Sima Babovich
Encyclopedia
Sima ben Salomon Babovich (Crimean Karaim
: Сима Бабович - Sima Babovich) (1790-1855) was a Hakham
of the Crimean Karaites
, one of the early figures in the Karaim movement.
Babovich used his influence with Czarist authorities to obtain an exemption for the Karaites of Russia from military service, which continued to be compulsory for Rabbinic Jews
in Russia and Soviet Union Jews. The Karaim of Yevpatoria commemorated this event every year by an annual special prayer in his honor.
Babovich and his descendants were prominent leaders in Crimean Karaite affairs. His agitation gained recognition from the Russian government of the Karaites as a separate religious community in 1837. He was a close associate of Avraham Firkovich, who accompanied him on his visit to the Holy Land
in 1830. It was Babovich who asked Firkovich to assemble material detailing the history, origin and customs of the Karaims, in response to a request from the Russia
n government. In 1840 the Karaim were granted the status of an independent Church, putting them on par legally with Muslims and giving them rights far in advance of other Jews. The Russian government made Babovich the hakham of the Crimean Karaite "diocese", based in Theodosia
. In that capacity, he officially adopted the 19-year calendar cycle used by the rabbis.
Karaim language
The Karaim language is a Turkic language with Hebrew influences, in a similar manner to Yiddish or Ladino. It is spoken by Crimean Karaites – ethnic Turkic adherents of Karaite Judaism in Crimea, Lithuania, Poland and western Ukraine...
: Сима Бабович - Sima Babovich) (1790-1855) was a Hakham
Hakham
Hakham is a term from Judaism, meaning a wise or skillful man; it often refers to someone who is a great Torah scholar. The word is generally used to designate a cultured and learned person: "He who says a wise thing is called a wise man ["hakham"], even if he be not a Jew"...
of the Crimean Karaites
Crimean Karaites
The Crimean Karaites , also known as Karaim and Qarays, are a community of ethnic Turkic adherents of Karaite Judaism in Eastern Europe...
, one of the early figures in the Karaim movement.
Babovich used his influence with Czarist authorities to obtain an exemption for the Karaites of Russia from military service, which continued to be compulsory for Rabbinic Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
in Russia and Soviet Union Jews. The Karaim of Yevpatoria commemorated this event every year by an annual special prayer in his honor.
Babovich and his descendants were prominent leaders in Crimean Karaite affairs. His agitation gained recognition from the Russian government of the Karaites as a separate religious community in 1837. He was a close associate of Avraham Firkovich, who accompanied him on his visit to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
in 1830. It was Babovich who asked Firkovich to assemble material detailing the history, origin and customs of the Karaims, in response to a request from the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n government. In 1840 the Karaim were granted the status of an independent Church, putting them on par legally with Muslims and giving them rights far in advance of other Jews. The Russian government made Babovich the hakham of the Crimean Karaite "diocese", based in Theodosia
Theodosia
Feodosiya is a port and resort city in Crimea, Ukraine, on the Black Sea coast. During much of its history the town was known as Caffa or Kaffa .- History :...
. In that capacity, he officially adopted the 19-year calendar cycle used by the rabbis.
See also
- History of the Jews in Russia and the Soviet UnionHistory of the Jews in Russia and the Soviet UnionThe vast territories of the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest populations of Jews in the diaspora. Within these territories the Jewish community flourished and developed many of modern Judaism's most distinctive theological and cultural traditions, while also facing periods of...