Claiming Livorno: Commercial Networks, Foreign Status, and Culture in the Italian Jewish Diaspora, 1815-1914 by Alyssa J. Reiman A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (History) in the University of Michigan 2017 Doctoral Committee Professor Emeritus Todd M. Endelman, Co-Chair Professor Dario Gaggio, Co-Chair Associate Professor Pamela Ballinger Assistant Professor Devi Mays Alyssa J. Reiman [email protected] ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7219-9918 © Alyssa J. Reiman 2017 Acknowledgements Researching and writing this dissertation has been an endeavor that has spanned many years, and its completion would not have been possible without the support of many mentors, institutions, friends, and family. I owe profound debts of gratitude to my advisors, Todd Endelman and Dario Gaggio. Todd has been a model of a scholar and teacher for me. He has been invested in and supportive of my intellectual growth, and has often helped me clarify my thinking and writing. Dario has been a kind and insightful guide throughout graduate school. He has helped me grow as a historian, broadening my intellectual horizons and challenging me to make deeper connections in my work. Pamela Ballinger has been an encouraging presence on my dissertation committee, often helping me to think about important questions and comparisons in my research. Devi Mays brings an extremely valuable perspective to this project, and I am very appreciative of her warmth and willingness to give me feedback over email and Skype. Conversations at the University of Michigan with Joshua Cole, Deborah Dash Moore, Scott Spector, and Jeff Veidlinger were extremely helpful in conceptualizing my dissertation project and different directions to explore in my research. I also had the good fortune to have productive conversations about my dissertation with Julia Phillips Cohen, Lois Dubin, Matthias Lehmman, and Jessica Marglin. I found talking to Lois Dubin very helpful for learning more about the history of early modern Trieste and Livorno and about Jewish history in general. Jessica Marglin was an invaluable resource in thinking about legal pluralism and the Jews of ii Egypt in a Mediterranean context. I really appreciate the time she spent discussing my research with me and her enthusiasm and insight in suggesting possible paths forward for my project. This dissertation would not have been possible without the generous support of the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, the History Department, and Rackham Graduate School at the University of Michigan. I would also like to thank the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture for providing me with funding during the writing stage of the dissertation. Thank you to Lorna Alstetter, Diana Denney, Kathleen King, and Kimberly Smith in the History Department for all of their help and understanding in answering questions and navigating paperwork during my time in graduate school. This project was made possible with the assistance of many archivists in Italy, England, and Israel. At the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, Renato Spiegel was an extremely knowledgeable guide to the archive’s collections on Italian and Mediterranean Jewries. Massimo Sanacore and the archivists at the Archivio di Stato di Livorno brought me lots of good cheer with their friendliness, eagerness to help, and love of all things Texas. Gabriele Bedarida and Barbara were very helpful at the Jewish communal archives in Livorno, particularly in both guiding me through the archives and letting me explore them on my own, and in giving me extra time to work. I would also like to thank the archivists and staff of the Archivio Centrale dello Stato, Archivio Storico degli Affari Esteri, Chamber of Commerce of Livorno, and Dante Alighieri Society in Rome for all of their help. In Livorno, I was fortunate to meet and have extensive conversations with Daniela Bedarida and Alberto Bedarida z”l about their family’s history in Livorno and Constantinople. I really appreciate the time Alberto spent sharing the amazing story and documents of the Franco iii family with me. I hope to one day tell your family’s story in full. Helen and Maurice Douek, it was so wonderful to spend time with you in California as part of researching my dissertation project. Thank you for opening up your home and talking to me about your family history and its remarkable intersections with my work. I would like to especially thank Guido and Carla Guastalla in Livorno for their tremendous support, warmth, and generosity throughout this process. It was such a happy accident that we met, and I am so appreciative of how Guido and Carla took me in as family during my time in Livorno. You are so special to me. While doing research in Israel, it was very special to be able to spend weekends with dear cousins, Zippie and Chaim Zoref and Arnon and Sarit Attis, and be surrounded by the comfort and company of family while away from home. During my time in England, Carole and Stephen Hockley were wonderful hosts. Thank you so much for making sure I had a hearty porridge breakfast every morning and long, funny conversations over dinner every night. Friends at Michigan helped me (sort of) survive the cold Ann Arbor winters and brought me much laughter, fun, and thought-provoking conversations. Thank you to my entire cohort, in particular, Ananda Burra, Yanay Israeli, Sarah Nobles, Austin McCoy, and Katie Rosenblatt. I would also like to thank fellow graduate students Sarah Garibova, Sarah Hamilton, Trevor Kilgore, Amanda Hendrix Komoto, Ashley Rockenbach, Rebecca Wall, and Matthew Woodbury for their friendship. Yoni and Smadar Brack, thank you so much for your incredible hospitality in Israel and company in Rome. Chelsea del Rio, thank you for being a wonderful and constant support system throughout all of the ups and downs of graduate school. Lynn Eckert is someone I can laugh with and vent with all at the same time, and I am very grateful for her incredible problem-solving skills. iv An incredible network of friends near and far have also been extremely supportive during my time in graduate school. Karen Lederer made every research trip a chance for adventure, and I am incredibly thankful to have shared so many wonderful experiences and meals with her abroad. Ben Perry’s time in Rome was a ton of fun and a great comfort, and I am so grateful for his visit and friendship. Thank you also to Josh Bobrow, Chelsea Macor, and Amy Wolf for always checking in on me and sending me love. Thank you to Allison and David Cohen, Alex Horn and Alex Null, Rachel Loewenstein and Daniel Levitt, and Claire and Nathan Mitzner, for being so ready to celebrate with me at the end of this road. Amy Foxman - our study dates are always the highlight of my week, and you have been such an important source of support for me for a very long time. Esme, Errol, Loren, Moshe, and Marc – thank you for welcoming me into your family with open arms, and for all of your encouragement in the last few years of graduate school. To my wonderful siblings - Suzie, Howard, Michael, Melissa, Kiki, and Risha – I am so incredibly fortunate to have you in my corner, cheering me on every step of the way. Thank you for making me laugh always. Thank you for to my nieces and nephews - Carly, Evan, Morgan, Joli, Chyler, Dani, Pierson, Gabi, and Max - for being the cutest and best distractions. Leon – I met you when researching and writing was well underway, and you have brought such unflagging enthusiasm to this project. Thank you for being my rock and for making each day so much brighter. To my parents - Throughout my time in graduate school, you have celebrated every milestone, no matter how big or how small, and helped me through every moment of difficulty. It is hard to express in words how truly grateful I am for your unconditional love and unwavering support. I am so lucky you are my parents. I dedicate this dissertation to you with all of my love. v Table of Contents Acknowledgements ii Lists of Abbreviations viii Abstract ix Introduction 1 Historiography 9 Sources and Terms 20 Chapter Overview 25 Chapter One: Livorno and Its Jewish Community: Between Local Roots and Mediterranean Networks 29 The Origins and Foundations of the “Jewish Nation” of Livorno 30 The Meanings and Possibilities of the Free Port of Livorno 37 Jewish Merchants, Commercial Networks, and Mediterranean Trade 43 The Port Jews of Livorno: Emancipation, Acculturation, and Integration in a Port City 53 Social Classes, Social Mobility, and Conflict in Early Modern Livorno 65 A Port City in Transition: Livorno’s Economy during the Late Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century 70 The Jewish Community of Livorno during the Nineteenth Century 76 Chapter Two: Navigating the Winds of Commerce: Jewish Commercial Culture in Nineteenth Century Livorno 85 A Free Port City’s Changing Fortunes: Livorno’s Economy in the Nineteenth Century 90 Commercial Subject-Citizens and Economic Actors: Representations of the Jewish Community of Livorno during the Nineteenth Century 104 The Search for Binding Connections: The Creation and Dissolution of Jewish Family Firms in Livorno 108 The Movements of Livornese Jews around the Modern Mediterranean 118 Chapter Three: Commerce in the Courts: Exchanging Goods and Negotiating Commercial Relationships 130 Alexandria: Mediterranean Port City on the Rise 134 The Jews of Egypt: A Brief Overview 139 vi Converging Networks: The Jews from Livorno and Trade between Tuscany and Egypt 144 The Consular Court: A Site of Exchange
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