Description
The city of Fez, in Morocco, was established toward the end of the 9th century CE and there is evidence that a Jewish community was in existence there soon after its founding. This community has enjoyed an almost unbroken connection with the city to the present day. Fez served as a spiritual center for the Jews of Morocco and North Africa, and as the cradle of the science of Hebrew language in the Middle Ages.
Many sages, who made their mark on Jewish heritage, grew up and studied in Fez: Rabbi Yehuda Hayuj, the linguist; Rabbi Yitzhak Alfasi, the halachist; and the Rambam (Maimonides), halachist and Jewish philosopher.
The influence of the sages of Fez reached Europe and countries of the east, including Eretz Israel and Jerusalem.
The articles in this compilation deal with religious and literary works of various types and from various periods, and include:
Language and religious poetry:
• Rabbi Yehuda ibn Quraysh’s Risala
• Fez – Cradle of the Science of the Hebrew Language in the 10th and 11th Centuries
• Didactic and Pedagogic Elements in the Poetry of Rabbi Raphael Monsonego
Literature:
• Society and Family as Reflected in the Letters of Rabbi Yaakov Ibn-Zur
• How the Sefer Hayashar Came to Italy from Fez
Interpretation and Jewish Thought:
• The Position and Status of the Rambam in the Writings of the Sages of Morocco
• The Sermons of Rabbi Yehuda ben Attar: Form and Content
Halacha:
• Rabbi Yitzhak Alfasi’s Rulings on Marriage Gifts
• Protecting the Marriage Status of Jewish Women – from Spain to Fez and Morocco
History:
• The Serero Family in Fez
• Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Toledano of Tangiers – Communal Activities and Literary Output