The Karaite
Jews of Egypt
From 1882-1986
Mourad el-Kodsi
In The Karaite Jews of Egypt,
Mourad el-Kodsi offers for the first time a comprehensive and
scholarly study of the little-known history of the Karaite Jews.
Dealing primarily with the period from 1882-1986, el-Kodsi’s text
reveals the many dimensions of the Karaites’ rich cul-tural
heritage, and is supplemented by numerous photographs and
reproductions of authentic Karaite documents of historic import. In
a style that is at once uncompromising and sensitive, the author
examines the folk traditions, societal patterns, and artistic
contributions of this once-flourishing society.
Although virtually unknown to most of
the Judaic communities in North and South America, the Karaites are
a Judaic sect whose history, according to some sources, stretches
back to the time of the destruction of the second temple. It was
not until the eighth century, however, that the Karaite community
split from the mother synagogue.
The Karaites once comprised hundreds
of communities dotting parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and at one
time constituted 40 percent of the world Jewish population. Today
they have dwindled to a mere handful of communities; nevertheless,
their vast array of cultural, artistic, and academic contributions
are treasured by museums and institutes throughout the world, and
await scholarly investigation and appreciation.
The book opens with a brief
historical review and assessment of the Karaite community in Egypt
from the seventh century until recent times.
The opening chapters detail everyday
life in the Karaite community. Their liturgy and ideology is
discussed. Since all non-Muslim communities were self-ruled until
1956, el-Kodsi analyzes the parts played by the Religious Councils
and Courts in the Karaite form of self-government, including a
detailed description of the Internal Code and the Personal Status
Code. The author, himself a Karaite Jew, enlivens the text with a
first-hand narrative of the religious ceremonies, the holy days, the
rites of passage, the social activities and sporting events enjoyed
by members of the Karaite community, thereby lending an authentic
flavor to his text.
El-Kodsi substantiates his
information by citing a number of impressive sources: docu-ments
garnered from the archives of the Karaite Bet-Dīn; articles and
books written by both Karaite and Rabbanite scholars; minutes
record-ed at the Religious Councils; and finally, his own collection
of photographs, documents, and memoirs. His study is further
complemented by biographical accounts of two famous Karaites:
Dā’ūd Ḥusnī, the foremost composer of Arabic music throughout the
Arab world; and Murād Farag, the well-known poet and author of
scholarly texts in both Arabic and Hebrew.
The final chapter explores the future
of the Karaites, tracing their twentieth-century exodus from Egypt
and outlining the various problems faced by the remaining
communities of Karaites left in the world, settled primarily in
Israel, Istanbul, Poland, and Russia.
Mourad el-Kodsi’s exhaustive research
and sensitive treatment of the Karaite’s history form a significant
contribution to the academic awareness of a remarkable people, too
frequently neglected in the field of Judaic and Far Eastern studies.
Jacket design by Ibrāhīm Yūsuf Levi
LC 2006940446
Publication date: May 1, 2007
Book specifications:
408 pages; profusely illustrated in color and black and white
Trim Size: 6 x 9
Copy: Text Stock: 60# Natural Offset 420 PPI
Jacket Stock: 80# Gloss
Insert Stock: 80# Gloss
Binding: Case (cloth) bound
Retail price: $37.50
ABOUT THE FIRST EDITION
“Again, my sincere
congratulation for the appearance of your book. You have performed a
valuable service to scholarship.”
—Dr. Leon Nemoy
“The material is
fascinating and, of course, unknown to Jews as to non-Jews. Your
book would be a significant contribution to Jewish know-ledge.”
—Dr. William M. Brinner
“This is an
absorbing book, one which academic and research collections will
want to have. It is rare to have such a first view from the inside
of this admittedly small, but historically significant Jewish
community.”
—Dr. Philip L. Miller
“It was a great
contribution, one that only you could make. Every univer-sity,
library and every congregational library should posses this volume,
in addition to historians and Judaic scholars.”
—Rabbi Shamai Kanter, Temple Beth-El, Rochester, NY
“I started reading
your book and literally I could not put it down...
Comprehensive,
well-written, fascinating.”
—Rabbi Marc H, Wilson, Temple Israel, Charlotte, NC
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mourad El-Kodsi was born in Cairo,
Egypt, in 1919. He earned a Bachelors Degree in History from the
University of Cairo, in 1942, and a Masters Degree in Education from
The University of Rochester, in 1963.
In Cairo he was a teacher and
principal in both the Karaite Jewish School and Les Ecoles de la
Communauté Juive du Caire from 1942 to 1959.
As a member of the Karaite community
in Cairo El-Kodsi served as the Secretary of the Karaite Religious
Council and as chairperson of several of its commit-tees.
In 1959 he immigrated to the United
States. He taught French in Brighton Central Schools, and Arabic
classes in both the University of Rochester and St. John Fisher
College.
In 1987 he published the first
edition of “The Karaite Jews of Egypt from 1882-1986.”
In 1993 he published “The Karaite
Communities in Poland, Lithuania, Russia and Crimea.”
In 2002 he published “Just for the
Records in the History of the Karaite Jews in Egypt in Modem Times.”
In 2004 he published an article
entitled “A History of Two of Ben Asher Codices.”
