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Sephardi Mizrahi Studies Caucus Discussion List - February 17, 2008Association for Jewish Studies Sephardi/Mizrahi Studies Caucus Discussion List Editor/Moderator: Aviva Ben-Ur <aben-ur(at)judnea(dot)umass(dot)edu> Week of Sunday, February 17, 2008 (11 Adar I 5768) NOTE: IN ORDER TO LIMIT SPAM SENT TO DICUSSION LIST CONTRIBUTORS, EMAIL ADDRESSES WILL NO LONGER INCLUDE THE (at) or (dot) SYMBOL. TO REPLY TO A CONTRIBUTOR, SIMPLEY REPLACE (at) WITH THE @ AND THE (dot) WITH THE . SYMBOL. FOR EXAMPLE, hsmith(at)sephardi(dot)com SHOULD BE RENDERED: hsmith@sephardi.com For archived issues please visit: http://www.umass.edu/sephardimizrahi/past_issues/index.html ----------- Index: 1. Death of Amnon Netzer (Sarna) 2. New Publication: _The Jews of Libya: Coexistence, Persecution, Rehabilitation_ (Mendelsohn and Roumani) 3. Iberian Peninsula Sessions at European Association of Biblical Studies Conference: (Dahbany-Miraglia) 4. Conference on Latin American Jewry, 1967-2007, Hebrew University (DellaPergola) 5. Call for Papers: Manchester JudaicaFest 2008 (Jackson) 6. Call for Papers: Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies (Kunin) 7. Call for Papers: Recovering Hispanic History (Kanellos) 8. NEH Summer Institute Opportunity: “Holy Land and Holy City in Classical and Medieval Judaism, Christianity, and Islam” (O’Dea) 9. Seeking Speaker on Sephardic Jews for Exhibition (Shanker) 10. Post Doctoral Research Fellowship: "Jewish Studies in Europe: Comparative Perspectives" (Wiese) 11. Hadassah-Brandeis Institute 2008 Lily Safra Internship at Brandeis University (Olins) 12. Fiction of Afghani/Sephardi Author Ben-Zion Yehoshua (Spector) ----------- 1. Death of Amnon Netzer (Sarna) From: "Jonathan D. Sarna" <sarna(at)brandeis(dot)edu> via: Adam Mendelsohn <amend(at)BRANDEIS(dot)EDU> Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:21:31 -0500 Death of Amnon Netzer [for H-judaic] We are saddened to learn of the passing of Prof. Amnon Netzer, one of the world's most distinguished scholars of Iran and Iranian Jewry. Gilad Gevaryahu reports that Prof. Netzer passed away today, February 15, 2008 in Los Angeles after an illness. He will be buried in Rishon LeZion, Israel next to his late mother. The following biography of Professor Netzer is found at http://www.ijchronicle.com/descent/index.php?this=183: Amnon Netzer Dr. Amnon Netzer is perhaps the world's foremost authority on Iranian history, culture as well as Persian and Judeo-Persian languages. Born in Rasht, Iran in 1934, Netzer immigrated to Israel in 1950. By 1958 he created the daily Persian language broadcasts for the Voice of Israel radio and in 1963 graduated with degree in Middle East and International Affairs from Jerusalem Hebrew University. In 1965 Netzer received his degree from Columbia University in New York in Iranian Studies, Indo-European Languages, and Semitic Language and Literature. In 1969 he received his doctoral degrees in the same subjects from Columbia. In 1970 Netzer returned to Israel where he co-founded the Iranian Studies Department at Jerusalem Hebrew University and began his research in Iranian Jewish History and Culture. He has not only authored numerous articles about Iranian Jews in Persian, Hebrew, English, and French worldwide, but helped edit and compile "Padyavand" a comprehensive three volume book detailing various significant events in Iranian Jewish history. In 1988 Netzer was Recipient of the Distinguished Professor commendation from Jerusalem Hebrew University. We extend condolences to the entire family. Jonathan D. Sarna Chair H-Judaic ----------- 2. New Publication: _The Jews of Libya: Coexistence, Persecution, Rehabilitation_ (Mendelsohn and Roumani) From: Adam Mendelsohn <amend(at)BRANDEIS(dot)EDU> and Maurice Roumani <roumani(at)bgu(dot)ac(dot)il> Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 10:25:28 -0500 and Mon, 11 Feb 2008 08:17:42 +0200 From: "Maurice Roumani" <roumani(at)bgu(dot)ac(dot)il> Subject: announcing publication of book Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 1:26 AM Maurice Roumani, _The Jews of Libya: Coexistence, Persecution, Rehabilitation_ ISBN: 9781845191375 h/b This book investigates the transformative period in the history of the Jews of Libya (1938–52), a period crucial to understanding Libyan Jewry’s evolution into a community playing significant roles in Israel, Italy and in relation with Qaddhafi’s Libya. Against a background of a reform conscious Ottoman administration (1835–1911) and subsequent stirrings of modernization under Italian colonial influence (1911–43), the Jews of Libya began to experience rapid change following the application of fascist racial laws of 1938, the onset of war-related calamities and violent expressions of Libyan pan-Arabism, culminating in mass migration to Israel in the