The Emergence of a Sephardi Intelligentsia in Haifa During the Late Ottoman Period

Abstract This article discusses the emergence of a circle of Sephardi intellectuals in Haifa in the final years of the Ottoman era and examines their characteristics as Arabic-speaking Jews, who engaged in both educational and political activities. Among other aspects, the article will consider the background to the emergence of this circle among families of Arabic-speaking migrants from the Maghreb. The members of the Sephardi intelligentsia also grew up in a shared Jewish–Arab space and were educated at the school of the Alliance Israélite Universelle, which in itself served as a shared framework for Jews and Arabs. The members of the Sephardi intelligentsia in Haifa continued their training at the Alliance’s Teachers’ Seminary in Paris and engaged in educational work alongside public and political activities as representatives of the Sephardi public. The connection between their Jewish–Arab cultural identity and their educational and political activities was particularly apparent during the transition to the British Mandate. The spotlight on the Sephardi intelligentsia of Haifa thus offers a new perspective on the place of Arabic-speaking Jews in the history of Haifa and on the development of intercommunal relations in this city.