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Jewish Life in Muslim Libya: Rivals and Relatives
In 1949 more than 35,000 Jews lived in Libya, but close to ninety percent had left before Libya attained its independence in 1952. Jewish Life in Muslim Libya combines historical and anthropological perspectives in depicting the changing relations between Muslims and Jews in Libya from the early nineteenth century up to the middle of the twentieth century.
Harvey E. Goldberg shows that the cultural and religious worlds of the Jewish and Muslim communities in Libya were deeply intertwined in daily life and largely remained so despite political and social changes under successive Ottoman and Italian rule. He documents the intricate symbolic linkages of Jews and Muslims in different periods and in a variety of settings. His accounts of traditional Jewish weddings, of mock fights between Jewish teams that took place in early nineteenth-century Tripoli, and of the profession of street peddling demonstrate that, despite age-old images of Jews as outsiders or infidels, Jews were also an essential and familiar part of the local Islamic society.
Goldberg's narrative continues through the British Military Administration in Libya, a period which saw growing Libyan nationalism and, in 1945, three days of riots in which more than 130 Jews were killed. Goldberg reflects on how these events both expressed and exacerbated a rupture in the social fabric linking Muslims and Jews, setting the scene for the mass emigration of Libyan Jews from their homeland.
Harvey E. Goldberg shows that the cultural and religious worlds of the Jewish and Muslim communities in Libya were deeply intertwined in daily life and largely remained so despite political and social changes under successive Ottoman and Italian rule. He documents the intricate symbolic linkages of Jews and Muslims in different periods and in a variety of settings. His accounts of traditional Jewish weddings, of mock fights between Jewish teams that took place in early nineteenth-century Tripoli, and of the profession of street peddling demonstrate that, despite age-old images of Jews as outsiders or infidels, Jews were also an essential and familiar part of the local Islamic society.
Goldberg's narrative continues through the British Military Administration in Libya, a period which saw growing Libyan nationalism and, in 1945, three days of riots in which more than 130 Jews were killed. Goldberg reflects on how these events both expressed and exacerbated a rupture in the social fabric linking Muslims and Jews, setting the scene for the mass emigration of Libyan Jews from their homeland.
- GenresLibya
202 pages, Paperback
First published May 18, 1990
39 people want to read
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September 7, 2013
Harvey Goldberg’s book represents an anthropological study on Jewish Libyans. His study is based on examining accounts of Libyan Jews that have settled in Israel in addition to several written accounts of various historical periods, most notably ‘The book of Mordecai. Although the title says ‘Libya’, the main focus of the book is in the western part of the country; Tripolitania. The city of Tripoli and Nafusa/Gherian Mountains are the main scene in which most of the chapters unfold. Despite the fact that the book has an overall chronological approach, starting from the late Qaramanly period and ending with post-WW2, it tends to blend different periods suggesting continuity. The author stresses that his aim is not to verify historical facts, but to provide an anthropological prospective on different periods.
The book portrays the shifting roles and perceptions of Jews by the society and vice-versa. Cultural examples such as typical games and wedding customs are used to provide an understanding of Jewish life in the wider context. The author also gives an overview of the important economical role played by the Jews in all historical periods as craftsman crucial for the market.
In essence, the author carefully examines how Jews lived in a Muslim society. He gives a background on the concept of Dhimmi in classic Islamic understanding, and then moves on to the social context which is sometimes a different realm. He shows how Jews were always categorized as lower in status than Muslims as reflected by cultural practices. And he further describes the different positions Jews are typically placed in, for instance, how Jews are equated with women, in that they are a ‘lower’ but nevertheless crucial part of society that needs to be protected.
The author completes the chronological order with a chapter on the 1945 riots in which a hundred Jews were killed and eventually led to Jewish immigration from across Libya to Israel. He puts forward a set of explanations for what could have triggered the riots in terms of underlying social/historical reasons.
The book is quite enjoyable. I have always wanted to read on the daily life of people in Libya throughout those historical periods. And although this study focuses on Jews, it gives an idea of the structure of society, how people interacted, how they lived and what their customs was. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in Libyan history in general.
The book portrays the shifting roles and perceptions of Jews by the society and vice-versa. Cultural examples such as typical games and wedding customs are used to provide an understanding of Jewish life in the wider context. The author also gives an overview of the important economical role played by the Jews in all historical periods as craftsman crucial for the market.
In essence, the author carefully examines how Jews lived in a Muslim society. He gives a background on the concept of Dhimmi in classic Islamic understanding, and then moves on to the social context which is sometimes a different realm. He shows how Jews were always categorized as lower in status than Muslims as reflected by cultural practices. And he further describes the different positions Jews are typically placed in, for instance, how Jews are equated with women, in that they are a ‘lower’ but nevertheless crucial part of society that needs to be protected.
The author completes the chronological order with a chapter on the 1945 riots in which a hundred Jews were killed and eventually led to Jewish immigration from across Libya to Israel. He puts forward a set of explanations for what could have triggered the riots in terms of underlying social/historical reasons.
The book is quite enjoyable. I have always wanted to read on the daily life of people in Libya throughout those historical periods. And although this study focuses on Jews, it gives an idea of the structure of society, how people interacted, how they lived and what their customs was. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in Libyan history in general.
Displaying 1 of 1 review