period 1949–52. By focusing on key socio-economic and political dimensions of this process, the author reveals the capacity of Libyan Jewry to adapt to and integrate into new environments without losing its unique and historical traditions. The evolution of Libyan Jewry between 1938 and 1952 is characterized by three pivotal developments: The first (1938–43) was one of disruption and dislocation, brought about by the oppressive colonial administration allied with Germany. In the second (1945–48), riots and pogroms by Muslim Libyan mobs, agitated by pan-Arab and Palestinian sympathies, against Jewish communities left unprotected by the post-war British administration, ushered-in an awakening to the fact that its millennial presence in Libya was about to end. Incipient Zionism among Libyan Jews, particularly in youth movements, matured into fully shared decisions to migrate to Israel where the third pivotal development (1949–52) – encompassing resettlement, economic, social and religious adaptations –began to unfold. The book concludes with an analysis of the success story of Libyan Jewry in Israel, and in Italy where a group of post-1967 refugees reconstituted a thriving, influential community in Rome. “Jerusalem and Rome” have thus become the two poles of the renewed Jewish community of Libya, exhibiting political advancement in Israel, and commercial prosperity in Italy, along with a cultural renaissance and potential contributions to the ongoing process of reconciliation of the new Libya (as of 2005) with the West. Professor Maurice M. Roumani ----------- 3. Iberian Peninsula Sessions at European Association of Biblical Studies Conference: (Dahbany-Miraglia) From: ddmqcc(at)att(dot)net Date: Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:32:27 +0000 Session title: Biblical Reception in the Iberian Peninsula Date: 2008-03-15 Description: The Iberian Peninsula was, and still is, a meeting place of different peoples, religions and cultures over the centuries. This session will discuss how Christianity and the Bible were received by the local populations throughout, identifying the main trends of change and continuity. Contact: lisboneabs2008(at)yahoo(dot)com URL: www.eurassbibstudies.group.shef.ac.uk/conference.htm http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=160656 Session title: Jewish-Christian Roads to Utopia: The Case of the Iberian Peninsula Date: 2008-03-15 Description: The Iberian Peninsula represents a rich and mostly unexplored world, especially in relation to religion. A good example of Iberian self-identity can be found on some of the people's expectations about the future and how it was to be related with the official religion. Contact: lisboneabs2008(at)yahoo(dot)com URL: www.eurassbibstudies.group.shef.ac.uk/conference.htm http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=160658 Dina Dahbany-Miraglia Ph.D. Associate Professor-Retired Queensborough Community College & MEMEAC (Middle East& Middle East American Center) The City University of New York (CUNY) E-mail: ddmqcc(at)att(dot)net ----------- 4. Conference on Latin American Jewry, 1967-2007, Hebrew University (DellaPergola) From: "Sergio DellaPergola" <sergioa(at)huji(dot)ac(dot)il> via: Adam Mendelsohn <amend(at)BRANDEIS(dot)EDU> Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:41:13 -0500 THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM Faculty of Humanities The Avraham Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry International Conference LATIN AMERICAN JEWRY IN A CHANGING CONTEXT, 1967-2007 Beit Maiersdorf, Mount Scopus - Jerusalem February 26-28, 2008 Tuesday 26.02.08 17:00 Greetings 17:30-19:30 Latin American Jewry in a Comparative Perspective Eli Lederhendler, Judit Bokser Liwerant, Arnold Eisen, Irwin Cotler, Gideon Shimoni, Eliezer Ben-Rafael Wednesday 27.02.08 09:00-11:00 Economic and Political Transitions: Their Impact on the Jewish Communities Yehezkel Dror, Mario Blejer, Mario Sznajder, Arie Kacowicz, Luis Roniger 11:00-11:30 Testimony: Jacobo Kovadloff 12:00-14:00 Demography, Migrations and Jewish Identity Moshe Sicron, Sergio DellaPergola, Ezequiel Erdei, René Decol, Batia Siebzehner 15:00-17:00 Latin-American Jewish Community Structures and the Impact of World Organizations Cyril Aslanov, Silvia Schenkolewski-Kroll, Natan Lerner, Dina Siegel, Alberto Senderey 17:30-19:30 Transformations in Language and Cultural Creativity Ruth Fine, Perla Sneh, Leonardo Senkman, Saúl Sosnowski, Ricardo Feierstein, Florinda F. Goldberg Thursday 28.02.08 09:00-11:00 Forty Years of Jewish Education (in cooperation with the Melton Centre for Jewish Education) Haim Avni, Yaacov Rubel, Yossi Goldstein, Daniel Fainstein, Michael Gillis 11:30-13:30 The State of Israel, Latin America and the Jewish Communities: Political Support, Economic Relations and Fundraising Avi Pazner, Pinjas Avivi, Aharon