1730 with the
the United States during
specific intention of bring-
3 Times
Nation-Wide
the--early decades of this
ing comprehensive religi-
.Delivery
century one could find a
ous teachings to the masses
lively Sephardi theater in
of Sephardim. His style was
• 1595
such cities as Seattle and
popular, geared to the com-
RODNICK-
New York.
mon people. Due to the un-
Judeo-Spanish newspap-
timely death of Rabbi Hulli,
McINERNEY'S
ers flourished noconly in
other rabbis carried the
779,4140 772-4350'::
the Levant but also in the
work of the "Me'am Lo'ez"
United States. La America,
forward through many
a weekly, began publication
books of the Bible.
in New York in 1910. La
The success of the "Me'am
Vara, another weekly,
Lo'ez" might be attributed
that the Jews of Rhodes flourished from the 1920's to the fact that it spoke to
lived in a separate quar- to the 1940's. Its editors re- the needs of the people. It
ter known as "Juderia." sided in New York and stressed religious and moral
But towards the end of Seattle. Both newspapers qualities with which the
the 19th and the begin- had a large national reader-
Sephardi soul could iden-
ning of the 20th- Cen- ship. Judeo-Spanish was tify.
turies, one-third of the also the language of an ex-
One of the main themes
Jewish families resided tensive rabbinic literature.
running through the work
outside the "Juderia."
is the respect for the com-
including original works
The book's "Closing and translations of classic mon and the poor, the for-
gotten and ignored.
Chapter" movingly de- Jewish texts.
Jewelers Ltd.
One of the most inf-
A number of books have
scribes Jewish suffering
CrecOme lownlerr 0.6.666ch — hoc..
appeared recently offering
luential
works
in
Judeo-
under Italian Fascist rule in
Pones — hotnom Tan. &Am
translations of Judeo-
the late 1930's, and the
HARVARD KM MALL
3334146
it Mdie s 1.M,
community's total destruc-
Needy Students Spanish works.
tion following the Nazi in-
Aided
by
JDC
vasion of Rhodes in 1944.
JERUSALEM An ex-
Dr. Marc D. Angel's "The
Jews of Rhodes" is a scho- perimental program in
which a number of social
larly history of a Sephardic
work students from disad-
community, and fills a void
vantaged backgrounds are
in Jewish historiography.
offered extra academic help
to enable them to work in
depressed neighborhoods
has been inaugurated by
the Paul Baerwald School of
NEW YORK — Lea Spec- Social Work of the Hebrew
tor, political analyst in the University, it was an-
Israel office of the American nounced by Ralph I.
Jewish Committee, has Goldman, executive vice
been named 1978 recipient president of the American
of the organization's Sol Jewish Joint Distribution
Feinstone Grant for in-
Committee.
service training, according
Grants from a private
to Bertram H. Gold, AJC's American donor, Mrs.
executive vice president.
354-3300
2800 Telegraph Rd.
Raquel Newman of Los Al-
The grant was estab- tos, Calif., and the JDC en-
lished by Feinstone, a noted abled the school to get the
WIN A LUXURY CRUISE TO BERMUDA!!!
philanthropist, ecologist project started. The Israeli
and -authority on the Ministry of Labor and So-
ENTER A&P's
American Revolution, cial Affairs also is providing
DUTCH TREAT SWEEPSTAKES"
through a major contribu- partial support for research
MAIL THIS OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM
tion, the annual income of and the World Sephardi
which is used to enhance the Federation has offered a MEM NUMMEMEMENZEMMI
•
professional development of number of scholarships.
a designated member of the
AJC staff.
CINCINNATI (JTA) —
Mail to: A&P Sweepstakes --
The Reform movement now
P.O. Box 3646, Grand Central Station
has its first married rab-
New York, N.Y. 10017
binic couple. Deborah Prinz
All-TUR, Sinai — A U.S. an.d Mark Hurwitz, who
firm, Saperior, and Israel
Name
married before entering the
are expecting to pump
Hebrew Union College-
70,000 barrels of oil a day Jewish Institute of Relig- t
from the Alma II, III and IV ion, were ordained at the In Address
oil wells in Sinai.
Plum Tree Temple here.
They plan to live in New NI car
The wells are expected to
York City, where Rabbi
provide 35 percent of Is-
•
Prinz has accepted the post M S e
rael's oil requirements, al-
I.
Zip
of assistant rabbi at Central IN tat
though they are expected to
Synagogue. Rabbi Hurwitz
ENTER AS OFTEN As YOU LIKE. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.
be returned to Egypt follow-
len
is considering a number of IN
ing a Middle East peace set-
placement opportunities.
tlement.
.11•1111•1111110111••1•1111•111•1111111111M
It is reported that Sab-
batai Zevi, the false mes-
siah, visited Rhodes in 1662
where he studied "Zohar"
with the local scholars. At
one of the study sessions "12
men were present. Sabbatai
Zevi wrote their names on
12 small sticks. Then he
drilled a hole at the top of
each stick, tied them to-
gether with a string, and
then commanded the sticks
to stand up on the center of
the table. They did.
"Next he ordered each
stick to go to the person
whose name appeared on it.
The sticks struggled, broke
the string that bound them,
and each went to the right
person."
- It is important to note
George
Ohrenstein
AJCommittee
Cites Israeli
1978 Cadillac; a
better buy or
lease than ever at
GLASSMAN
OLDSMOBILE
More Black Gold
Married Rabbis 111
U
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