🧵 Why Sepharadim in the MENA Didn't Need a "Haskalah"
Ashkenazim experienced a "wake-up call" upon leaving the schtetls during the Haskalah period (1770-1881).
The Haskalah, or Jewish Enlightenment, aimed to modernize Jewish life by encouraging Jews to integrate into European society, embrace secular education, and adopt Enlightenment values. This movement sought to bring Ashkenazi Jews out of the insular life of the schtetls and into broader cultural and intellectual currents.
As always, I am happy to debate and discuss.
🧵 Here are the topics covered in this thread:
❓ Why so Reclusive?
🌐 Broader Engagement
📝 Hebrew Language and Poetry
📚 Contributions to Science
⚖️ Rabbinic Authority
🚀 Embracing Modernity
📜 Continuing with Tradition
🌍 Cultural and Intellectual Exchange
Ashkenazim experienced a "wake-up call" upon leaving the schtetls during the Haskalah period (1770-1881).
The Haskalah, or Jewish Enlightenment, aimed to modernize Jewish life by encouraging Jews to integrate into European society, embrace secular education, and adopt Enlightenment values. This movement sought to bring Ashkenazi Jews out of the insular life of the schtetls and into broader cultural and intellectual currents.
As always, I am happy to debate and discuss.
🧵 Here are the topics covered in this thread:
❓ Why so Reclusive?
🌐 Broader Engagement
📝 Hebrew Language and Poetry
📚 Contributions to Science
⚖️ Rabbinic Authority
🚀 Embracing Modernity
📜 Continuing with Tradition
🌍 Cultural and Intellectual Exchange
❓ Why so Reclusive?
During the medieval period, antisemitic attitudes were institutionalized through church decrees, such as the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215, which mandated that Jews wear distinctive clothing and live in separate quarters—this awful treatment eventually evolved into schtetls and that reclusive culture.
During the medieval period, antisemitic attitudes were institutionalized through church decrees, such as the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215, which mandated that Jews wear distinctive clothing and live in separate quarters—this awful treatment eventually evolved into schtetls and that reclusive culture.
🌐 Broader Engagement
Sepharadim were always engaged with the broader world, including sciences, mathematics, and philosophy.
This is why haRambam (1138-1204) wrote his "Guide for the Perplexed" to his student—addressing the current issues at the time.
HaRambam wasn't a lone wolf either; other Ḥakhamim like Seʿadya haGaʾon (882-942), Yehuḏa haLewi (1075-1141), Baḥya ibn Paquda (1050-1120), and Aḇraham ibn Daʾud (1110-1180) were part of the same Sepharadi (Geʾonic-Andalusian) Mesora, dealing with these issues for centuries.
This isn't to say it was a Golden Age (Das Goldene Zeitalter) either—a topic for another thread, but very much related to the Haskalah where it gets its name applied to the Jews.
Sepharadim were always engaged with the broader world, including sciences, mathematics, and philosophy.
This is why haRambam (1138-1204) wrote his "Guide for the Perplexed" to his student—addressing the current issues at the time.
HaRambam wasn't a lone wolf either; other Ḥakhamim like Seʿadya haGaʾon (882-942), Yehuḏa haLewi (1075-1141), Baḥya ibn Paquda (1050-1120), and Aḇraham ibn Daʾud (1110-1180) were part of the same Sepharadi (Geʾonic-Andalusian) Mesora, dealing with these issues for centuries.
This isn't to say it was a Golden Age (Das Goldene Zeitalter) either—a topic for another thread, but very much related to the Haskalah where it gets its name applied to the Jews.
📝 Hebrew Language and Poetry
The ongoing tradition in the Sepharadi world to address philosophical issues is robust. Elevating the Hebrew language and grammar and glorifying it in the face of the 'perfect Arabic' Qurʾan.
What the Wissenschaft des Judentums (Science of Judaism, early 19th century) did post and Eliʿezer Ben Yehuḏa (1858-1922) further advanced was a project built on the shoulders of the Ḥakhamim of the MENA.
