The Balance of Power in the Damascus Community

The institutional structure of the Jewish community of Damascus and the basic patterns of its activity had been laid down over the centuries, following models that had existed in the Jewish world since the talmudic period. During the mid-nineteenth century the communal institutions were restructured under the influence of the Ottoman reforms of this period. As in Baghdad and Aleppo, this reorganization took place largely under the guidance and encouragement of the Ottoman authorities, but at the same time reflected internal social ferment accompanied by criticism of the traditional arrangements for communal leadership.

In Damascus the rabbi's salary was paid by the community, but in practice the main burden of funding fell on the shoulders of the wealthy class. As a result, the rabbi was often dependent for his livelihood on a small group of men. On more than one occasion the wealthy gevirim attempted to appoint a particular individual as rabbi, not necessarily because he was ‘suitable and decent in terms of wisdom and character and wholeness’, but rather because he was not financially independent, thereby ensuring their influence over him. They sought to perpetuate a situation in which, while the rabbi would officially be the leader of the community, the strings of leadership would in effect be pulled by those who chose him. Thus the economic elite attempted to translate their financial power into political power—and often succeeded in doing so. One example of this was the appointment of Rabbi Jacob Antebi as rabbi of the Damascus community in 1809. He was put forward to stand against Rabbi Hayim Nisim Abulafia, who was superior to him in wisdom, in age, in family background, and in wealth—making him an unwelcome candidate for the wealthy men of the community.

Indeed, from the moment that Jacob Antebi was appointed as rabbi of the Damascus community, he was dependent upon the goodwill of the wealthy members of the community, headed by the Farhi family. The weakness of his position at the end of the 1830s is clearly implied in his own words: ‘I am unable to do anything, because they have made judgments upon me, the like of which are unheard of.’