Michael Talbot, University of St. Andrews
For Jewish immigrants to
Ottoman Palestine needing to participate in official processes, their European
mother tongues were often of little use when dealing with the provincial bureaucracy,
and their adopted language of Hebrew arguably even less so. They were therefore
particularly in need of arzuhalcis
who could speak their language, and lawyers able to understand and represent
them.
We find the need for an arzuhalci addressed in an advertisement
in the Hebrew-language paper Ḥavatselet of 10 Adar 5658 (4 March 1898):
I have
the honour to inform the esteemed public that for anyone who has anything to do
with the exalted government, I am ready to write for them in fluent Turkish
[and] to copy everything from Turkish to French or vice versa. Also, for anyone
who desires to learn the Turkish language, I am ready to teach them the spoken
and written language as well as grammar, all in the best way, and I guarantee
to provide what is required of me. My residence is in [the Jerusalem
neighbourhood of] ’Even Yiśra’el.
Nissim
Ben-Mikha’el
It would appear from an
editorial comment underneath that Nissim Ben-Mikha’el was among the first
Turcophonic scribes to serve the immigrant Jewish community in this manner:
Publisher’s
note. We have already noted once before that the coming of the honourable
teacher Mr Nissim Ben-Mikha’el (may God give him life and preserve him) filled
the deficiency of a Turkish scribe among our people, which was very much felt
here. We will further add that we now know and are familiar with this scribe
and teacher, that he is very talented, a master of his craft, and an extremely
trustworthy man.
However, more specialised legal
advice and assistance were needed when matters went to the courts. One notice,
from the 30 Nissan 5665 (5 May 1905) issue of Ḥavatselet, stands out as a testament to the advertiser's
impeccable professional and moral record.
After
I worked for thirteen years in the scribal office of our exalted government
here in the holy city [of Jerusalem], in the capacity of chief scribe in the
commercial court of Jaffa, and then in the commercial bureau here in the holy
city (may it be rebuilt and re-established), I then worked for the last twenty
years as a member of the qadi court here, as the certified documents from the
necessary places [show]. I have just recently resigned from this job, and
decided with God's help to open a special office across from the government
house. I am prepared to be a lawyer for all the affairs that shall come to my
hands, and I hope to satisfy the needs of all those who bring me their business
with integrity and justice. I am also willing to make applications to all the
courts of our most exalted government here in the [holy] land and elsewhere in
the Arabic or Turkish languages, to make notices of protest and appeal against the
rulings of all courts according to the level of legal judgement emanating from
the courts, to translate from Arabic to Turkish and to write all kinds of
bills, promissory notes, and partnership contracts etc., and everything will,
God willing, be pleasantly explained to each and every person. I will also
represent for free the cases of poor people who truly cannot afford to pay.
All
who seek me will find me in my said office everyday from two in the morning
until ten in the evening [Ottoman time] except for Friday.
Dawud
‘Azmi al-Husayni
It is above all notable that an experienced Ottoman official was
placing professional notices in the Hebrew press. Although Nissim Ben-Mikha’el’s
language skills would have been useful for routine and simple matters, Dawud
‘Azmi’s legal expertise would have been invaluable for the more complex
situations that would have necessarily arisen. This need on the part of the
Jewish immigrants evidently meant a new market for Ottoman lawyers. And it is
good to know that at least one of them was willing to work pro bono for
Jerusalem’s poorer clientele.
No comments:
Post a Comment