Dovrat, Daniel Liwerant 14:30-16:30 New Patterns of Jewish and Religious Identity Gaby Horenczyk, Margalit Bejarano, Marta Topel, Daniel Goldman, Eliahu Birenboim 17:00-19:00 Research and Teaching on the Jews in Latin American Societies Haim Avni, Mario Sznajder, Judit Bokser Liwerant, Raanan Rein, Leonardo Senkman, Sergio DellaPergola 19:00-19:30 Concluding Remarks: Haim Avni ----------- 5. Call for Papers: Manchester JudaicaFest 2008 (Jackson) From: "Bernard Jackson" <bsj(at)legaltheory(dot)demon(dot)co(dot)uk> via: Adam Mendelsohn <amend(at)BRANDEIS(dot)EDU> Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:11:24 -0500 The Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Manchester is organising a "JudaicaFest" from July 20th-25th 2008, comprising end-on conferences of the British Association for Jewish Studies (on "Normative Judaism"), The Jewish Law Association, and a colloquium on "Globalisation and Jewish Culture". We are expecting a substantial international participation (including Daniel Boyarin, Rabbi Shear-Yashuv Cohen, Mordekhai Friedman, Sander Gilman, David Novak, Pinhas Shifman, Robert Wistrich). For further details, see http://www.mucjs.org/judaicafest.htm. The theme of the British Association for Jewish Studies meeting is 'Normative Judaism'. Topics may pertain to any time period and geographical or cultural context in Jewish Studies. 'Normativity' and 'marginality' are terms that may be interpreted broadly, and the expectation is that both essentialist and non-essentialist approaches will be presented. Proposals for papers (and panels) exploring the relationship between 'Judaism' and 'Jewishness' more generally, and/or investigating the impact of non-Jewish influences upon Jewish thought and practice, are especially welcome. Along with proposals please submit a brief list of major publications or cv of no more than one paragraph. Single paper proposals should be no longer than 250 words and panel proposals need not exceed one page. Please e-mail proposals to daniel(dot)langton(at)manchester(dot)ac(dot)uk, with 'BAJS 2008' in the subject line. Jewish Law Association: The Association welcomes historical, dogmatic, philosophical and comparative approaches to Jewish law. Papers may be offered on any topic/period of Jewish law, though preference may be given to those on the theme of Normativity and Authority in Jewish Law. Please submit an abstract (100 to 200 words) of your proposed paper by e-mail (the preferred method) to bernard(dot)jackson(at)manchester(dot)ac(dot)uk or by regular mail to Prof. Bernard Jackson, Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Manchester, Samuel Alexander Building, Lime Grove, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK, at your earliest convenience. The Conference Organising Committee will decide which papers are accepted and how they are arranged in the programme, which if necessary will include a number of parallel sessions. Globalisation and Jewish Culture: Jewish cultures existing in the Western world during the last two centuries have been and continue to be read as hyphenated phenomena within a specific national context, such as German-Jewish or American-Jewish culture. Even the creation of the State of Israel as a Jewish State has lead to such classifications within Israeli society. This conference will concern itself with the ways in which recent discourses such as postcolonialism and transnationalism might relate to global Jewish culturesand open up new paradigms of Jewish identity. Papers may address, in this context, issues of nation, race, the Holocaust and other genocides, anti-Semitism, gender and sexual identities, and the impact of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The intent of the conference is to begin a process of investigation into twenty-first century Jewish identity. The programme consists largely of invited speakers from various parts of the Jewish world. However, a small number of slots may be available for papers by other participants. Please send proposals to cathy(dot)gelbin(at)manchester(dot)ac(dot)uk. The deadline for all offers of papers is February 29th 2008. Full details of the Manchester JudaicaFest 2008 are available from http://www.mucjs.org/judaicafest.htm. The reserved conference accommodation reserved at discount rates will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis, and so participants are advised to register early. A single registration form and fee covers the entire event. Catering throughout will be kosher, under supervision. Bernard S. Jackson University of Manchester ---------- 6. Call for Papers: Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies (Kunin) From: "SD Kunin" <s(dot)d(dot)kunin(at)durham(dot)ac(dot)uk> via: Adam Mendelsohn <amend(at)BRANDEIS(dot)EDU> Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:22:56 -0500 Call For Papers The Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies will be holding its Eighteenth Annual Conference August 3-5, in Phoenix, Arizona. We invite papers on crypto-Judaism from any discipline (e.g., anthropology, history, sociology, philosophy, literature, music, etc.) and from any geographic location or time period. We also welcome papers on other aspects of the Sephardic experience and other communities whose historical or sociological experience is similar to that of the crypto-Jewish community. All interested scholars and professionals, including advanced graduate students, are invited to submit proposals for papers, presentations or workshops. Proposals are also welcome from individuals with personal stories and genealogical or other research relating to crypto-Judaism. Proposals may be for individual papers/presentations or for complete sessions on specific topics. Proposals must include a 200-word abstract and a brief bio. Please send proposals or inquiries to Seth Kunin: s(dot)d(dot)kunin(at)durham(dot)ac(dot)uk Proposal Deadline: June 5, 2008 Professor S D Kunin Executive Dean, Arts and Humanities Durham University ----------- 7. Call for Papers: Recovering Hispanic History (Kanellos) From: Arte Público Press <appinfo(at)uh(dot)edu> Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:53:05 -0500 (EST) [note from Editor/Moderator Aviva Ben-Ur: The Recovery project includes the American Ladino press and other works authored by Sephardim in its conceptualization of U.S. Hispanic literature.] Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Conference Call for Papers The Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Conference, sponsored this year by the University of Houston and Rice University, is held biennially under the auspices of the Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Project, a national program to locate, identify, preserve, and make accessible the literary contributions of U.S. Hispanics from colonial times through 1960 in what today comprises the United States. This year, there will be two general themes for the conference: * Mapping the Contact Zone(s) of Nuestra América * The Bicentennial of Hispanic Newspapers in the United States Abstracts are currently being accepted for this year's conference. The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2008. Where & When CROWNE PLAZA 1700 SMITH STREET HOUSTON, TX 77002 (713) 739-8800 November 14 & 15, 2008 Nicolás Kanellos ----------- 8. NEH Summer Institute Opportunity: “Holy Land and Holy City in Classical and Medieval Judaism, Christianity, and Islam” (O’Dea) From: Meghan O'Dea <fryeverden(at)thorg(dot)com> via: "James E. Young" <jeyoung(at)english(dot)umass(dot)edu> Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 22:48:28 -0500 I am writing on behalf of Dr. Irven Resnick, Professor and Chair of Excellence at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to inquire if any faculty members might be interested in applying to this year's NEH Summer Institute "Holy Land and Holy City in Classical Judaism, Christianity, and Islam," to take place from July 9 to August 12 of 2008. The conference will be an investigation of the significance of the Holy Land and the holiest of its cities, Jerusalem, in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in late antiquity and the Middle Ages. The full information is below. NEH Summer Institute 2008 for College and University Faculty: Holy Land and Holy City in Classical Judaism, Christianity, and Islam July 9-August 12, 2008 An investigation of the significance of the Holy Land and the holiest of its cities, Jerusalem, in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Directors: Jeremy Cohen, Tel Aviv University and Irven M. Resnick, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Faculty: Thomas Asbridge, Martin Goodman, Georgia Frank, Carole Hillenbrand, Ora Limor, Suleiman Mourad, Yoram Tsafrir Information: Irven M. Resnick, Professor and Chair of Excellence University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of Philosophy and Religion (#2753) 615 McCallie Ave. Chattanooga, TN 37403-2598 (423) 425-4446 Irven-Resnick(at)utc(dot)edu www.utc.edu/NEHHolyland (Institute Location: Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies, England) Thank you very much, Meghan O'Dea, project assistant [ed: very slight edit] ----------- 9. Seeking Speaker on Sephardic Jews for Exhibition (Shanker) From: marcshanker(at)aol(dot)com Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2008 10:16:09 -0500 Exhibition of Etchings of Sephardic Proverbs New Mexico Exhibition and Discussion I am an artist who, for three years, has been working on a large series of etchings of interpretive etchings of Sephardic proverbs. Commercially, the book will be published this spring by Labyrinthos Press. See: www.Labyrinthos.info. The book is in the process