This includes people like Dunash ben Labrat (920-990), who revolutionized Hebrew poetry by incorporating Arabic styles, and Yehuḏa haLewi, who adapted his poetic style to elevate Hebrew against the backdrop of Arabic literary excellence by returning to Biblical Hebrew styles.
And all the Sepharadi grammarians! Which are too many to list.
The ongoing tradition in the Sepharadi world to address philosophical issues is robust. Elevating the Hebrew language and grammar and glorifying it in the face of the 'perfect Arabic' Qurʾan.
What the Wissenschaft des Judentums (Science of Judaism, early 19th century) did post and Eliʿezer Ben Yehuḏa (1858-1922) further advanced was a project built on the shoulders of the Ḥakhamim of the MENA.
This includes people like Dunash ben Labrat (920-990), who revolutionized Hebrew poetry by incorporating Arabic styles, and Yehuḏa haLewi, who adapted his poetic style to elevate Hebrew against the backdrop of Arabic literary excellence by returning to Biblical Hebrew styles.
And all the Sepharadi grammarians! Which are too many to list.
📚 Contributions to Science
The Haskalah primarily affected Central and Eastern European Jews and encouraged integration into surrounding societies, the adoption of modern values, and the study of secular subjects.
Sepharadim were already involved in these pursuits, from solving the quadratic formula (Aḇraham bar Ḥiyya haNasi, 1070-1136) to mapping the stars and advancing medicine of the time.
Yisḥaq ben Shelomo haYisraʾeli (855-955), a physician and philosopher, made significant contributions to medicine, writing influential medical texts that were used in Europe for centuries.
Another example is Aḇraham ben Shemuʾel Zakut (1452-1515), an astronomer who created astronomical tables that were crucial for navigation and mapping the stars, aiding explorers like Vasco da Gama.
The Haskalah primarily affected Central and Eastern European Jews and encouraged integration into surrounding societies, the adoption of modern values, and the study of secular subjects.
Sepharadim were already involved in these pursuits, from solving the quadratic formula (Aḇraham bar Ḥiyya haNasi, 1070-1136) to mapping the stars and advancing medicine of the time.
Yisḥaq ben Shelomo haYisraʾeli (855-955), a physician and philosopher, made significant contributions to medicine, writing influential medical texts that were used in Europe for centuries.
Another example is Aḇraham ben Shemuʾel Zakut (1452-1515), an astronomer who created astronomical tables that were crucial for navigation and mapping the stars, aiding explorers like Vasco da Gama.
⚖️ Rabbinic Authority
The Haskalah movement clashed with traditional Ashkenazi rabbinic authority, while Sepharadi scholars produced works such as the Rif's gloss (11th century), Mishné Torá (1170-1180), and Shulḥan Arukh (1563).
These works aimed to make Jewish law more accessible without excessive power structures, fostering more of a horizontal society.
The Haskalah movement clashed with traditional Ashkenazi rabbinic authority, while Sepharadi scholars produced works such as the Rif's gloss (11th century), Mishné Torá (1170-1180), and Shulḥan Arukh (1563).
These works aimed to make Jewish law more accessible without excessive power structures, fostering more of a horizontal society.
🚀 Embracing Modernity
The Haskalah movement resonated differently among Sepharadim because our tradition already embraced and engaged with external knowledge and thinkers. This is also why the Nahḍa (later Arab Awakening Period, 19th-20th century) played out very differently for us in the MENA—it was welcomed.
The schism wasn't as deep; it only widened significantly post-1948 and into the 1960s when the Haredification—a topic for another thread took hold.
Sepharadi rabbis, like Ḥakham Ben-Ṣiyon Meʾir Ḥai ʿUziʾel and Raḇ Qooq (Kook), demonstrated an awareness of the modern era's fundamental changes, reflecting in their responses to the Nation-state of Israel.
The Haskalah movement resonated differently among Sepharadim because our tradition already embraced and engaged with external knowledge and thinkers. This is also why the Nahḍa (later Arab Awakening Period, 19th-20th century) played out very differently for us in the MENA—it was welcomed.
