Amram Aburbeh

Rabbi Amram Aburbeh
Chief Rabbi of the Sephardic congregation in Petah Tikva, Israel
Personal details
Birth name Amram Aburbeh
Born February 23, 1894
Tétouan, Morocco
Died December 20, 1966(1966-12-20) (aged 72)
Petah Tikva, Israel
Buried Segula cemetery Petah Tikva, Israel
Nationality israeli
Dynasty Aburbeh
Parents Rabbi Shlomo Aburbeh
Yocheved Khalfon
Spouse Rivka Hacohen
Children 5 sons
1 daughter
Occupation Rabbi Judge and teacher
Alma mater Porat Yosef Yeshiva
Semicha Rabbi Yosef Chaim Hacohen

Amram Aburbeh (Hebrew: עמרם אבורביע‎, 1894– 1966), also spelled Abourabia and Aburabia, was the Chief Rabbi of the Sephardic congregation in Petah Tikva, Israel and author of Netivei Am, a collection of responsa, sermons, and Torah teachings.

Biography

Amram Aburbeh was born on February 23, 1894 (17 Adar 5654) in Tétouan, Morocco.[1] During his youth, he studied in Midrash Shlomo, a beit midrash (study hall) run by his father, Rabbi Shlomo Aburbeh. His mother was Yocheved Khalfon.[1]

In 1906 Aburbeh immigrated to Palestine with his paternal grandparents, Rabbi Yosef and Billiada Aburbeh.[1][2] The rest of the family followed them 7 years later, settling in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. Here Aburbeh's father held a yeshiva in his home called Or Zaruaa. Aburbeh studied in the Touvy Yisba'u yeshiva of the Ma'araviim congregation until 1910.[1] He later studied in the Porat Yosef Yeshiva.[1] He received rabbinical ordination from his teacher, Rabbi Yosef Chaim Hacohen, president and Rabad (chief judge) Rosh Av Beit Din of the Ma'araviim congregation in Jerusalem, when he was 29 years old.[1] Aburbeh also became a certified shochet (ritual slaughter) and bodek. He married his teacher's daughter, Rivka, in 1919; the couple had five sons and one daughter.[1]

Aburbeh co-owned a store which sold Hebrew religious books and Judaica to North African Jewry and other communities in the Diaspora, together with his friend Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Shloush, head of the Ma'araviim congregation in Jerusalem.[1][2] The store operated first in the Old City and later moved to the Mahane Yehuda neighborhood.[1]

In addition to his occupation at the shop, Aburbeh taught at Porat Yosef Yeshiva[1] and at Yeshivat Shaarey Zion, established by Chief Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel. Uziel appointed Aburbeh as Chief Rabbi of the Nachlaot neighborhood in Jerusalem, where he served from 1925-1951.[1][2] During the same time, Aburbeh was a dayan (religious court judge) for the Ma'araviim rabbinical court in Jerusalem, headed by Rabbi Ben-Zion Avraham Cuenca.[1] In 1934 Aburbeh was appointed as shadar (funds emissary) on behalf of the Ma'araviim institutions in Jerusalem. He was dispatched to Morocco, where he successfully collected funds for a year.[1]

Cornerstone-laying ceremony for the Or Zaruaa synagogue, 1926

In 1920 Aburbeh was among the founders of the new Jerusalem neighborhood of Bayit Vegan.[1] In 1926 he founded and built a new synagogue in the Nachlaot neighborhood for the Ma'araviim congregation called Or Zaruaa,[1] which he named after the beit midrash headed by his late father. This new synagogue included a beit midrash that he headed. Or Zaruaa synagogue was chosen to be included as one of the buildings for preservation in Jerusalem. In 1930 Aburbeh was elected as an executive committee member of the Ma'araviim congregation in Jerusalem.[1]

Or Zaruaa Synagogue

He was an active Zionist, and took part in the struggle to establish the state of Israel. The British Mandate authorities in Palestine arrested him due to his connections with the Haganah paramilitary organization. During this time, Aburbeh volunteered for the Mishmar Ha'Am (People's Guard). His sons were members of the Notrim police force and later served in the Israel Defense Forces.[1]

An official publication Reshumot (Portofolio of Notifications 130) announcement on the election to Jerusalem municipality council, that were held on 14 November 1950, states that among the approved candidates Rabbi Amram Aburbeh was candidate number 7 to honor the Yichud Shevet Yehudah party candidates list, representing the religious Sephardi Jews.

In 1951 Aburbeh was elected by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Council as Chief Rabbi of the Sephardic congregation of Petah Tikva. He served alongside the city's Ashkenazi chief rabbi, Rabbi Reuven Katz. Aburbeh gave lectures in several of Petah Tikva's downtown synagogues, including Beth Israel, Ohel Chaim, and Beit Avraham (called the "Great Sephardic Synagogue", which he founded). On Shabbat he gave lectures in additional neighborhoods. He was a member of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Council and chairman of the National Rabbinical Council of the Sephardic community.[1]

Aburbeh died on December 20, 1966 (7 Tevet 5727) in Petah Tikva and was buried in the Segula cemetery in that city[1] beside his wife, Rivka.[2]

Works

Aburbeh also edited the prayer book Siddur Rinat Israel Rinat Yisrael Sephardic and Edot ha-Mizrach Nusach and composed a special prayer for the recovery of injured Israeli soldiers.

Selected articles

Memorials

Netivei Am Street in the Ramot Alon neighbourhood of Jerusalem.
Rabbi Amram Aburbeh street in Ein Ganim neighbourhood Petah Tikva, Israel. Rabbi Amram Aburbeh served as the city Chief Sephardi Rabbi between the years 1951 and 1966. He was born on 1892 and died on 1966. This street sign is new since October 2013.

Memorials to Aburbeh were dedicated in several places and institutions in Israel:

Gallery

Further reading

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 עמרם אבורביע [Amram Aburbeh]. Jewish Encyclopedia (in Hebrew). daat.ac.il. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 רחוב אבורביע, הרב [Rabbi Aburbeh Street] (in Hebrew). rishonim.org.il. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  3. ↑ חברת נתיבי עם [Netivei Am Organization] (in Hebrew). getswot.com. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  4. ↑ "בית חינוך ממ"ד אמי"ת - "נתיבי עם [Netivei Am National Religious School - AMIT] (in Hebrew). Orianit. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  5. ↑ בית ספר ממלכתי דתי אמי"ת "נתיבי עם" [Netivei Am National Religious School - AMIT] (in Hebrew). School Administration of Beersheba. 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  6. ↑ "נתיבי עם" ע"ש הרה"ג עמרם אבורביע זצ"ל [Netivei Am, named after Rabbi Amram Aburbeh, zt"l] (in Hebrew). www.organizations.co.il. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  7. ↑ Video on YouTube

External links

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