of being completed. Professor Moshe Lazar, the editor, is in the process of writing the Introduction.In advance of the book, I have begun to schedule exhibits of the prints. It is my hope, as we come closer to the publication date, to announce the book and to ask chat members if they would like help set-up exhibits and forums at locations near them. Because these are visual images, they are easily accessible to anyone, with or without specific knowledge of Sephardic culture, history etc. I will be having an exhibition of these etchings in May, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In connection with this event, I am organizing a public forum and discussion on the Sephardic experience, in general, and proverbs. I am looking for a person who is able to discuss, at the forum, with me, the history, experience, culture, etc. of the Sephardics. Please feel free to contact me at: Marcshanker(at)aol(dot)com for additional information. Marc Shanker ----------- 10. Post Doctoral Research Fellowship: "Jewish Studies in Europe: Comparative Perspectives" (Wiese) From: "Christian Wiese" <C(dot)Wiese(at)sussex(dot)ac(dot)uk> From: Adam Mendelsohn <amend(at)BRANDEIS(dot)EDU> Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:50:44 -0500 Post Doctoral Research Fellow (Fixed term) (For the externally funded project ‘Jewish Studies in Europe: Comparative Perspectives’) Sussex Centre for German-Jewish Studies School of Humanities Ref 138 Salary: £27.466 Full Time, Fixed term, 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2012 Applications are invited for a position in a major research project on Jewish Studies in Europe: Comparative Perspectives under the supervision of Principal Investigator Prof. Christian Wiese. The project aims at a comprehensive representation of the broader history of the trans-national network of Jewish Studies in Europe from 1850 to 1939, the institutions and journals involved, the relationship between Jewish Studies and other disciplines (Oriental Studies, history, philosophy, Christian theology), and the scholarly debates in which Jewish scholars were engaged. In a second stage, the project is supposed to proceed to comparing the development and activities of Jewish Studies in Germany, Britain and France in the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on its institutional situation and political as well as social function, the relationship between Jewish Studies; the rabbinate and the Jewish public; and the function of Jewish Studies in the context of social debates about anti-Semitism and Jewish integration. The project, which is funded by a private foundation for four years, will include the organisation of two major international conferences as well as the development of new research projects in Jewish intellectual history. Further particulars about the project can be obtained by writing directly to the Principal Investigator (c(dot)wiese(at)sussex(dot)ac(dot)uk) Applicants must be familiar with European-Jewish intellectual history since the Enlightenment and be able to relate this to the general intellectual development in various fields of European academia during this period. The successful candidate will hold a PhD or equivalent in relevant fields, e.g. Jewish Studies, History, or Religious Studies. Knowledge of German and English is essential; knowledge of French and Modern Hebrew, experience with the organisation of academic conferences and workshops experience with archival research would be an advantage. Please provide the contact details of two referees. Send to humsrecruitment(at)sussex(dot)ac(dot)uk Closing date: 29th February 2008. Interviews will be held on: 13th March 2008. The University of Sussex is committed to equality of opportunity and we encourage diversity in the workplace. The current British and European Law states that we cannot employ a person aged 16 or over who does not have permission to live and work in the UK. You should make yourself aware of how immigration laws apply to your situation before applying for any jobs. (Refer: Home Office website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/) We are also unable to apply for work permits until all European Economic Area/European Union (EEA/EU) options have been eliminated. This effectively means that we are very unlikely to apply for a work permit unless a candidate has rare skills which we cannot source from within the E.U/E.E.A. An associated application form is available in pdf format, to be read via Adobe's Acrobat Reader. If this does not download automatically, please download Acrobat Reader free of charge. Send to Human Resources Division, Sussex House, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9RH Prof. Christian Wiese Centre for German-Jewish Studies University of Sussex ----------- 11. Hadassah-Brandeis Institute 2008 Lily Safra Internship at Brandeis