Baghdad Jewry in Late Ottoman Times: The Emergence of Social Classes and of Secularization

Abstract

In late Ottoman times and until the end of the British Mandate in 1932, the community in Baghdad was one of the glories of modern Jewry. In the contemporary Middle East and Mediterranean world, Baghdad Jewry was rivaled in size and institutions only by the Jewish community of Salonika. But despite its prominence, and that of its descendants in Israel today, Baghdad Jewry has been studied very little. Our understanding of Jewish societies in obscure regions such as Yemen and Tripolitania is more advanced. This paper offers the outlines of a sociological portrait to fill the gap.