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- Title
In Praise of the Multitude: Rabbi Yosef Knafo's Socially Conscious Work in Essaouira at the End of the Nineteenth Century.
- Authors
Abensour, Gabriel
- Abstract
This article examines the work of Rabbi Yosef Knafo (1823–1900), a prolific author writing for the Jewish masses of Essaouira in Morocco. In this article, I suggest that Knafo's work should be read in the light of the local Jewish community's turbulent social context. Through his books, Knafo joined the ranks of the local advocates of modernity, dedicating himself to forging a more egalitarian Jewish society and providing spiritual backing to those struggling for societal democratization. Rather than representing a break with religious tradition or a form of westernization, Knafo's vision of modernity was a rearticulation of Jewish tradition in order to mobilize it toward social change. Using the printing press to subvert the local authority and reach new audiences, Knafo was also the first person in Morocco to quote and translate Hasidic works and he pioneered the diffusion of Judeo-Arabic literature.
- Subjects
MOROCCO; NINETEENTH century; JEWISH authors; RABBIS; SOCIAL change; JEWISH communities; MODERNITY
- Publication
Jewish Social Studies, 2022, Vol 27, Issue 1, p115
- ISSN
0021-6704
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2979/jewisocistud.27.1.04