The Aleppo Codex Matti Friedman Intro

The following reading guide is not meant to be an exhaustive list of topics cov- ered in the book. We hope it helps to prompt your conversations. If you are meeting in a group, we recommend three meetings over the three sections.

Section I- Parts 1 & 2

Q1: What was the dynamic of Arab-Jewish relations prior to the foundation of the state of Israel? How did the status and perception of Jewish citizens change in Arab countries after 1947?

Q2: How did the codex shape the cultural and religious identity of the ancient community of Jews living in Aleppo?

Q3: What ideologies led Ben-Zvi and the Zionists to retrieve the crown?

Q4: Why were the Aleppo Jews so adamant to not share the Crown with the rest of the world? Is their reasoning justified? Section II- Parts 3 & 4

Q1: Why were officials reluctant to share details about the Crown’s trial? How would this have affected the perception of the young state?

Q2: The Aleppo Jews claimed that the Crown belonged to their community and Israel claimed that it belonged to Judaism as a whole. Are either or both of these positions justified?

Q3: Why was the theory of the Crown being burned still circulating even after it was proven wrong? What motivation did purporters have for spreading this story?

Q4: Why did the Aleppo Rabbis oppose the Zionist state and reluctently send the Crown there? Why were these Jews wary of Zionism? Section III- Parts 5 & 6

Q1: When speaking of where the missing pieces of the Crown may be, Sha- mosh stated that “if it’s possible not to tell the truth, why tell the truth? The truth is a dangerous thing.” Is this worldview justified in light of problems that arose regarding the Crown? Why or why not?

Q2: What significance does the Crown hold for the greater Jewish Diaspora?

Q3: What ethical issues arose throughout the course of the Crown arriving in Israel?

Q4: What importance does the Crown hold today? How does this story shape your understanding of the relationship between religion and politics in the Jewish state?