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everyday life

the organization of the community

The Jews of Rhodes lived within the bounds of the walled city in a separate,
densely populated area with narrow, serpentine, cobbled streets. In the Juderia
there were tall stone mansions, but there were also more humble dwellings built
with mud-bricks for the large families of poorer people. Very often more than one
family lived under the same roof; in such cases the families would have been
related. The Cortijos, the courtyards between houses, buzzed with news and filled
with Judeo-Spanish songs, keeping alive a centuries-old tradition.
Demographic estimates put the population of the Jewish Community of Rhodes at
between an average of 500 people in the 17th and 18th c., and over 3,000 people,
when the community was at its peak in the late 19th and early 20th c.

At the time of the Knights, but even more so when Rhodes was under Ottoman
rule, secular and religious officials of the Jewish community managed the
community's autonomous internal affairs. A seven-member council of officials,
the Memunim, worked in junction with the rabbi to arrange the distribution of
taxation as well as internal affairs, where the latter was concerned, this often took
the form of decrees, or Haskamot. Representives to the Ottoman authorities were
called Parnassim and were appointed by the community; initially there was one,
later on there were three. Their main area of jurisdiction lay in imposing and
maintaining order in the community and collecting taxes. Taxes were paid by the
community as a whole, and members of the community contributed according to
their means. In order to augment community revenue, special taxes, like the
Gabela, were levied on meat, wine, bread and such like. Judicial power was in the
hands of the rabbi and the rabbinical court, thus reducing Ottoman involvement in
the internal affairs of the community.
On Rhodes the principles of solidarity and charity, which are tremendously
important to Jewish people, took many forms. There were synagogue funds, but
there were also a number of other organizations in the community such as Bnei
Brit, a beneficient, charitable organization, the Ozer Dalim foundation for the Ο Τζιουζέπο Λέβη, αθλητής του μπόξ, επιδεικνύοντας
poor, the Fundo Secreto and Bikur Holim for the penniless sick, and the Hevrah ένα τρόπαιό του στην αυλή της συναγωγής Καχάλ
Καντόσς Σσαλώμ, Ρόδος 1933.
Kedosha for the undertaking of funeral care and expenses. Before the war the
Lohamei Herut Israel society did noteworthy work in helping Jews who wanted to Giuseppo Levy, boxer, in the courtyard of the Kahal
Kadosh Shalom Synagogue displaying one of his
emigrate to Palestine. The El-Hekdesh community building provided shelter for trophies, Rhodes 1933.
people of the faith who were passing through Rhodes on their way to Jerusalem,
and later on became a nursing home for people with special needs. But in ordinary
everyday affairs too the community spirit was apparent. From the way provision was made for the baking of the community's
unleavened bread to the unofficial community postman, the Jews of Rhodes could be seen to be working as a well - organised
team.

Μέλη της ποδοσφαιρικής ομάδας 'Μακκάμπι' της
Ρόδου, με τις κυανόλευκες στολές τους, Ρόδος 1930.
Members of the Rhodian Jewish football team
'Maccabi', wearing their blue and white
uniforms, Rhodes 1930.

Αντιπρόσωποι του Μπνέι Μπρίτ, κοινοτικού οργανισμού με φιλανθρωπική δράση,
στον οποίο συμμετείχαν καθηγητές, νομικοί και άλλα επιφανή μέλη της
κοινότητας, Ρόδος 1927.
Representatives of Bnei Brit, community organisation with charitable activities,
where professors, advocates and other prominent members of the community
participated, Rhodes 1927.