Fascinating form with 30 questions which all the gabbaim of synagogues in Jerusalem in 1915 were required to answer in order to receive a “Royal Firman.”
A Firman is a royal edict which was used in various Moslem countries during different periods in history, among them, in the Ottoman Empire. Firmans were often issued also by rulers who were not the monarch, or by those who did his bidding. An additional meaning the word Firman took on was franchise or custody. For example, the franchise given to various religious communities to run their holy sites was given as an edict and understood as a franchise.
In addition to technical details (the name of the synagogue, its size, its financial situation), the gabbaim were also asked about nationality or whether the synagogue was used to house the poor.
The gabbaim were also required to add a map and diagrams of the synagogue.
The form was issued by the rabbinate and it was the one which mediated between the synagogues and the Ottoman authorities.
This historic document indicates the relationship between the Turks and the Jews and sheds light on the conduct of the communities vis-à-vis the authorities.
[1] printed leaf. 30×45 cm.
Five condition. Fold marks.