Modern Middle Eastern Jewish Thought publication of this book is supported by a grant from Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford the tauber institute series for the study of european jewry Jehuda Reinharz, General Editor Sylvia Fuks Fried, Associate Editor Eugene R. Sheppard, Associate Editor the brandeis library of modern jewish thought Eugene R. Sheppard and Samuel Moyn, Editors This library aims to redefine the canon of modern Jewish thought by publishing primary source readings from individual Jewish thinkers or groups of thinkers in r eliable English translations. Designed for courses in modern Jewish philosophy, thought, and intellectual history, each volume features a general introduction and annotations to each source with the instructor and student in mind. Modern Middle Eastern Jewish Thought: Writings on Identity, Politics, and Culture, 1893–1958 Moshe Behar and Zvi Ben-Dor Benite, editors Jews and Diaspora Nationalism: Writings on Jewish Peoplehood in Europe and the United States Simon Rabinovitch, editor Moses Mendelssohn: Writings on Judaism, Christianity, and the Bible Michah Gottlieb, editor Jews and Race: Writings on Identity and Difference, 1880–1940 Mitchell B. Hart, editor for the complete list of books that are forthcoming in the series, please see http://www.brandeis.edu/tauber Edited by Modern Moshe Behar and Zvi Ben-Dor Benite Middle Eastern Jewish Thought Writings on identity, Politics, and culture, 1893–1958 Brandeis University Press Waltham, Massachusetts brandeis university press An imprint of University Press of New England www.upne.com © 2013 Brandeis University All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America Designed by Eric M. Brooks Typeset in Albertina and Verlag by Passumpsic Publishing University Press of New England is a member of the Green Press Initiative. The paper used in this book meets their minimum requirement for recycled paper. For permission to reproduce any of the material in this book, contact Permissions, University Press of New England, One Court Street, Suite 250, Lebanon NH 03766; or visit www.upne.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Modern Middle Eastern Jewish thought: writings on identity, politics, and culture, 1893–1958 / edited by Moshe Behar and Zvi Ben-Dor Benite.—1st ed. pages ; cm. — (The Brandeis library of modern Jewish thought) (The Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry series) Includes index. isbn 978-1-58465-884-9 (cloth: alk. paper)— isbn 978-1-58465-885-6 (pbk.: alk. paper)— isbn 978-1-61168-386-8 (ebook) 1. Jews—Middle East—Identity. 2. Arabs—Middle East—Ethnic identity. 3. Jews—Middle East—Intellectual life—20th century. 4. Arabs—Middle East—Intellectual life—20th century. 5. Jewish nationalism—Middle East. 6. Arab Nationalism— Middle East. 7. Zionism—Palestine—History—20th century. 8. Israel—Ethnic relations. I. Behar, Moshe, editor. II. Ben-Dor Benite, Zvi, editor. ds143.m62 2012 305.892'4—dc23 2012030327 5 4 3 2 1 To our parents, Nina Vivante, of blessed memory, and Albert Behar; and David Aziz and Tikva Bushra Ben-Dor, who taught us that Middle Eastern boundaries could be crossed and crossed again, if one so chooses Contents Foreword xiii Acknowledgments xv Editors’ Note xix Introduction: Mizrahi and Modern Middle Eastern Thought, Present and Past Moshe Behar and Zvi Ben-Dor Benite xxi Avraham Elmaleh 1 1 | East and West 2 Ya‘qub Sannu‘ 10 2 | Some Teachings of the Koran 12 3 | Transvaal’s Exemplary Rebels 14 4 | The Koran 18 5 | Ottoman Imperial Schools 21 6 | My Last Dream 23 7 | John Bull and the Egyptian Student 26 8 | My Poor Eyes 27 9 | Letter to Philip Tarrazi 28 Esther Azhari Moyal 30 10 | Address at the American College for Girls in Beirut 31 11 | Our Renaissance 38 Murād Farag 48 12 | The War for Our Nation 49 Nissim Ya‘acov Malul 62 13 | Our Status in the Country, or the Question of Learning Arabic 64