Haim Zafrani (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

: حاييم زعفراني), born in 1922 in Essaouira-2004), was a Moroccan born French scholar and writer. Zafrani is particularly noted for having collected and preserved much or the music and oral poetry of the Jews of Morocco. He recorded, and thereby preserved, the melodies of Rabbi David Buzaglo (1903–1975), widely acclaimed as the greatest paytan (author of Jewish liturgical poem) of his time. Zafrani was also a leading scholar on the history of the Jews of Morocco. His best-known book is ''2000 Years of Jewish Life in Morocco'' (translated from French and published in an English edition). Zafrani began his career as a teacher and became a school inspector in charge of the teaching of

in the

Alliance Israélite Universelle The Alliance Israélite Universelle (AIU; he, כל ישראל חברים; ) is a Paris-based international Jewish organization founded in 1860 with the purpose of safeguarding human rights for Jews around the world. It promotes the ideals of Jew ...

schools in Morocco. Later, Zafrani moved to Paris, France, where he was a professor and head of the Department of Hebrew language and Jewish civilization at the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

. He was member of the ''Institut des Hautes Etudes Semitiques'' of the

Collège de France The Collège de France (), formerly known as the ''Collège Royal'' or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment ('' grand établissement'') in France. It is located in Paris n ...

'','' of the '' Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco'', and a Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. He was awarded the ''Irving and Bertha Neuman Distinguished Scholar Award,'' (1982–1983), the ''Yad Yitzhak Ben-Zvi'' prize (1985), the ''Grand Atlas'' prize (1999), and the ''Prize of Maghreb'' (2001). Zafrani wrote fifteen books and more than a hundred articles covering Jewish culture, languages, and literature in the Muslim countries of North Africa, especially

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

, as well as the history of the Jews in

Muslim Spain Al-Andalus DIN 31635, translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label=Berber languages, Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, ...

Le Prix Haïm Zafrani

''Le Prix Haïm Zafrani'' is a prize given to creators of works of literary, scientific or artistic merit by the ''Institut Universitaire Elie Wiesel.''

Bibliography

* ZAFRANI, Haim. Two thousand years of Jewish life in Morocco. (English translation). Hoboken, N.J.: Ktav Pub. House, 2002 * ZAFRANI, Haim. Deux mille ans de vie juive au Maroc: histoire et culture, religion et magie. Pp. 325, ill. Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose; asablanca Eddif, c1998 * ZAFRANI, Haim. L'Ecclésiaste et son commentaire: "le livre de l'ascèse": la version arabe de la Bible de Sa'adya Gaon. (with André Caquot). Pp. 132. Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose, c1989 * ZAFRANI, Haim. Juifs d'Andalousie et du Maghreb. Pp. 437, ill.

aris Aris or ARIS may refer to: People * Aris (surname) Given name * Aris Alexandrou, Greek writer * Aris Brimanis, ice hockey player * Aris Christofellis, Greek male soprano * Aris Gavelas, Greek sprinter * Aris Howard, Former President of the Jama ...

Maisonneuve et Larose, c1996. * ZAFRANI, Haim. Pédagogie juive en terre d'islam; l'enseignement traditionnel de l'hébreu et du judaïsme au Maroc. Pp. 191. Paris: A. Maisonneuve, 1969 * ZAFRANI, Haim. Études et recherches sur la vie intellectuelle juive au Maroc de la fin du 15e au début du 20e siècle. V. 1-3. Paris: Geuthner 972-* ZAFRANI, Haim. Éthique et mystique: judaïsme en terre d'Islam: le commentaire kabbalistique du "Traite des Peres" de J. Bu-'Ifergan. Pp. 260. Paris: Editions Maisonneuve & Larose, 1991 * ZAFRANI, Haim. Kabbale, vie mystique et magie: judaïsme d'Occident musulman. Pp. 487, ill. Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose, 1986 * ZAFRANI, Haim. Recherches sur les juifs du Maghreb. Pp. 177, 44. Paris: Institut européen d'études hébraïques, Université de Paris VIII: erit `Ivrit `olamit 1997

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zafrani, Haim 1922 births 2004 deaths Academic staff of the Collège de France French orientalists French Hebraists People from Essaouira Member of the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco 20th-century French historians 20th-century Moroccan Jews Moroccan emigrants to France