Y. LITVAK: The Syrian Rabbi Who Defended Acre from Napoleon

The Syrian Rabbi Who Defended Acre from Napoleon 

by Yehudis Litvak  (in Aish.com)

December 15, 2024

Throughout his distinguished career as the chief financial administrator of Acre, Rabbi Haim Farhi sought to pursue justice and peace and helped many people in need.

Born into a prominent family of Jewish bankers in Damascus in 1760s, Haim Farhi was known among the Jewish community as Hakham Haim, the Sephardic equivalent of Rabbi Haim. It wasn’t his Talmudic learning that drew the attention of the rulers of Damascus – it was his business acumen and administrative skills.

At the time, Syria was part of the Ottoman Empire. It was divided into three provinces, with administrative centers in Damascus, Aleppo, and Acre. The local governors retained a measure of independence and the right to collect taxes and were charged with maintaining law and order.

The Farhi family served as bankers for the governors of Damascus for several generations. When the newly appointed governor of Acre, Ahmad al-Jazzar, moved from Damascus to Acre, he summoned Haim Farhi to join him in Acre as his chief sarraf – financial administrator.

Acre is an ancient walled port city on the Mediterranean coast in today’s Israel. In 1799, during al-Jazzar’s rule, a Frenchman described the city as follows1:

[Acre] is built on a tongue of land jutting into the sea at the (northern) extremity of the gulf formed by Mount Carmel. Two sides face the sea; its further side forms an angle pointing into the plain… [Al-Jazzar’s] palace forms a square fort with a moat, one of its sides adjoins the town ramparts… In the part facing the gulf is a port defended against the sea by a breakwater constructed of masonry, at the extremity of which stands, as a means of defense, a lighthouse.

In Acre, Hakham Haim remained the chief sarraf from 1790 until 1820, serving under three different governors.

 Wall painting of Haim Farhi, at the wall of Acre's Auditorium, Israel. Yuval Y, Wikimedia Commons

In the Lion’s Den

Ahmad al-Jazzar, whose title means “butcher,” was a cruel and brutal ruler. European visitors in the 18th century described him as having the “face of an assassin, his neck short, his eyes black, small, and sunk in his head … his features most strongly expressive of the barbarous ferocity of his mind2.”

Another European visitor tells that at the entrance to the palace, he encountered many maimed servants: “some without a nose, others without an arm, with one ear only, or one eye; ‘marked men’ as he termed them; persons bearing signs of there having been instructed to serve their master with fidelity3.”

Al-Jazzar was responsible for murdering and maiming many people, many of them with his own hands. Hakham Haim knew that by accepting al-Jazzar’s summons, he would be entering the lion’s den. Yet, he followed al-Jazzar to Acre, perhaps with the understanding that his new position of power would enable him to help his fellow Jews.

As sarraf of Acre, Hakham Haim gained the respect of both Jews and non-Jews, and even begrudging appreciation of al-Jazzar himself.

In his part-memoir part-history book, Lebanese Christian Mikhayil Mishaqa (1800-1888) writes4:

[Haim] had few equals in good-naturedness, moral character and perceptiveness of what was proper conduct and what was not. Al-Jazzar employed him as administrator of his treasury, though occasionally he would get angry with him for no reason and have him imprisoned. Then, when he realized how much he needed him for his good counsel and administrative ability, he would restore him to favor and return him to his position. Once in anger he had his nose cut off, another time his right ear, and another time he had his right eye plucked out, these being, next to outright execution, the worst of his punishments.

Despite the cruel treatment, Haim continued serving al-Jazzar faithfully while, at the same time, doing all he could to help his fellow Jews. As his influence and wealth grew so did his generosity and charity. His home was always open to the poor.

During al-Jazzar’s rule, with Haim as his right-hand man, he built up and fortified the city of Acre and turned it into the third largest in Ottoman Syria. Acre’s population grew to 20,000 people, consisting of Jews, Muslims, and Christians. The region’s economy prospered, exporting grains, olive oil, sesame, soap, and cotton, and importing rice, sugar, textiles, and weapons5.

