Image Source:
Syrianhistory.com Archive
Haim Effendi (1872-1960) was a Jewish scholar and jurist born in Izmir. He attended a rabbinical academy in Paris and studied linguistics, history and philosophy at the Sorbonne’s School of Oriental Languages. Upon his return to Istanbul he taught at several schools, and got acquainted with the Young Turks who came to power in 1908. One year later, he became Hakham Bashi, or Chief Rabbi of the Empire.