This
is a book of unexpected drama: all eleven chief rabbis appointed in this period
of unprecedented change in the Jewish communities of the Fertile Crescent
became the subject of controversy and were subsequently dismissed. This took
place against a background of events rarely discussed in the context of Jewish
society: crime, hooliganism, slander, power struggles, sexual promiscuity, and
even assaults and assassination attempts on rabbis. Using a wide range of
testimonies gleaned from Ottoman Jewish, Arabic, and European sources, Yaron
Harel paints a colourful picture of these upheavals set firmly in the social
and political context of the time and far removed from the commonly accepted
image of Jewish communities in the Ottoman empire.



Jews
were also affected by modernization and political conflict in the wider society
of the time, and these too gave rise to power struggles. The chief rabbis were
at the forefront of these confrontations, especially those that resulted from
the new inclination towards Western culture. Most of them recognized that the
challenges of modernization had to be met, although in a way that did not
endanger religious principles. Their openness to change stemmed from a concern
for the future of the communities for which they were responsible, but they
were often vociferously opposed by those who were free from such
responsibility. The communal politics that ensued were sometimes heated to the
point of violence.



In
the latter years of the empire, many Jews came to support the Young Turks, with
their promise of liberty and equality for all. The atmosphere of the time was
such that rabbis had to develop political awareness and engage in Ottoman
politics. This was another source of tension within the community since the new
regime punished anyone suspected of opposition severely.

This
lively and fascinating study based on little-known sources offers a lens
through which to view the Jewish society of the Ottoman empire at a time when
all the traditional norms were being challenged.