Community Magazine November 2019

CHESHVAN 5780 NOVEMBER 2019 29 of Aleppo, headed by Rabbi Yehuda Kassin, took the side of the Senors Francos. The dispute lasted 15 years, after which the Francos’ position was accepted. The Francos retained their own ritual slaughterer ( shohet ), were exempt from community regulations and taxes, and sent their contributions to the Holy Land separately from the contributions of the local community. During those years, the Francos contributed generously to the community’s charity and educational institutions. The City Aleppo was comprised of 24 neighborhoods, which were independently managed by the Moslems. Each neighborhood was autonomous, containing all necessary services, including grocery stores, a bakery, a butcher shop, a cobbler, a tailor, and a barber. The town square, known as Bab El Farage (Gate of Success), was located in the middle of the city. In the center of the square was a tall tower with a clock on each of its four sides. Two of the clocks showed European time, and the other two showed local time, according to which, sunset took place at 12:00, which was the end of the day. The town square contained the only post office in the city, the telegraph center, a small hotel, and a store. The ancient markets of Halab were built in the 13 th century. The styled arched gates and ceilings inspired an atmosphere and fragrance of ages gone by. The alleyways of the market included sections for spices, leather, silversmiths, and carpets. Home Life Most of the Jews lived in the Bahasita neighborhood, where the ancient synagogue was located. At the beginning of the 20 th century, wealthier townspeople began leaving the old neighborhood to move to the more modern neighborhood of Jamilia. Homes in many Middle East neighborhoods were arranged around a courtyard, with one exit to the street in the Old City. Known as a hoosh , the courtyard might have three or four homes around it. The courtyard would have a cistern and an entrance to an underground cave for long-term storage of nonperishable goods such as wine, oil, wheat, dates, figs, raisins, and other dried foods. In 1918, the municipality began supplying water by pipeline to the courtyards, but not yet to the homes. The outhouse was also in the courtyard. As late as the 1930s, many of the homes still didn't have electricity. The wealthy heated their homes with charcoal heaters. People did not have furniture the way Westerners did. They sat on the floor, which was covered with carpets, cushions, and quilts. Every home had a mattress closet, and each night, themattresses were taken out and arranged on the floor. In the morning, the mattresses were aired and returned to the closet.When theweatherwas hot, peoplewould take their mattresses up to the roof and sleep there. The wealthy summered in the mountains to escape the oppressive city heat. Cooking at home was done over charcoal in clay or metal pots. The more prosperous families cooked on primuses. Twice a week, the women would bring their unbaked dough to the large oven at the local bakery for baking. On Friday, they would again come to the bakery, carrying their pots of hamin , to leave them in the heated oven until Shabbat morning or noon. The impoverished were given free flour, and one thousand loaves of bread were distributed to the needy each week. The public bathhouse, called the hamam , was open on separate days for men and for women. The children were washed at home in a large basin with water that was heated in a kettle. On Friday afternoons, the indigent community members made their rounds knocking on doors asking for food. On Saturday night, they came again with a knapsack into which the housewives would put their leftovers from Shabbat. ALEPPO PRODUCED MANY TORAH SCHOLARSWHOWERE RENOWNED FOR THEIR BRILLIANCE, THEIR SHARP ANALYTICAL SKILLS, AND THEIR ENCOMPASSING KNOWLEDGE OF TORAH AND ITS TREASURES. Aleppo Old City Aleppo Citadel