University (Olins) From: Debby Olins <dolins(at)brandeis(dot)edu> Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:59:27 -0500 THE HADASSAH-BRANDEIS INSTITUTE (HBI) AT BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY Summer 2008 Lily Safra Internship Program for Undergraduate and Graduate Students from the US and Abroad Dates: June 11 – August 5, 2008 The Lily Safra Internship Program is a Brandeis University summer program that provides six undergraduate and two graduate students from the US and abroad opportunities to explore the fields of Jewish women’s and gender studies with scholars and staff at the HBI. Interns: Assist staff and scholars with ongoing HBI projects Develop their own research project Visit local institutions and organizations of Jewish interest Travel to the 2008 Hadassah National Convention Meet local community activists Receive a weekly stipend and subsidized on-campus housing To Apply: Visit our website: www.brandeis.edu/hbi Deadline: March 27, 2008 Inquiries: Debby Olins, Program Manager (email: dolins(at)brandeis(dot)edu) The Hadassah-Brandeis Institute develops fresh ways of thinking about Jews and gender worldwide by producing and promoting scholarly research and artistic projects. www.brandeis.edu/hbi ----------- 12. Fiction of Afghani/Sephardi Author Ben-Zion Yehoshua (Spector) From: Jonathan Spector <sasgon(at)gmail(dot)com> Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:56:08 +0200 [Note from Editor/Moderator Aviva Ben-Ur: Jonathan Spector, Hebrew translator of the works of Afghani/Sephardi author Ben-Zion Yehoshua, recently notified me of his ongoing project. I invited Mr. Spector to submit a sample of Mr. Yehoshua’s fiction in translation (as yet unpublished) for readers interested in using these materials in their classes or scholarship. Mr. Spector chose the short story “Luck and Brains,” which opens Mr. Yehoshua’s latest translated book, and can be accessed by clicking here. (Email subscribers can access this via the Caucus website.) A biography follows.] Benzion D. Yehoshua, an editor and researcher of the Jewish communities of Central Asia, is a Hebrew writer in whose work Jerusalem plays a central role. He was born in Jerusalem on May 26, 1936 to Raphael Yehoshua-Raz, who came from Afghanistan as a child and was known in Jerusalem both as a storyteller and as one of the first tour guides who led pilgrims along Israel's trails by horse and mule. His mother, Bechura Yocheved, of the Alkalay family, was from the old Sephardic settlement in Jerusalem. He is married and father to three and a grandfather too. He has a Master's degree in sociology, social psychology, demography, Asian and African studies. Area of expertise: the Jews of Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia. Bachelor's degree in Jewish studies: Talmud, medieval and modern literature; the history of Israel – Biblical period, the middle ages and modern period. A speaker of Hebrew, English, Arabic, Russian, basic German, Persian, Dari, Tajik, he edited a historical, cultural, and social research work on the Jewish communities in Iran and Afghanistan. The study, which took 15 years, was published by the Bialik Institute (1992). While working on the historic and ethnographic research he published novels and short stories. His research work and stories were published in a long line of journals and newspapers in Israel and abroad. His fiction work is comprised of two collections of Afghan folk tales: _A Father's Testament_ [1979] and _An Apple from the Tree of Knowledge_ [1986] Three collections of short stories: _City on the Horizon_ [1972], _English Tea in Jerusalem_ [1998], and _Reserve Duty in the Rice Fields_ [2007]. Two novels: _Destroyers of Fences_ [1987] and _Silence of the Cock_ [2002]. There is also a travel book: _Ok –Yul – White Path – A Journey in Central Asia_ [1996]. The novel _Silence of the Cock_ [2002], with many autobiographical allusions, tells a fascinating story of Jerusalem, city of bread and war, from the 1940s to the 1960s. A picture of the home, the courtyard, the neighborhood and the city comes alive in _Silence of the Cock_ – dark envy opposite a changing world. Colorful customs and traditions versus the transgressions and unrestrained impulses. His protagonists journey to Central Asia and the Caucasus where they find a stormy world, but they always return to his city, Jerusalem. While some of his work deals with the Afghan side of his family (his father), most of it deals with life in Jerusalem from the 1940's on. His major novel (_Silence of the Cock_) incorporates Ladino expressions and a lullaby. He has edited the nation's budget and yearbooks for the capital market and the Knesset. He served for many years as General Manager of the Hebrew University's Magnes Press and its Editor-in-Chief. Jonathan Spector [ed: slight edit] ----------- |