Raḥamim (newspaper)

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Raḥamim
רַחֲמִים
The first issue of Raḥamim published in 1910
Founder(s)Rahamim Davidbayev
EditorNisim Tadzhir, Rafael Galibov
FoundedMay 27, 1910 (1910-05-27)
LanguageJudeo-Tajik
Ceased publication1916 (1916)
CitySkobelev (1910-1913), Kokand (1913-1916)
CountryRussia

Raḥamim (רַחֲמִים‎, 'mercy'), also known as Rakhamim, was a Bukharian (Judeo-Tajik) language weekly newspaper published from Skobelev (present-day Fergana in Uzbekistan) between 1910 and 1913, and from Kokand (Turkestan Krai) between 1913 and 1916. It was the first newspaper published in Judeo-Tajik and it was printed in Rashi script.

History[edit]

The founder of the newspaper was Rahamim Davidbayev, a wealthy businessman in the Skobolev.[1][2] He brought costly printing equipment from Lublin at his own expense in order to launch the newspaper.[1][3] The name of the newspaper alluded to the name of its founder.[2] The first issue came out on May 27 [O.S. May 14] 1910.[4] Raḥamim was distributed among Bukharian Jewish communities in cities across Central Asia.[5] It was the first newspaper published in Judeo-Tajik: a Judeo-Persian dialect.[3][6][2][7] It was printed in Rashi script: a 15th-century Sephardic semi-cursive handwriting.[8] The weekly newspaper was published from Skobelev (present-day Fergana in Uzbekistan) between 1910 and 1913, and from Kokand (Turkestan Krai) between 1913 and 1916.[9][1][10][8]

Issues of the newspaper contained two or four pages.[2] The newspaper consisted mainly of correspondent telegrams.[11] Local news stories as well as reporting on world events were translated from Russian language.[1][2] Hitherto Judeo-Tajik had not been used much as a written language, and newspaper frequently employed Russian loanwords to fill gaps in vocabulary.[2] Raḥamim also covered Jewish community affairs to some extent, including both private and official correspondence.[3][2] There were translations from Hebrew of works from the Haskalah movement by Eastern Jewish publicists.[3] The publication sometimes carried religious and fictional stories.[3] The newspaper would carry adverts for local businesses, train schedules and a financial supplement with foreign currency exchange rates.[2]

Davidbayev recruited a number of gifted young men to work on the publication and the editorial office of Raḥamim soon became a hub for Bukharian Jewish intellectual life.[3] The staff included Nisim Tadzhir, Rafael Galibov (writer and translator), rabbi Shlomo ben Pinkhas Babadzhan and Mulla Azare Yusupov.[3][5][12] Tadzhir and Galibov served as the editors of the newspaper.[8][13] Khie Batchaev (father of the poet Muhib) was the correspondent of Raḥamim in Mari.[5][14]

The last issue published from Skobelev was dated January 9 1913 [O.S. December 27].[9] The newspaper reappeared, published from Kokand on June 26, 1913.[9] Per secondary sources publication of Raḥamim continued from Kokand 1914-1916, albeit sporadically.[9][12][15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Исраэль Барталь, Илья Лурье. История еврейского народа в России. Том 2: От разделов Польши до падения Российской империи. Litres, 2022. p. 231
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Yad Ben Zvi. עיתונות יהודית בשפה הטג’יקית־יהודית
  3. ^ a b c d e f g David Ochilʹdiev, Robert Pinkhasov, Iosif Kalontarov. A History and Culture of the Bukharian Jews. Club "Roshnoyi-Light" & authors, 2007. pp. 62-63
  4. ^ Ehsan Yar-Shater. Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. 4. Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1982. p. 538
  5. ^ a b c Меер Рахминович Беньяминов. Бухарские евреи. с.н., 1983. p. 14
  6. ^ Durmuş Arık. Buhara Yahudileri. Aziz Andaç, 2005. p. 71
  7. ^ Levin, Zeev (29 June 2015). Collectivization and Social Engineering: Soviet Administration and the Jews of Uzbekistan, 1917-1939. Leiden, Holland: Brill. p. 200. ISBN 978-90-04-29471-4. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Роберт Пинхасов. Бухарские евреи: очерки. Изд. "М+", 2010. p. 76
  9. ^ a b c d Loy, T., & Levin, Z. (2022). From “Mercy” to “Banner of Labour”: the Bukharan Jewish press in late Tsarist and early Soviet Central Asia. Central Asian Survey, 41(1), pp. 22–40.
  10. ^ I. S. Dvorkin. Евреи в Средней Азии: прошлое и настоящее : экспедиции, исследования, публикации : сборник научных трудов. Петербургский еврейский университет, Институт исследований еврейской диаспоры, 1995. pp. 190, 287
  11. ^ Александр Павлович Ярков. Евреи в Кыргызстане: историко-культурологический очерк. American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, 2000. p. 58
  12. ^ a b Семен Исаакович Гитлин. Национальные меньшинства в Узбекистане: прошлое и настоящее, Vol. 1. Гибор, 2004. p. 282
  13. ^ David Ochil'diev. Istorii︠a︡ bukharskikh evreev: s drevnikh vremen do serediny XIX v. : knigi I-II. Mir Collection, 2001. p. 315
  14. ^ Muḣib. La vie de Yaquv Samandar, ou, Les revers du destin: nouvelle en tadjik. Indiana University, Research Institute for Inner Asian Studies, 1992. pp. 2-3
  15. ^ Rafael Nektal [ru]. Елена Коровай: иной взгляд. Бухарские евреи в русской культуре. Litres, 2022. p. 255
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