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Baghdad, Yesterday: The Making of an Arab Jew
Cultural writing. Middle East Studies. Biography and Memoir. A wise and often gently funny memoir by one of the world's authorities on Arabic literature, this book offers an intimate view of Jewish life in Baghdad in the 1930s and 40s. It describes vividly the young writer's intellectual and emotional growth and maps the now-vanished world of Baghdad's book stalls and literary cafes, its Arabic-speaking Jewish bank clerks, tuxedoed Iraqi-Jewish weddings, outdoor movies at the Cinema Diana, and bonfires by the Tigris. As the pieces of Somekh's unsentimental and sharply drawn memoir accumulate, they also mount in meaning "It is hard to overstate the beauty, originality, lucidity, gentleness, wisdom, and importance of Baghdad, Yesterday"--Ma'ariv.
212 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2007
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About the author
Sasson Somekh
9 books2 followersSasson 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 5, 2009
This was my third memoir from one of the many Jewish emigrés of the formerly large and thriving ancient Jewish community in Iraq (once comprising a third of the population, they are now said to number less than a dozen). Unlike the other two books, Sasson Somekh's was less a chronological autobiography and more a series of vignettes. Imagine going to chat with the author over tea once per week, and each week, he narrated a different recollection of his life -- that is much the flavor of this book. The chapters are self-contained and not long, which makes for easy reading. (Although, not fast reading -- I found myself inclined to go slowly, re-reading often, and reflecting on what the author had written.) At times he writes with gentle humor; other passages are subtly -- but deeply -- poignant.
One of the delights of the book is that Somekh not only includes photographs but also gives descriptions of them. For instance, rather than simply saying, "This is a photo of the whole family at a wedding," he goes through the photo, pointing out individual family members, describing them, their history, what eventually becomes of them, and so on.
As a language buff, I found great interest in Somekh's discussions of Iraqi Arabic and other languages; and literary buffs will no doubt be interested in Somkeh's run-ins with and descriptions of literary notables from Iraq and elsewhere in the Arab world.
This would likely be a good book for those interested in the (former) Iraqi Jewish community; Arab Jews in general; and the history of Iraq. A history which, it should be noted, goes far deeper and is much richer than the modern-day headlines of bombings and political unrest.
One of the delights of the book is that Somekh not only includes photographs but also gives descriptions of them. For instance, rather than simply saying, "This is a photo of the whole family at a wedding," he goes through the photo, pointing out individual family members, describing them, their history, what eventually becomes of them, and so on.
As a language buff, I found great interest in Somekh's discussions of Iraqi Arabic and other languages; and literary buffs will no doubt be interested in Somkeh's run-ins with and descriptions of literary notables from Iraq and elsewhere in the Arab world.
This would likely be a good book for those interested in the (former) Iraqi Jewish community; Arab Jews in general; and the history of Iraq. A history which, it should be noted, goes far deeper and is much richer than the modern-day headlines of bombings and political unrest.
March 6, 2017
قرأت الترجمة العربية لهذه المذكرات،،
العراق مثله مثل عمل فني،، كلما انتزعت منه جزءا تنقص جماليته،،
انتزاع اليهود من العراق جزء من حركة "التقبيح" هذه ولا زالت العملية مستمرة
خرج اليهود وبعدهم المسيحيون ولحقهم الصابئة فالايزيدون أخيراً
لا يمكن التنبأ دور من هو التالي،، لكن النتيجة واحدة
عراق قبيح قُبح دوريان گراي بعد ان عراه الزمن
العراق مثله مثل عمل فني،، كلما انتزعت منه جزءا تنقص جماليته،،
انتزاع اليهود من العراق جزء من حركة "التقبيح" هذه ولا زالت العملية مستمرة
خرج اليهود وبعدهم المسيحيون ولحقهم الصابئة فالايزيدون أخيراً
لا يمكن التنبأ دور من هو التالي،، لكن النتيجة واحدة
عراق قبيح قُبح دوريان گراي بعد ان عراه الزمن
July 7, 2012
If you are interested in the history of Baghdad, the history of Israel being carted off to Babylon in antiquity, or looking for perspective on current events, you must read this book. It opened my eyes to so much and helped me to put in perspective the Baghdad that I was living in at the time and the Baghdad that existed before the rise of the Ba'ath Party. It is so sad that the culture of the Jews carted off to Babylon long before Christ was only just decimated in the last 60 years (much as the Yemeni Jews are being pushed out of that country in the past decade after a similar length of time there). This book may be hard to find, but it is worth finding.
March 7, 2010
So interesting! A look into a world I never even knew existed--the Iraqi Jewish community, prior to the formation of Israel. This once-thriving society is completely gone now, and the generation who remembers growing up in Iraq no longer has a childhood "home" to go back to.
Somekh isn't overly dramatic about the loss of his childhood community, but instead spends most of the book in happy reminiscence about his youth in Baghdad. Though not a thrilling page-turner by any means, I was still fascinated the whole way through.
Somekh isn't overly dramatic about the loss of his childhood community, but instead spends most of the book in happy reminiscence about his youth in Baghdad. Though not a thrilling page-turner by any means, I was still fascinated the whole way through.
June 24, 2011
Interesting way of learning about another side to the middle east and Jewish Arab relations but written in a dry style. Reminded me a bit of
My grandpa telling stories
My grandpa telling stories
February 24, 2023
the amount of time it took to find this book was so worth it in the end. incredible writing.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews