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xi Acknowledgments During the years that I labored on this study—first as my PhD dissertation, then on revising and expanding that work for publication in book form, and finally in adapting the book to English—I benefited greatly from the advice, support, encouragement, and criticism of many wonderful people. I cannot possibly name them all, but neither do I want to evade this pleasant duty. First, I wish to express my gratitude to my teacher and mentor Avraham Grossman, who oversaw my work from the beginning through its various incarnations , starting with a research paper that was written under his guidance for a master’s-degree seminar in the Department of History of the Jewish People at Hebrew University back in 1997 and ending with this book. This work could not have been completed and published without the benefit of his open door, cogent counsel, wisdom, knowledge, and attentive ear. I am especially pleased to be able to thank several of the teachers I have studied under. Michael Heyd of the History Department at Hebrew University was one of my early professors, and from our first acquaintance he believed in my ability, supported me, and followed my progress. It was thus natural that I would ask him to be a member of the academic committee that oversaw this research project. His advice, encouragement, and critical reading sharpened central points in this work and lie at the foundation of many of its conclusions. Michael’s untimely passing in February 2014 left his students and colleagues with a tremendous sense of loss. I dedicate this book to his memory as a token of my deepest appreciation to him as a scholar, mentor, and as a “mentsch.” Another member of the committee was the late Israel Moshe Ta-Shma, of blessed memory, who, despite his mortal illness, asked to read a draft manuscript of the work on which this book is based and to offer his comments. From his final sickbed he sent this study on its way with his blessing. In the mid 1990s Menahem Ben-Sasson brought me into his “suckers’ seminar”—a wonderful group that met at his home. We earned the epithet “suckers” because at first we earned no academic credit for the seminar. In addition to the sharp analytical tools he bestowed on us, which remain in xii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS my kit to this day, he treated us both paternally and affably. I owe much to the discussions held in that forum. Many friends from that circle and outside read sections of this work, offering their comments and critiques and helping me repair many flaws. I owe a debt of gratitude to Scott Uri, Alek Isaacs, Amos Geula, Yehudah Galinsky, roni Weinstein, Yochi Fisher, Ted Fram, rami reiner, Iris Shagrir, Yael Shenkar, and Adiel Schremer. Special thanks are due to Ora Limor, Israel Jacob Yuval, and Simcha Emanuel, who helped me in their areas of expertise and showed me how to reach the destinations that I sought. ron Barkai invited me to participate in an advanced graduate seminar on the history of medicine at Tel Aviv University in 1999, thereby opening a door for me into the world of medieval medicine and the extensive research literature in this field. I also wish to thank the staff of the Israeli National Library in Givat ram, Jerusalem. Its reading rooms, especially the Judaica reading room, became a second home to me from the time I wrote my dissertation, and in many ways still is. The former director of the reading room, Ms. Elona Avinezer, and her team of librarians were always happy to help me, as was Mr. Shlomo Goldberg, director of the Loans and Circulation Department. I received special assistance from the Institute for Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts, in particular from Ms. Yael Okun, whose help, advice, and broad knowledge enriched this study. My friends Yitzhak “Chiko” Gila and Noa Shashar read the entire Hebrew manuscript and trimmed away the excess. Zvi Yekutiel, general director of the Zalman Shazar Center, faithfully and with paternal fondness saw me through all the stages of designing and publishing the Hebrew version of this book, even when I was overseas. I was also assisted by Yehezkel Hovav, whose sharp eye and discernment helped me weed out errors; by Ma’ayan Avineri-rebhun, who chaperoned me through the process of producing the book; and by Lilach Chlenov, who worked on the preparation of the Hebrew manuscript and edited it precisely, faithfully, and sensitively. Many of...

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