Nehardea Magazine

Journal of the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center
No.13, Summer 2001

JEWS OF IRAQ IN RECENT GENERATIONS

PUBLIC ACTIVITIES OF RABBI YOSEF HAYYIM
Dr. Zvi Yehuda

According to letters sent by Rabbi Yosef Hayyim to
Rabbi Jacob Shaul Eliashar (1889-1902)

Rabbi Yosef Hayyim Ben Eliahu (1834-1909), most revered Rabbi in the late generations, was famous for his decisive rulings on the Halacha and his numerous writings on religious matters. His involvement in public matters is less well known. Quite a few researchers studied his extensive public involvement. Few of his letters, scattered in various libraries and archives, were even published. Still, not enough was done to research the involvement in public matters of the Rabbi, who was the spiritual leader of the Jews in Babylon and neighboring countries, in the period of time between the end of the 19th Century and his passing away in 1909.

Rabbi Yosef Hayyim

Lately, aided by Mrs. Tmima Hillel, a bundle of letters was brought to my attention, which the Rabbi dispatched from Baghdad to the Rishon-Le-Zion, Rabbi Jacob Shaul Eliashar (Yissa Bracha) in Jerusalem in the years 1889-1902. The documents are kept in Rabbi Eliashar's archive to be found in the National and University Library in Jerusalem. I assume that these are not all the letters sent by Rabbi Y. Hayyim to Rabbi Eliashar. Some of these letters indicate that they were fragments of lengthy exchanges concerning subjects discussed in previous correspondences, which were not found in Rabbi Eliashar's archive.
These letters, in addition to discussing Halacha, have encompassed a wide range of subjects touching on the Rabbi's public involvement, especially after his position as the spiritual leader of Babylonian Jewry was strengthened, following Rabbi Abdalla Somekh's passing away in the plague epidemic in 1889.

In the archives of the Alliance Israelite Universelle (AIU) in Paris, I found a part of a correspondence discussing Rabbi Yosef Hayyim's attitude towards the AIU. It indicated that the Rabbi was supportive of the AIU activities to teach languages and sciences to members of the Jewish Community in Iraq, Iran & Kurdistan, although he was staunchly opposed to and resisted the AIU, activities and influence on school pupils to change their tradition and culture. He unhesitatingly confronted and resisted the AIU, whenever he detected signs that their activities were opposed to the demands of the Babylonian Jewry leadership to preserve their traditions and customs.

Public Activity

We will try here to find other aspects of Rabbi Yosef Hayyim's public activity as the representative of Babylonian Jewry in relation to the Leader of Sephardic Jewry in Eretz Yisrael, the Rishon le Zion Rabbi Jacob Shaul Eliashar. What was the subject discussed in these letters? Since this correspondence was exchanged between leaders of two closely bonded communities, one finds a wide spectrum of subjects discussed.

Support to the Sephardic Community
in Eretz Yisrael

The central subject which occupied both leaders was the aid proffered by Babylonian Jewry to the Sephardic Community in Eretz Yisrael, particularly in Jerusalem. Babylonian Jews helped both with generous donations to the emissaries who regularly visited Iraq to raise funds for their religious schools, and in dedicating property and allocating permanent, steady funds for the establishment of the Sephardic Community in Jerusalem. Rabbi Yosef Hayyim was involved in appointing emissaries from Eretz Yisrael to Babylon, Kurdistan and Iran. He ensured the collection and transfer of donations to the Hacham Bashi in Jerusalem using his connections with the prominent community 'bankers' to do so. He had a say in recommending which emissaries were to be appointed, and was opposed to any other appointees. >>>

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JEWS OF IRAQ IN RECENT GENERATIONS
PUBLIC ACTIVITIES OF RABBI YOSEF HAYYIM Dr. Zvi Yehuda
According to letters sent by Rabbi Yosef Hayyim to Rabbi Jacob Shaul Eliashar (1889-1902) Rabbi Yosef Hayyim Ben Eliahu (1834-1909), most revered Rabbi in the late generations, was famous for his decisive rulings on the Halacha and his numerous writings on religious matters. His involvement in public matters is less well known. Quite a few researchers studied his extensive public involvement. Few of his letters, scattered in various libraries and archives, were even published. Still, not enough was done to research the involvement in public matters of the Rabbi, who was the spiritual leader of the Jews in Babylon and neighboring countries, in the period of time between the end of the 19th Century and his passing away in 1909. Rabbi Yosef Hayyim Lately, aided by Mrs. Tmima Hillel, a bundle of letters was brought to my attention, which the Rabbi dispatched from Baghdad to the Rishon-Le-Zion, Rabbi Jacob Shaul Eliashar (Yissa Bracha) in Jerusalem in the years 1889-1902. The documents are kept in Rabbi Eliashar's archive to be found in the National and University Library in Jerusalem. I assume that these are not all the letters sent by Rabbi Y. Hayyim to Rabbi Eliashar. Some of these letters indicate that they were fragments of lengthy exchanges concerning subjects discussed in previous correspondences, which were not found in Rabbi Eliashar's archive. These letters, in addition to discussing Halacha, have encompassed a wide range of subjects touching on the Rabbi's public involvement, especially after his position as the spiritual leader of Babylonian Jewry was strengthened, following Rabbi Abdalla Somekh's passing away in the plague epidemic in 1889. In the archives of the Alliance Israelite Universelle (AIU) in Paris, I found a part of a correspondence discussing Rabbi Yosef Hayyim's attitude towards the AIU. It indicated that the Rabbi was supportive of the AIU activities to teach languages and sciences to members of the Jewish Community in Iraq, Iran & Kurdistan, although he was staunchly opposed to and resisted the AIU, activities and influence on school pupils to change their tradition and culture. He unhesitatingly confronted and resisted the AIU, whenever he detected signs that their activities were opposed to the demands of the Babylonian Jewry leadership to preserve their traditions and customs. Public Activity We will try here to find other aspects of Rabbi Yosef Hayyim's public activity as the representative of Babylonian Jewry in relation to the Leader of Sephardic Jewry in Eretz Yisrael, the Rishon le Zion Rabbi Jacob Shaul Eliashar. What was the subject discussed in these letters? Since this correspondence was exchanged between leaders of two closely bonded communities, one finds a wide spectrum of subjects discussed. Support to the Sephardic Community in Eretz Yisrael The central subject which occupied both leaders was the aid proffered by Babylonian Jewry to the Sephardic Community in Eretz Yisrael, particularly in Jerusalem. Babylonian Jews helped both with generous donations to the emissaries who regularly visited Iraq to raise funds for their religious schools, and in dedicating property and allocating permanent, steady funds for the establishment of the Sephardic Community in Jerusalem. Rabbi Yosef Hayyim was involved in appointing emissaries from Eretz Yisrael to Babylon, Kurdistan and Iran. He ensured the collection and transfer of donations to the Hacham Bashi in Jerusalem using his connections with the prominent community 'bankers' to do so. He had a say in recommending which emissaries were to be appointed, and was opposed to any other appointees. >>>
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