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religious tradition

the rabbi / the ritualbbi / the ritual
the ra

Even in the early 16th c. Rhodes was an important Mediterranean rabbinical and
talmudic center, providing opportunities for religious education of the highest order.
Enlightened individuals, guardians of laws and traditions, many of the rabbis of
Rhodes produced remarkable theological ideas and writings, while also performing
their administrative duties for the community. In 1614 a single, united rabbinical
administration became necessary for the island's Romaniote and Sephardic Jews and
the first 'joint' rabbi was Moshe Ha-Cohen.
Among the note-worthy rabbis of the past were Judah ibn Verga, who lived in the 16th
c., Moses de Voushal of the 17th c., Jehiel Bassan of the 18th c., Judah Moses Franco
and finally the rabbis of the Israel family, the last of whom, Reuben Eliyahu Israel, was
an indefatigable teacher, who served until 1932 and tried to reconcile tradition with
modernization. He enjoyed such respect, that in 1925 he was knighted by King Victor
Emmanuel III of Italy.

Since the mid 16th c. Jewish worship on Rhodes has been conducted in accordance
with the Sephardic ritual. Until that time the Romaniote ritual, or Minhag, included in
the Romaniote prayerbook, the Mahzor Romania, was used.
Although both rituals have Hebrew as their language of worship, they differ in parts
during services; the Romaniote using Judeo-Greek, and the Sephardim using Judeo-
Spanish. The Sephardic ritual required that the synagogual service should be chanted
repetitively in a simple fashion, while the Hazan frequently incorporated Turkish or
Greek melodies. During the Pessah service every verse of the Song of Songs was
chanted first in Hebrew and then in Judeo-Spanish. As the Sephardic ritual became
prevalent, the Sephardic festival prayerbook, the Mahzor Sepharad, came to be
adopted. The religious hymns, the Piyutim, given in this prayerbook for recital, were in
Judeo-Spanish. The Siddur, the book of daily prayer, was also necessary for worship.
Attempts to modernize the ritual and bring it into line with contemporary needs were
Ο τελευταίος αρχιραββίνος της Ρόδου Ροϋμπέν
Ελιάχου Ισραέλ, ο οποίος πέθανε το 1932. constantly underway. The most significant among them was that of Rabbi Reuben
Διακρίθηκε τόσο ως ραββίνος και θρησκευτικός Eliyahu Israel, who, early in the 20th c., translated 35 Hebrew hymns into Judeo-
λειτουργός, όσο και ως ποιητής. Spanish so they could be understood by as many believers as possible. In modern times,
The last Chief Rabbi of Rhodes, Reuben Eliau the prayerbook used by the community of Rhodes and by all other Greek-Jewish
Israel, who passed away in 1932. He was a communities was the Sephardic prayerbook, in the form it acquired during the 17th c.
distinguished rabbi, religious official, as well as following the commentary of Isaac Luria.
poet.

Κύλινδρος της Τορά, 800 ετών, Μωσσέ Φράνκο, Αρχιραβίνος της Ρόδου (1896 - 1909), με την σύζυγό του
από την Ρόδο. Πέρλα και τον τούρκο υπηρέτη του, Ιερουσαλήμ 1915.
Τhe 800 year-old Torah scroll, Moshe Franco, Chief Rabbi of Rhodes (1896 -1909), with his wife, Perla,
from Rhodes. and his Turkish servant, Jerusalem 1915.