 Lithograph of fortifications around Acre, 1819. Louis Nicolas Philippe Auguste de Forbin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Hakham Haim and Napoleon

In 1799, the city of Acre came under siege during the French general and future emperor Napoleon’s attempt to conquer the Middle East and Asia.

Before reaching Acre, Napoleon had conquered Jaffa, and his army brutally slaughtered many of its defenders.

The approach of Napoleon’s army caused widespread panic in Acre. Interestingly enough, the only written record from the days before the siege was penned by a visiting young rabbi, who would later become famous as Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. Rabbi Nachman wrote6:

And in the city itself, there was great fear, because of the great concentration of Moslem soldiers and because the city gates had been closed… [P]assage on no [European] ship could be obtained anymore, and the only ships left were those owned by Moslems and sailing to Istanbul. And though it is dangerous (for a Jew) to sail with them, it is less dangerous than staying here, as it had been ordered the war here was to start in two days’ time…

[S]hips with soldiers from England arrived, and the terror mounted. The town was badly overcrowded, there were too many people to contain… [S]uddenly there was great commotion and it was ordered by the pasha [al-Jazzar] that there were only two hours left for whoever could not bear arms, to get away out to the sea, as the gates had been closed and the only exit left was seawards, and whoever could not get away would be slaughtered by the Moslems, as they wanted to prepare the town for defense and therefore they intended to massacre all [non-combatants] left behind. There was awful noise, and fright and great terror…

Fortunately for Rabbi Nachman and his future disciples, he managed to leave Acre on one of the remaining ships.

Napoleon’s siege of Acre lasted for two months. As Rabbi Nachman wrote, the British sent their ships to protect the city from the sea. They also supplied al-Jazzar and his forces with additional weapons.

While al-Jazzar’s soldiers kept the French at a distance by shooting at them from the city wall, Hakham Haim undertook the strengthening of the city’s defensive fortifications. The French scouts, unable to approach the city, were not aware of the work on the fortifications. To them, the city wall seemed ancient and easily breached. Soon, however, they found out that Acre was much better defended than they’d originally thought.

 19th-century cannon, set in the wall of Acre near a sign commemorating Farhi. The Hebrew inscription on the sign reads: Farhi vs. Napoleon. Jezzar's right hand in resisting Napoleon's harsh siege was the Jewish Haim Farhi, senior adviser and minister of finance.

On their first attempt to conquer Acre, after several hours of heavy cannon fire, the French managed to make a small breach in the wall. Immediately, Napoleon ordered his soldiers to storm the breach and cross the moat behind the wall. Israeli historian Nathan Schur describes what followed7:

The French now blew up a mine, in order to connect their system of trenches with the town moat. This was necessary to enable the assault party to reach the breach. But here the French were faced by a great surprise: the wall of the moat had not been, as expected, constructed of earth, which would have collapsed and settled at an easy angle into it, thus enabling the assault force access to the fosse. Actually the outside wall of the moat had been revetted solidly with stones to the height of eight meters, a fact which had escaped the French in spite of their reconnoitering near the city walls. Thus the wall did not collapse, as expected, as a result of the explosion of the mine and the assault party was left with ladders five meters in height to negotiate the eight meters descent into the moat.

Most of the French soldiers attempting to cross the moat were killed by Acre’s defenders. Soon, the French had no choice but to retreat.

Napoleon made a few more attempts to conquer Acre, but all of them failed due to the unexpectedly strong and cleverly built fortifications constructed under the direction of Hakham Haim. Eventually, Napoleon gave up and lifted the siege. Acre’s residents, including its Jewish community, were saved from the French army’s wrath.

