Rabbi Hayim Moshe Eliachar, 1845-1924, was the last chief Rabbi, Rishon Lezion of Palestine under the Ottoman Empire and the first one during the British occupation of Palestine. He was the eldest son of the Rishon Lezion Rabbi Yacob Shaul Eliachar. He had two brothers who were also Rabbis: Rabbi Nessim Benyamin Mardohay and Rabbi Eliezer Yeruham. He married Vida Panijel, the daughter of the Rishon Lezion Rabbi Raphael Meir Panijel. They had 9 children, three daughters and six sons. They also adopted, as was some customs then, two orphan children, a boy and a girl. Two of his sons were also rabbis, Rabbi Joseph Eliachar and Rabbi Jacob Eliachar. A third son was offered the position of assistant to the chief Rabbi of the Ottoman Empire, Rabbi Hayyim Nahum, but he refused it because he preferred a more secular life. This son later became a first deputy mayor of Jerusalem under the British mandate of Palestine.
Rabbi Hayyim Moshe Eliachar’s ancestral family had immigrated, made alyiah, into Palestine, the Holy Land, some 500 years earlier. They were one of prominent families of the city of Ijar in Spain of that time. They got their name “Eliachar” because they were referred as “Il Ijar” because of their provenance from that city. Although they were fully Sepharadim and identify as such, in 1716, one of them, Rabbi Joseph Eliachar married the daughter of Rabbi Jacob Vilna, a descendant of the Vilna Gaon.
Rabbi Hayyim Moshe Eliachar was a linguist. He spoke at least six languages: Arabic, Turkish, Hebrew, French, English and Spanish/Ladino. He was very erudite in both religious and secular matters on the one hand and competent in academic as well as practical matters on the other hand. Though a traditionalist, he was also a progressist and never flinched in his efforts to improve human conditions. Some highlights of his accomplishments where his support for equal rights for women and their full participation in all activities. He implicitly decided in favor of the right to vote for women. He urged the unification of Jews of Palestine into one single community and the peaceful coexistence of all communities Jews, Christians, Moslems, Arabs and all in Palestine.
Rabbi Hayyim Moshe Eliachar lived in his official residence in the Mekor Barukh quarter with his family. This residence was comprised of a large synagogue and apartments for the private use of the Rabbis. Rabbi Raphael Meir Panijel and Rabbi Yacob Shaul Eliachar also lived there prior to Rabbi Hayyim Moshe Eliachar. This house stayed in their family until the late 1950’s after the death of Rabbi Jacob Eliachar, the son of Rabbi Hayyim Moshe Eliachar, who lived there and maintained it, after which the synagogue was kept open by the family for one year for the period of mourning and “kadish” for Rabbi Jacob Eliachar and then it was closed, liquidated and everything was transferred to the new residence of the new Rishonim Lezion, chief Rabbis of Eretz Israel.
Rabbi Hayyim Moshe Eliachar’s Hebrew initials are “Het Mem Alef” which pronounce “Hama”. It is ironic that this word, a name by which he was also known is almost the same as “Hamas” the Arab Palestinian organization. Rabbi Hayyim Moshe Eliachar liked all his neighbors, his co-nationals, he wanted and led a peaceful coexistence with all of them. They were all his friends. Jews, Christians, Moslems, Arabs and all were his friends and entitled to the same “human rights and considerations”.
Rabbi Hayyim Moshe Eliachar’s name “Hayyim Moshe” may be translated into “Mashiah lives” from the Hebrew “Hayyi-(m) Moshe--iah”. Is this a cue? Is Mashiah with us and about to be revealed to us? Should it have been revealed to us? Was he the one? Have we missed another chance for redemption? I hope not. We know though that he shall come. NOW! It is only up to us to prepare his welcome.
Albert Bivas
Published in Los Muestros #60, September 2005
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En juin 1982 je me suis rendu à Hijar en compagnie de ma femme, mon cousin Haim Eliachar de Boston et sa femme joan. Nous nous sommes rendus à l'hôtel de ville pour avoir des renseignements mais les archives ont été entièrement brulées lors de la guerre civile. On nous a conseillé de nous rendre chez la marchande de chaussures où un livre sur Hijar pouvait être acheté. Nous avons emporté chacun un livre et le soir , à notre étape en catalogne j'ai découvert Haim bouleversé de lire en hébreu dans ce livre le passage que son fils avait lu à jerusalem lors de sa bar mitvah. Ce livre évoquait la présence et la vie de familles juives dont la plus célèbre était celle d'Alantazi éditeur connu dans toute l'Europe de livres en hébreu. A mon retour à Madrid, j'ai demandé à la marchande de chaussures de m'adresser cinq exemplaires du livre pour les envoyer à mon père, Elie, Menache, Victor Eliachar. J'ai alors reçu une lettre de l'auteur : Mariano Laborda qui me demandait le pourquoi de cet achat. Je lui répondais en évoquant la présence de mes ancêtres dans ce petit village d'un miller d'habitants. En réponse je reçus un livre relié, dédicacé avec la formule suivante : " Con todo el afecto cariño acumulado en cinco siglos , a mis hermanos en la sangre y en el espiritu - a charles Calamaro y familia - abrazos - El autor : Mariano Laborda 18 de julio de 1982.
C'était vraiment émouvant de recevoir une telle démonstration d'amitié et il s'en est suivi un échange de lettres et une visite à Hijar où les gens nous applaudissaient dans la rue car ma lettre avait été lue par le curé lors de la messe dominicale. Nous avons pu visiter la synagogue mais malheureusement l maison du rabbin avait été détruite quelques mois auparavant. Nous avons effectué d'autres visites à Hijar et c'était merveilleux. Mariano a alors décidé de publier une second édition qui contient mes lettres et les photos de mon père, Menache, Elie, Victor, Haim Eliachar ( ce dernier nous a quittés en 1990 - il était un frère pour moi et grâce à lui mes enfants ont pu effectuer de brillantes études à Boston. Je n'ai conservé qu ' un livre de chaque édition. Vous aurez ainsi confirmation de l'existence de la famille à Ijar qui s'écrivait IXAR prononcé ICHAR. Nos descendants ont quitté le village vers 1497 pour le Portugal puis Safed se faisant appeler El Ichar.
Charles Calamaro
May 2011
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