Sasson Somekh’s Followers (2)

Sasson Somekh

Born

in Baghdad, Iraq

January 01, 1933

Died

August 18, 2019

Genre

Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir

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Sasson Somekh is an Israeli academic and writer. He is professor emeritus of Modern Arab Literature at Tel Aviv University.

Sasson Somekh was born in Baghdad to a secular Jewish family. In 1951, Somekh and his family immigrated to Israel in the wake of growing pressures on the Jews of Iraq to leave the country. He did not know Hebrew at the time, but started learning it in earnest in order to achieve his goal of becoming a translator of Arabic poetry into Hebrew. His first translation was published in 1954 in Ner, a journal published by Ihud ("Unity"), an association dedicated to the advancement of Arab–Jewish reconciliation established by Judah Magnes.

Somekh earned a Bachelor's degree in Hebrew Language and History from Tel Aviv University, Sasson Somekh is an Israeli academic and writer. He is professor emeritus of Modern Arab Literature at Tel Aviv University.

Sasson Somekh was born in Baghdad to a secular Jewish family. In 1951, Somekh and his family immigrated to Israel in the wake of growing pressures on the Jews of Iraq to leave the country. He did not know Hebrew at the time, but started learning it in earnest in order to achieve his goal of becoming a translator of Arabic poetry into Hebrew. His first translation was published in 1954 in Ner, a journal published by Ihud ("Unity"), an association dedicated to the advancement of Arab–Jewish reconciliation established by Judah Magnes.

Somekh earned a Bachelor's degree in Hebrew Language and History from Tel Aviv University,and a Master's degree in Linguistics of Semitic languages at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1962–1965, Somekh served as scientific secretary of the Academy of the Hebrew Language. He did his doctorate at Oxford University in 1966–1968. His subject was the novels of Naguib Mahfouz, concentrating on the Cairo Trilogy. Over the years Mahfouz and Somekh became friends. The thesis supervisor was Egyptian scholar Mustafa Badawi. Upon his return to Israel he became a lecturer in Arabic Literature. He served as chairman of the Arabic Language and Literature department at Tel Aviv University in 1972–1984. In 1980, he became a full professor. Between 1982 and 2003, he held the Helmos Chair for Arabic Literature. In 1996–1998 he was head of the Israel Academic Center in Cairo. He was a visiting professor at Princeton University, St Antony's College, Oxford, Annenberg Research Institute, NYU and Uppsala University. In 2004, he received an honorary doctorate from Ben Gurion University.

He is among the founders of the Arabic Language Academy in Israel, established in December 2007 in collaboration with several former students.

He wrote 10 books, many translations from Arabic to Hebrew, among which are 4 anthologies of modern Arabic poetry, and about 90 articles in academic journals. Over the past 50 years Somekh published hundreds of articles in literary magazines and supplements such as Iton 77, Halikon and Moznayim. His articles deal mainly with modern Arabic literature and writers, connections between Arabic and Hebrew literature and the Cairo Geniza. He is a regular contributor to Haaretz newspaper. ...more

Combine Editions
Sasson Somekh’s books

Average rating: 3.82 · 71 ratings · 9 reviews · 9 distinct works

	בית בקהיר כרך ג: הדור השלישי by Naguib Mahfouz, נגיב מחפוז, Sami Michael (Translator) 4.28 avg rating — 9,454 ratings — published 1957 — 94 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Baghdad, Yesterday: The Making of an Arab Jew 3.75 avg rating — 56 ratings — published 2007	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Mongrels or Marvels: The Levantine Writings of Jacqueline Shohet Kahanoff by Jacqueline Shohet Kahanoff, Sasson Somekh, Jacqueline Kahanoff 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2009 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Genre and Language in Modern Arabic Literature 3.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 1991	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Life After Baghdad: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew in Israel, 1950-2000 3.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2012 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	מילותיו של הזמן השבור: שלוש פואמות וקינה by Mahmoud Darwish, מחמוד דרוויש, עידן בריר (Editor) 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	פני החירות by סמיח אל-קאסם, Sasson Somekh (Translator), ששון סומך (Translator) 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Changing Rhythm: A Study of Najīb Maḥfūẓ's Novels by S. Somekh, Sasson Somekh really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1973 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Studies in Medieval Arabic and Hebrew Poetics: 1991 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 1991	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Sasson Somekh’s Followers (2)

Sasson Somekh

Combine EditionsSasson Somekh’s books

Combine Editions
Sasson Somekh’s books