The schism wasn't as deep; it only widened significantly post-1948 and into the 1960s when the Haredification—a topic for another thread took hold.
Sepharadi rabbis, like Ḥakham Ben-Ṣiyon Meʾir Ḥai ʿUziʾel and Raḇ Qooq (Kook), demonstrated an awareness of the modern era's fundamental changes, reflecting in their responses to the Nation-state of Israel.
📜 Continuing with Tradition
This adaptability is evident in Sepharadi rabbis' and intellectuals' continued relevance well into the modern period—there are more names, but this is a short list.
Figures such as Joseph de la Vega (1650–1692), whose "Confusion of Confusions" remains one of the earliest books on stock market dynamics, bridged traditional Jewish scholarship with contemporary economic thought. René Cassin (1887–1976), a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, played a pivotal role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, showcasing the integration of Jewish values with global human rights advancements. Esther Moyal (1873–1948), a journalist and feminist advocate, contributed significantly to Arabic and Hebrew literature, promoting women's rights and intellectual exchange. All are still very much a part of the Jewish community.
Sepharadi rabbis like Ḥakham ʿAbdallah Somekh (1813–1889) addressed technological advancements within Jewish law and supported women's education in schools, which was looked at differently in that time and place. Ḥakham Eliyahu Bekhor Ḥazzan (1847–1908) reformed Jewish education by incorporating modern subjects, demonstrating flexibility and adaptation to contemporary needs. Similarly, Ḥakham Zaki Cohen (19th century) established a boarding school in Beirut that combined traditional Jewish education with modern languages and secular subjects (through the “eastern lens”), illustrating the integration of modernity with tradition.
This adaptability is evident in Sepharadi rabbis' and intellectuals' continued relevance well into the modern period—there are more names, but this is a short list.
Figures such as Joseph de la Vega (1650–1692), whose "Confusion of Confusions" remains one of the earliest books on stock market dynamics, bridged traditional Jewish scholarship with contemporary economic thought. René Cassin (1887–1976), a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, played a pivotal role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, showcasing the integration of Jewish values with global human rights advancements. Esther Moyal (1873–1948), a journalist and feminist advocate, contributed significantly to Arabic and Hebrew literature, promoting women's rights and intellectual exchange. All are still very much a part of the Jewish community.
Sepharadi rabbis like Ḥakham ʿAbdallah Somekh (1813–1889) addressed technological advancements within Jewish law and supported women's education in schools, which was looked at differently in that time and place. Ḥakham Eliyahu Bekhor Ḥazzan (1847–1908) reformed Jewish education by incorporating modern subjects, demonstrating flexibility and adaptation to contemporary needs. Similarly, Ḥakham Zaki Cohen (19th century) established a boarding school in Beirut that combined traditional Jewish education with modern languages and secular subjects (through the “eastern lens”), illustrating the integration of modernity with tradition.
🌍 Cultural and Intellectual Exchange
These figures were active participants in broader intellectual and cultural currents, including reading Haskalah newspapers and integrating aspects of European Enlightenment thought without the same level of conflict experienced by Ashkenazi communities (though there are exceptions like in Ḥalab).
Scholars such as Norman (Noam) Stillman and Zvi Zohar document how Sepharadi rabbis and intellectuals responded to modernity in ways that preserved their cultural integrity while embracing new ideas.
This unique engagement highlights how Sepharadim navigated modernity through a continuous, evolving tradition that balanced innovation with deep respect for Tora.
For us, it was always a feature, not a bug.
These figures were active participants in broader intellectual and cultural currents, including reading Haskalah newspapers and integrating aspects of European Enlightenment thought without the same level of conflict experienced by Ashkenazi communities (though there are exceptions like in Ḥalab).
Scholars such as Norman (Noam) Stillman and Zvi Zohar document how Sepharadi rabbis and intellectuals responded to modernity in ways that preserved their cultural integrity while embracing new ideas.
This unique engagement highlights how Sepharadim navigated modernity through a continuous, evolving tradition that balanced innovation with deep respect for Tora.
For us, it was always a feature, not a bug.
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