Page 186 - GQ 12

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SUMMARIES

“A pleasant voice and an expert
on every matter”: on Karaites and
Rabanites Cantors in 16th Century
Egypt

Dotan Arad

Department of Jewish History and Contemporary Jewry, Bar Ilan
University

In the heart of this article, a special source stands out; a letter of appointment
from 1575 of a cantor in the Karaite community of Cairo. The deed was
written in two independent versions: in Judeo-Arabic and Hebrew. Both are
published in the article. The document contributes important information
on a community of which our current knowledge is very limited.

The compilation of the document is followed with a comprehensive
discussion on the position of the cantor among Karaites and Rabbanites
in that period. The subjects covered in the discussion include the duties of
the Cantor, his social status, his salary, the public criticism of him, and the
system of supervising his activity.

GQinezdeiem
12 (2016)