The Emergence of Modern Hebrew Creativity in Babylon, 1735- 1950

Contents

Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 A. A Brief History about the Jews in Babylon B. The Essence of the New Hebrew Creativity in Babylon C. Jewish Education in Babylon D. Hebrew Teaching and Hebrew Knowledge in Babylon E. The Hebrew Press in Babylon F. The Hebrew Creativity of The Near Eastern Jews and the History of Modern Hebrew Literature Part 1: Poetry Chapter 1: Pathfinders and Explorers in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Hebrew Poetry in Babylon 23 Rabbi Ezra Habavli: The Debate of Man and his Earth “A Man Must Get Tipsy”: The Call of Rabbi Moshe Hutsin Didactic Poetry: Rabbi Salih Matsliyah Rabbi Nissim Matsliyah: Playful Poetry Rabbi Sason Ben-Mordekhai: “I am Sason a Small Minded and a Short Tongued Man.” Rabbi Mordekhai Ben Sason: His Pals Disappointed Him Rabbi Sason Yisrael Gives Advice: “For Who will You Collect Silver and Gold?” Chapter 2: Four Poets of Babylonian Origin 51 Shaul Yosef: An Enlightened Poet Rabbi Saliman Menahem Mani: From the Bonds of the Conventional to the Personal Articulation A Lyrical Poet Who Died While Still in his Prime: Rabbi Avraham Barukh Mani Rabbi Ezekiel Hai Albeg Carries his Legacy Overseas Chapter 3: The Twentieth Century Poets in Babylon 73 The Renaissance Poet Aharon Sason The School Poems of David Hai Abbudi Shelomo Yitshak Nissim, a Member of the Hebrew Association in Babylon The Vineyard Poems by Rabbi Shelomo Ben-Salih Shelomo Gabai About the Holocaust and the Massacre: Rabbi Menasheh Saliman Shahrabani “And they Pierced their Heads with Nails”: Rabbi Yitshak Nissim Mourned, Rabbi Moshe Ventura Condoled The First of the Social Protester Poets: David Saliman Tsemah Part 2: Folktales, Reportage, Epistles, Research of Literature, and a Story Chapter 4: The Folktales of Rabbi Yosef Hayyim 117 Chapter 5: Rabbi Shelomo Bekhor Hutsin (Rashbah): The Words of an Enlightened Jew 137 A. The Various Pursuits of Rashbah B. The Hebrew Printing House and the Antiquarianism of Rashbah C. The Periodicals in which Rashbah Published D. Rashbah’s Reflections and Thoughts on the Jewish Enlightenment Movement E. Is Rashbah’s Reportage Reliable? F. Rashbah’s Style Chapter 6: An Epistle as a Literary Work: Rabbi Ya’acov Hayyim’s Letter to Farha Sason 153 The Renaissance Poet Aharon Sason Chapter 7: Shaul Abdullah Yosef: A Scholar of Medieval Hebrew Poetry 157 A. Shaul Yosef’s Literary Activities B. The Articles of Shaul Yosef C. The Books of Shaul Yosef Chapter 8: Rabbi Saliman Mani: Hebron, Gaza, and the Demons 163 Part 3: Hebrew Periodicals in Babylon Chapter 9: Ha-Dover: The First Hebrew Journal in Babylon 169 Chapter 10: Yeshurun: “The Newspaper is the Heart of the People” 175 The First Issue The Second Issue The Third Issue The Fourth Issue The Fifth Issue Chapter 11: Shemesh: An Anthology of Poems and Compositions from the Students of Shammash School 189 The First Issue The Second Issue The Third Issue The Fourth Issue Responses to Shemesh Chapter 12: Derekh He-Haluts: The Journal of the Movement Counselors 207 The First Issue The Third Issue The Fourth Issue The Fifth Issue The Sixth Issue The Eighth Issue The Ninth Issue The Tenth Issue Closing Remarks About Derekh He-Haluts Epilogue 225 Questions 227 Index of Authors 233 Bibliography 237 Images 247 ...