Haim Zafrani(personality of the week)

[_thetruth]

Haim Zafrani
(1922-2004), scholar and writer.
Born in the city of Essaouira (formerly called Mogador), Morocco, in 1922, Haim Zafrani was known as the foremost scholar and researcher in the history and heritage of the Jews of Morocco, in particular for his book 2000 Years of Jewish Life in Morocco. Zafrani pioneered the study of the history and culture of the Jews of Morocco, his work combined a remarkable array of areas of study that included philology, literature, musicology, onomastics, philosophy, historiography, and legal literature. He is particularly noted for having collected and preserved much or the music and oral poetry of the Jews of Morocco. His recordings preserved the melodies of Rabbi David Buzaglo (1903 - 1975), widely acclaimed as the greatest paytan of his time. Haim Zafrani started his career as teacher and then inspector in charge with the teaching of the Arabic language with the Alliance Israelite schools in Morocco. Later on, Zafrani moved to Paris, France, where he was professor emeritus at the University of Paris-VIII and head of the Department of Hebrew language and Jewish civilization. He was member of the Institut des Hautes Etudes Semitiques of College de France, member of the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco, and Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. His achievements had been acknowledged by prestigious prizes: the Irving and Bertha Neuman Distinguished Scolar Award (1982-1983), the Yad Yitzhak Ben-Zvi prize (1985), the Grand Atlas prize (1999), and the Prize of Maghreb (2001).

Haim Zafrani is the author of fifteen books and more than a hundred articles dealing with Jewish culture, languages, and literature in the Muslim countries of North Africa, especially Morocco, and in Muslim Spain during the Middle Ages.
HFG


Bibliography:
ZAFRANI, Haim. Two thousand years of Jewish life in Morocco. (English translation). Hoboken, N.J.: Ktav Pub. House, 2002

ZAFRANI, Haim. Deux mille ans de vie juive au Maroc: histoire et culture, religion et magie. Pp. 325, ill. Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose; [Casablanca]: Eddif, c1998

ZAFRANI, Haim. L'Ecclésiaste et son commentaire: "le livre de l'ascèse": la version arabe de la Bible de Sa'adya Gaon. (with Andre Caquot). Pp. 132. Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose, c1989

ZAFRANI, Haim. Juifs d'Andalousie et du Maghreb. Pp. 437, ill. [Paris]: Maisonneuve et Larose, c1996.

ZAFRANI, Haim. Pédagogie juive en terre d'islam; l'enseignement traditionnel de l'hébreu et du judaïsme au Maroc. Pp. 191. Paris: A. Maisonneuve, 1969

ZAFRANI, Haim. Études et recherches sur la vie intellectuelle juive au Maroc de la fin du 15e au début du 20e siècle. V. 1-3. Paris: Geuthner [1972-<c1980]

ZAFRANI, Haim. Éthique et mystique: judaïsme en terre d'Islam: le commentaire kabbalistique du "Traite des Peres" de J. Bu-'Ifergan. Pp. 260. Paris: Editions Maisonneuve & Larose, 1991

ZAFRANI, Haim. Kabbale, vie mystique et magie: judaïsme d'Occident musulman. Pp. 487, ill. Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose, 1986

ZAFRANI, Haim. Recherches sur les juifs du Maghreb. Pp. 177, 44. Paris: Institut européen d'études hébraïques, Université de Paris VIII: [Berit `Ivrit `olamit], 1997