 Napoleon's troops besiege Acre. Lithograph, 1821. Printmaker: Nicolas Toussaint Charlet, printer: Charles Etienne Pierre Motte. Rijksmuseum, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Under Suleiman Pasha

In 1804, al-Jazzar died at the age of 84. Hardly anyone was saddened by his death. 

Mikhayil Mishaqa writes8, “There was great rejoicing amid all the people… over his death and their deliverance from his oppression.”

Suleiman Pasha, who was appointed in his stead, is described by Mishaqa as “clement by nature, goodhearted and peace-loving; he hated all evil, was humble, and detested prideful people. Every action he did was in accordance with the religious law, and he ordered to treat all subjects… with equality, whether Muslim, Christian, Jew, Druze or Nusayri, and would permit no one, peasant or soldier, to transgress upon another in any matter9.”

Suleiman Pasha summoned Hakham Haim and offered him the same position he’d held under al-Jazzar. Mishaqa quotes his response10:

I served him in all loyalty, but he repaid me by grilling my face and putting my right eye out, whereas my only fault was to offer advice to put a stop to some of his actions that were wearing him out and ruining the country. If you are determined to conduct yourselves like him, I beg you to excuse me from service and allow me to stay at home or to go to my people in Damascus.

Suleiman Pasha promised Hakham Haim that he would rule justly. He offered to put Hakham Haim in charge of his personal household as well as the whole province: “I shall issue no order without your sanction… I will never betray you or go against your opinion in anything. Do you job as you think best11.”

Hakham Haim accepted the offer and became the de facto ruler of the province. Both Jews and non-Jews living there remembered him fondly. A Jewish contemporary recalled12:

[Haim Farhi] had acquired a considerable degree of power and gained renown as a wise administrator in Damascus and Acre, and who had successfully interceded for the Jews of Palestine and secured their exemption from taxes.

A Christian visitor to Acre, John Lewis Burckhardt, wrote13, “The Jews enjoy here perfect religious freedom.” He explains that Jews no longer had to pay heavy taxes but criticizes the Jews for lack of prudence “in a country where the Turks are always watching for a pretext to extort money.” He continues14:

They sell wine and brandy to the soldiers of the town, almost publicly, and at their weddings they make a dangerous display of their wealth. On these occasions, they traverse the city in pompous procession, carrying before the bride the plate of almost the whole community, consisting of large dishes, coffee pots, coffee cups, etc., and they feast in the house of the bridegroom for seven successive days and nights.

Thus, the Jewish community of Acre enjoyed peace and prosperity during Suleiman’s reign.

Hakham Haim also secured the roads of the province, assuring safety to all travelers.

In addition, Hakham Haim was appointed as the treasurer for the Jewish community. He not only distributed others’ charitable contributions but often added from his own resources, taking care of the community’s physical and spiritual needs. Dr. Louis Loewe, assistant to Sir Moses Montefiore, wrote15:

His benevolence was known far and near, and applications for assistance came to him, not only from the inhabitants of Turkey, but also from his co-religionists in Russia and Austria. He founded, at his own expense, institutions for the support and maintenance of learned teachers and pupils in schools; also imported a large number of Hebrew books for distribution among poor Jewish children, and purchased every year quantities of new clothing, which he divided among the poor of all denominations.

Hakham Haim’s home was always open to all, and he was always ready to assist anyone in need. When Suleiman Pasha’s lieutenant, Ali, was on his death bed, he begged Hakham Haim to adopt his son and raise him as his own. Hakham Haim agreed, and young Abdullah became a member of his household. Hakham Haim taught Abdullah about finance and administration and placed high hopes into his protégé.

 The home of Haim Farhi in Acre. Geagea, via Wikimedia Commons

Abdullah’s betrayal

In 1818, Suleiman Pasha died, and that’s when Hakham Haim made his fatal mistake. He interceded with the Ottoman sultan and ensured that Abdullah was appointed the next governor.

Dr. Loewe writes16, “Abdallah was at that time very young, but Haim, thinking as he had brought him up and tried to instill into his mind the principles of virtue, he would be able to lead him in the right path.”

