The Jews of Beirut

is the first study to investigate the emergence of an organized and vibrant Jewish community in Beirut in the late Ottoman and French period. Viewed in the context of port city revival, the author explores how and why the Jewish community changed during this time in its social cohesion, organizational structure, and ideological affiliations. Tomer Levi defines the Jewish community as a «Levantine» creation of late-nineteenth-century port city revival, characterized by cultural and social diversity, centralized administration, efficient organization, and a merchant class engaged in commerce and philanthropy. In addition, the author shows how the position of the Jewish community in the unique multi-community structure of Lebanese society affected internal developments within the Jewish community.

Tomer Levi received his MA and PhD in Near Eastern and Judaic studies from Brandeis University. He taught several courses at Tufts University and Ben-Gurion University, where he was also a post-doctoral fellow. From 2010 to 2011 he was a research fellow at the Ben-Zvi Institute conducting research on Levantine Jewish society during the time of colonial expansion.