The Denver Jewish news., 1922-04-05
Turkish Haham BASH
in Cincinnati
SURRENDERS HIGH OFFICE TO
TAKE BROADER FIELD FOR AL
LANCE ISRAELITE UNIVER-

under the Turkish administration was
Haham Bashi, Chief Rabbi of the
Turkish Empire. He surrendered this
post to take up the broader work OF
onlisting the sympathy and financial
support of Jews the world over for
the Alliance Israelite Universelle. the
great Jewish educational organiza-
ton. which was established in 1860
and which has its headquarters in
Paris. The Alliance is now maintain
ing two hundred schools with two
thousand boys and girls are being in
structcd in Palestine and the Near
Fast. as well as in North Africa. The
Alliance maintains three agricultural
schools, one in Palestine, one in Tu-
mis-, one in Symrna and technical
school, or rather school for man
ual training. in Jerusalem.
Before the War, the Alliance re-
ceived sufficient support from the Jews
{ France, with a very little help
from sympathizers elsewhere. to en-
able it to carry on its work. but dur
ing and since the War, the widespread
ruin has caused the falling off of its
receipts and if it's work is not to be
materially curtailed. the Alliance must
receive support from other countries.
of which it is most deserving.
Rabbi Nahoum was born in Smyrna.
Asia Minor. in 1874. He received his
early training in Arabic in Beirut, and
in the Talmud at the Ycshiv;Lh CON
Quoted in Tiberias by Rabbi David
Abbu. Later. the attended high school
at Smyrna and the Imperial Law
School at Constantinople. He then
went to Paris, where he studied nj
the local rabbinical seminary. grad
uating with the degree of Rabbi. AT
the same time he studied philology
and history at the Ecole dies Hautes
Ftutes. and Oriental languages at the
Ecole des Iangues Orientales.
In 1898 he was appointed Professor
of Talmud Jerusalmi. Midrash and
Homilctics mt the rabbinical seminary
| at Constantinople.
In 1907 he was sent by the Alliance
| on a mission to the Falashes, or BLACK
Jews of Abyssinia. In his report of
the mission, contained in the Alliance
Bulletin for 1909, lie contends that the
Falasbcs are not Jews racially, Dut
| Ahyssinians who embraced Judaism in
! ,...,. 80 Dt,l.p,x-
| Following the Turkish Revolution
in 1905. he was. upon his return from
Abyssinla. appointed Haham Bashi, or
| Chief Rabbi. of the Turkish Empire
He resigned this post in 1920 because
he was opposed to the decree of the
| Turkish government forbidding alien
| Jews to vote in kchillah elections. For
1 twenty days the Sultan refused TO ac-
| ccpt his resignation, but finally had
TO as Rabbi Nahoum refused TO com
promise.
His Achievements as Halam Basin
| Among the achievements of his rab-
| hinntc are the exemption of rabbinical
students from military service and the
abolition of the so-called Red Pass
ports which alien Jews had to take
out upon entering Palestine, for which
later he was thanked by the World
Zionist organization.
Again, after Turkey entered the war
on the side of TeutOnic powers, he
succeeded in keeping all the Alliance
schools in that country open, although
their funds continued to come from
France. He likewise took under his
protection all the alien enemy Jews in
Turkey, who We're permitted to go
nbout their business a usual.
When the United States entered the
war on the side of the Allies he was
| Instrumental in saving some of the
! buildings of Robert College an Amer
| lean institution in Constantinopl",
from confiscation by the military au-
| thorities.
Throughout the war Rabbi Nahoum
| was at the head of the Commission
Ccatrale de Secours Central Relief
Commission), which distributed to
], wish war sufferers about one mil
lion and n half dollars.
Rabbi Nahoum has been decorated
with the two highest orders by the
Turkish government, and has Likewise
been decorated by the Austrian gov
eminent and by King Menelik OF
,I,vsSiuin He has also been made