CONTENTS
Preface / ix Transliteration Notes / xi Table of Transliteration / xv
Foreword / xvii Historical Setting / 1 The Land and the Peoples / 1 The Position of the Jews in the Previous Centuries / 9
PART I URBAN JEWS AND THEIR TRIBAL AGHAS
Preliminary Remarks on the Tribal Kurdish Society / 21 A. The Division between Urban and Rural, Town and Tribe / 21 B. The Dual System of Government / 23 C. Patronage of the Jews by Kurdish Aghas / 24 D. Social, Economic and Religious Institutions / 26
Chapter One Zakho / 33 A. The Family of Shamdin Agha / 33 B. Tribal Aghas and Their Jewish and Christian Subjects / 43 C. The Murders of Assyrians in Bersibi and Kestaye / 46 D. Ijajj-f Sad-fq Biro of the Gulli Tribe and His Jewish Protégé NaVum Sabto / 52 Chapter Two Aqra / 59 A. Khawaja Khinno’s Household / 59 B. The Barzan-f Tribal Chiefs and the Jews / 67
Chapter Three Dohuk / 79 A. Sa'-fd Agha Doski, His Sons and the Jews of Dohuk / 80 B. Shaikh Abdallah Barifkan-f / 93 C. The Feud between Ijajj-f Malo and Shaikh Nurî / 95
Chapter Four Amadiya / 97 A. Amadiya in the Previous Centuries / 97 B. Relations with Local Oficials and Aghas 99 Chapter Five Sulaimaniya / 107 A. The Establishment of Sulaimaniya from the Jews’ Perspective / 108 B. Incident against the Jews / 108 C. The Aghas and the Jews: Shaikh Mahmûd Berzenji / 110 Chapter Six Shino, Mulla Mugafa and the Jews / 113 A. Barzan~’s Jewish Liaison / 114 B. Urban Jews and Their Aghas: Concluding Remarks / 120
PART II RURAL JEWS AND THEIR TRIBAL AGHAS Chapter One The Experience of Rural Jews / 125 A. Sandur, a Jewish Village / 129 B. Tribal and Non-Tribal Societies / 133 C. Tribal Patronage / 135 D. The Image of the Jews / 137 E. The Status of the Jews / 139 F. The Jewish Subjects as Assets / 156 G. Loyalty of the Jews / 159 H. Helping the Agha / 163
Chapter Two Guardianship and Justice by the Aghas / 167 A. Physical Escort / 168 B. The Justice of Tribal Aghas / 171 C. Rural Jews and Their Agha: Concluding Remarks / 183
PART III SOME ASPECTS OF DAILY AND PERSONAL LIFE Chapter One The Safety of Jews in Kurdistan / 187 A. Motives for Migration / 187 B. Murder of Jews in the Tribal Setting —The Tribal Response / 195 Chapter Two The Economic Position of the Jews / 213 A. Before the 20th Century / 213 B. The Main Occupations of Jews / 218
Chapter Three Conversion of Jews to Islam in the Kurdish Society / 247 A. Conversion of Jews to Islam / 247 B. Main Causes for Conversion / 250 C. Mechanisms Applied by the Jews to Overturn Conversion / 258 D. The Role of Aghas and Shaikhs 264 E. Conversion of Jewish Men 266
PART IV THE LAST GENERATION IN KURDISTAN: BETWEEN WWI AND THE IMMIGRATION TO ISRAEL Chapter One Jewish Experience during World War I: Conscription and Evasion 271 A. Evading Military Service 276 B. Migration because of Scarcity of Food 284 C. Forced Labor 286 D. Casualties of Jewish Soldiers 288 Chapter Two The End of the War and the Years Following 290 A. New Political Developments 295 Chapter Three Jews, Kurds and Arabs, 19411952 300 A. Effects of the Farhud Pogroms 301 B. Effects of the Establishment of the State of Israel 310 C. Accusations and Imprisonment of Jews 325 D. Economic Pressure before the Emigration to Israel 333
Concluding Remarks 338 Glossary / 345 Bibliography / 347 Notes on the Informants / 361 Map: Kurdistan Region / 363 Index / 365 |