However, Abdullah proved unworthy of his position. Mishaqa writes that he “did not conduct himself with the dignity expected of viziers and consorted with the rabble17.”

Hakham Haim, “who was filled with wisdom and refinement, was pained at this conduct on the part of his patron and, in true service to him, advised him that it was not proper for people of his station to mix with the vulgar18.”

Abdullah did not appreciate the criticism. Instead, he spent even more time with his friends, who badmouthed Hakham Haim to him at every opportunity. They told him that Hakham Haim would always stand in his way and urged him to get rid of him. Overlooking the tremendous kindness that Hakham Haim had shown him over the years, Abdullah ordered Hakham Haim’s execution.

Dr. Loewe writes19:

He sent to call him suddenly in the middle of the night. Haim arose to obey the summons of the Pasha, and when he came to the door of his house he was met by the Pasha’s lieutenant and five hundred armed men. The barbarous decree of the Pasha was shown to Haim, who, having read it, said with sublime resignation, “Let the will of the Almighty and the order of the Pasha be fulfilled, but I entreat you to allow me time to say my prayers first.” They granted his request, and as soon as he had finished his prayers he was strangled by the door of his own house…

Thus ended the illustrious career of Hakham Haim Farhi, who had faithfully served both his country and his own people for 30 years.

footnotes

1. 1 Nathan Schur. Napoleon in the Holy Land. London: Greenhill Books, 1999. Page 80.
2. 2 Robin Saikia. Ahmad Pasha al-Jazzar: Britain’s colourful ally against Napoleon. Available from https://robinsaikia.wordpress.com/2021/06/06/ahmad-pasha-al-jazzar-britains-colourful-ally-against-napoleon/, accessed on December 8, 2024.
3. 3 Ibid.
4. 4 Mikhayil Mishaqa. Murder, mayhem, pillage and plunder: the history of Lebanon in the 18th and 19th centuries. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1988. Page 50.
5. 5 Greene, Roberta R.; Hantman, Shira; Seltenreich, Yair; ʻAbbāsī, Muṣṭafá. Living in Mandatory Palestine: personal narratives of resilience of the Galilee during the Mandate period 1918-1948. New York, NY: Routledge, 2018. Pages 6–7.
6. 6 Quoted in Nathan Schur’s Napoleon in the Holy Land, London: Greenhill Books, 1999. Pages 82-83.
7. 7 Nathan Schur’s Napoleon in the Holy Land, London: Greenhill Books, 1999. Page 88.
8. 8 Mikhayil Mishaqa. Murder, mayhem, pillage and plunder: the history of Lebanon in the 18th and 19th centuries. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1988. Page 53.
9. 9 Ibid., page 54.
10. 10 Ibid.
11. 11 Ibid., page 56.
12. 12 Avraham Yaari. The Goodly Heritage: Memoirs describing the life of the Jewish community of Eretz Yisrael from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. Youth and Hechalutz Department of the Zionist Organization, Jerusalem, 1958. Page 29.
13. 13 Norman A. Stillman. The Jews of Arab Lands: a history and source book. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1979. Page 338.
14. 14 Ibid., page 339.
15. 15 Dr. Louis Loewe. Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore. Appendix: Genealogy of the Farkhi family. Available online from https://farhi.org/genealogy/index.html, retrieved on December 9, 2024.
16. 16 Ibid.
17. 17 Mikhayil Mishaqa. Murder, mayhem, pillage and plunder: the history of Lebanon in the 18th and 19th centuries. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1988. Page 106.
18. 18 Ibid.
19. 19 Dr. Louis Loewe. Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore. Appendix: Genealogy of the Farkhi family. Available online from https://farhi.org/genealogy/index.html, retrieved on December 9, 2024.

Article and Photos from Y. Litvak Article on https://aish.com/the-syrian-rabbi-who-defended-acre-from-napoleon/