Aleppo: City of Scholars

by David Sutton

Based on LiKedoshim Asher Ba'aretz by Hacham David Laniado; Edited and expanded by Rabbi David Sutton; Translated by Isaac Kirzner Known since Biblical times as Aram Soba, the city of Aleppo, Syria was a scholarly and spiritual center for thousands of years. Hated, persecuted, and finally driven out of its ancestral home, this community still lives on in thriving communities in Israel, America, Mexico, and worldwide, including the great Yeshivah Porat Yosef of Jerusalem. Richly illustrated with hundreds of photos, including views of one of the oldest synagogues in the world, the vibrant heritage of Syrian Jewry comes alive in this magnificent history of Aleppo and its sages. This beautiful volume contains biographical information on several centuries of rabbis of Aleppo and Damascus - 600 of them - their ideals and teachings and their beloved pizmonim. Written by a scion of Aleppo who both cherishes and reveres the luminous Judaism of this ancient community.

438 pages, Hardcover

First published March 30, 2005

Reviews

[Rishav Eliyahu Sofer Dasgupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The true value of this book lies in the back section where the biographies of Halabi hachamim (with pictures!) are translated along with a list of documents, edicts, and declarations they signed. While the book certainly has its own ideological perspective toward some religious issues, it plays a very important role in sharing our traditions with the next English-speaking generations. A must buy for anyone with connections to the Aleppo Jewish community.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 4 out of 5]

What David Sutton nails in Aleppo: City of Scholars is the way powerful entities rewrite their own past mistakes as necessary steps toward collective progress.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Sutton uses Aleppo: City of Scholars to prove that when a culture prioritizes predictability over truth, genuine art and free speech are the first things sacrificed.