Jewish Sharab
Encyclopedia
Jewish Sharab is an ancient Jewish quarter in the city of Ta'izz
, Ta'izz Governorate
, Yemen
established around 130 CE and dismantled around 1940, and was one of the most illustrious places of Jewish settlement in Yemen
. Many distinguished Jewish personalities were born there, including R. Shalom Sharabi
, R. Mordechai Sharabi
and R. Shalom Shabazi
. It was an important place of Torah learning, and home to many Yeshivot and schools. It had a population of over 10,000 Jews and was a major industrial centre of Yemen
, where goldsmith
s' work, weaving
, commerce
, silk trading and shoemaking
were the main industries of the day. It had a collective GDP of at least $20,000, reflecting great Mizrahi Jewish productivity and affluence.
Ta'izz
Ta'izz , or Taiz, is a city in the Yemeni Highlands, near the famous Mocha port on the Red Sea, lying at an elevation of about 1,400 metres above sea level. It is the capital of Ta'izz Governorate...
, Ta'izz Governorate
Ta'izz Governorate
Ta'izz is a governorate of Yemen. The governorate's capital is Ta'izz, which is the third largest city in Yemen. Other major towns include Al Sawa, Juha and the famous coffee port of Mocha. It has a total population of just over three million and an area of 10,677km².For such a small area, Ta'izz...
, Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
established around 130 CE and dismantled around 1940, and was one of the most illustrious places of Jewish settlement in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. Many distinguished Jewish personalities were born there, including R. Shalom Sharabi
Shalom Sharabi
Sar Shalom Sharabi , also known as the Rashash, the Shemesh or Ribbi Shalom Mizraḥi deyedi`a Sharabi Sar Shalom Sharabi , also known as the Rashash, the Shemesh or Ribbi Shalom Mizraḥi deyedi`a Sharabi Sar Shalom Sharabi , also known as the Rashash, the Shemesh or Ribbi Shalom Mizraḥi deyedi`a...
, R. Mordechai Sharabi
Mordechai Sharabi
Rabbi Mordechai Sharabi was the founder and rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Nahar Shalom, a yeshiva for the study of the Kabbalah of the Rashash, in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Mahane Yehuda....
and R. Shalom Shabazi
Shalom Shabazi
Rabbi Shalom ben Yosef Shabbazi, also Abba Shalem Shabbezi or Salim Elshibzi was one of the greatest Jewish poets who lived in 17th century Yemen and now considered the 'Poet of Yemen'. Shabbazi was born in 1619 at Jewish Sharab, close to Ta'izz, and lived most of his life in Ta'izz from which he...
. It was an important place of Torah learning, and home to many Yeshivot and schools. It had a population of over 10,000 Jews and was a major industrial centre of Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, where goldsmith
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
s' work, weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
, commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
, silk trading and shoemaking
Shoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
were the main industries of the day. It had a collective GDP of at least $20,000, reflecting great Mizrahi Jewish productivity and affluence.