A Reflection of the Community's Rich and Enduring History

Books hold immense value as witnesses to the past, preserving the legacy of great religious leaders who played a pivotal role in shaping the Izmir Jewish community and influencing the global Jewish community. The Izmir Rabbinic Books Collection, comprising approximately 2000 books dating back to the 17th century, is a treasure trove of knowledge and insight.

Within the pages of these books lie hidden gems: marginalia, handwritten comments, and inscriptions left by community members and renowned rabbis. These annotations provide a unique glimpse into the thoughts, beliefs, and daily lives of the Izmir Jewish community throughout history.

As custodians of this exceptional collection, experts from the National Library of Israel meticulously examine and evaluate each book. Their dedicated efforts are unlocking the secrets of these ancient tomes, shedding light on the intellectual and spiritual journey of the community and its leaders.

History

The collection, unknown to the general Jewish community in Turkey and the world, remained unpublicized until it was brought to the attention of Dina Eliezer, a Jewish educator and native of Izmir. In 1999, while assisting the Sephardic Jewish community in reviving neglected Jewish education for children, Dina Eliezer encountered a dire situation. Locked in a room within the Hahamhane, the central rabbinate house, the 2000 books faced imminent destruction. Water seeping through the walls and a collapsing roof had caused mold to grow on the books and shelves, with traces of insects finding refuge within the pages of every book.
The books were rescued from a myriad of abandoned schools, Yeshivot, and neglected synagogues. Izmir's Jewish community, historically vibrant and esteemed as one of the Sephardic world's intellectual and religious centers, boasted illustrious rabbis like Isaac and Abraham Palacci, Rabbi Benveniste, and Rabbi Escapa, who were native to and resided in Izmir.

After their rescue, Dina Eliezer, with the support of the community, diligently compiled a comprehensive list of the books, including details on their year and place of printing and their location in the library.
In the summer of 2022, all the books underwent examination again to uncover any marginalia, and pictures of 350 books were documented.

However, the Izmir repository, now housed on the third floor of what was once the Jewish Hospital, remains in a precarious state, threatened by physical decay, destruction, and the risk of vanishing. As a result, the community's leadership continuously seeks funding to improve the books' conditions and environment. Like many physical relics from Turkey's Jewish history, preserving the Izmir collection is of utmost importance, safeguarding the cultural heritage and knowledge it holds for future generations.

The books in the collection were printed in various cities, including Izmir, Istanbul, Ankara, Thessaloniki, Jerusalem, Bilgordo (Belgrade), Prague, Vienna, Berlin, Frankfurt, Zoltzbach, Livorno (Leghorn), Venice, Piorda, Amsterdam, Pressburg, Warsaw, Krakow, Vilna, Basdiliav, Monkatch, Brin, Slavitta, and Lick. The collection holds diverse literary treasures, reflecting the rich cultural exchange and intellectual interactions during that time.

In 2002, the Avi Chai Foundation conducted a thorough study on the heritage of the Jews of Izmir. As part of this research, they dedicated a day to exploring the depository, collecting valuable data that led to the publication of a comprehensive report. The report included information about select books from the collection and also provided a list of the printing houses that once thrived in Izmir:

• Abraham Ben Yedidiah Gabbai (1654)

• Yona Ashkenazi (1724).

• Yaakov Balanci (1756).

• Yaakov and his brother, sons of Rabbi Shmuel Ashkenazi (1855).

• Ben Zion Binyamin Rodino (1860).

• Isaac Shmuel de Sigura (1868).

• Aharon Yehoshua de Sigura (1870).

• Avraham Pontremoli and Yaakov Poly (1876).

• Hayim Avraham (1889).

The list of books from the collection can be found at İzmir JCC.
As for information about the marginalia, it is currently pending a report from the National Library of Israel.