Ruth KarkReseñas

The concept of the book was a very interesting one, as the authors trace the history of one of what the blurb describes as "Jerusalem's founding families". Probably this is not the place to get into the ahistoricity and bias of that description!

Unfortunately, the writing style is turgid and dry in the extreme, and, as a result, I had a very difficult time getting through the book.

Sephardi Entrepreneurs in Jerusalem: The Valero Family 1800-1948
By Joseph B. Glass and Ruth Kark

This book was received from LibraryThing in their Early Reviewers program.

Let me start this review with the information that I just returned from a two week trip to Israel over the holidays.

To read this book after visiting this fascinating country and having walked the streets described in Jerusalem, Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Bethlehem was very exciting. I couldn’t put this book down and finished it within three days.

I found the story of the Valero Family easy to follow especially with the use of the chapter breakdowns that Glass and Kark had devised. By using the photographs, maps, sketches, and documents you really felt you were seeing history unfold.

For so many years all the citizens had learned to live peacefully with each other. It is very sad that neighbor, coworker, fellow business men ended up in such conflict.

I am very interested in reading these authors first book in the series; Sephardic Entrepreneurs in Eretz Israel: The Amzalak Family, 1816-1918. So far finding a copy has been difficult.

To understand the early story of Jerusalem, I highly recommend this book.

This is a scholarly work which plots the Valero family history in detail. Facutal references, maps, photos and extensive detail make this heavier than the "story" I expected. I am not rating this book as I do not have the reading background to provide a fair assessment for what seems to be a strong text.

I received this book through LibraryThings Early Reviewer program and I was really excited about receiving it. Upon the books arrival I noticed that it looked a lot like a text book and it was set up like one too. I tried picking this book up many times but found that I just couldn't get into it. I found the writting to be really dry and the subject matter above what I know about the early history of Jews in Jerusalem. I finally just gave up on this book and sent it off to another LTer. I can't say that this book is good or bad....all I can really say is that it wasn't for me.½

Starting from a point of almost total ignorance about the history of the time and place covered in this book, I felt a bit lost at first among the 19th century Valero family of pre-State-of-Israel Palestine. This book is clearly not intended for the casual reader, but is meant for the student of Jewish history. It needs to be studied. It is a well-documented scholarly examination of several generations of one of the most influential families in Jerusalem between 1800 and 1948, during the periods of Ottoman and British rule, and is Volume II of a series. (The authors previously published Sephardi Entrepreneurs in Eretz Israel: The Amzalak Family, 1816-1918.) Their introduction does provide an excellent overview of the historical setting in which the Valero family came to prominence in Palestine, as well as some of the political and cultural issues faced by Sephardic Jews under Muslim rule. It was essential to my understanding of the main text to read the Introduction first, and to refer to it regularly as I progressed through the individual chapters. The book is replete with photographs, maps, diagrams and reproductions of documents. The bibliography comprises hundreds of primary and secondary sources, (including nearly 30 works written or co-authored by Glass and Kark), a valuable reference in itself. By far the most interesting chapter for me was Chapter 5, on “Culture and Lifestyle”. Here I could truly immerse myself in the daily activities of real people, and gain some sense of what their lives were like. The writing at times is a bit choppy, and there is no narrative style, but for the most part the authors have avoided the dry academic tone that makes many textbooks so deadly dull, whatever the subject matter. Having finished this book, I intend to read more basic history on the subject of the Ottoman Empire and the British mandate in Palestine; my interest has been stimulated and I will keep Sephardi Entrepreneurs in Jerusalem on my shelf for future reference.

In their book Sephardi Entrepreneurs in Jerusalem, The Valero Family 1800-1948, (2007), Joseph B. Glass and and Ruth Kark have done extensive research into 200 years of the Valero family of Jerusalem, members of the Sephardic Jewish community who provided the first private bank to Israel as well as numerous diplomats and national and international entrepreneurs to the region. Moreover, the Valeros were one of the largest landowners in Jerusalem. Besides those remaining in Israel, descendants of the original Valeros have settled in England, France, the United States and Puerto Rico. The authors look at the historical development of Jerusalem and the surrounding regions through their extensive examination of the fortunes of the Valero family.

The authors contribute, with this book, to the ever-expanding body of scholarship from the French school of Annales history, established by Lucien Febvre and Marc Bloch, and which gave us some of the highest regarded historians, such as Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie and Fernand Braudel. Instead of focusing on individuals as the forces that have shaped history, such as monarchs, politicians or artistic geniuses, the Annales historiography focuses on the layers of society, social groups, and continuities through time, space and communities. Such continuities include, among other things, geography, popular culture, folkways, literature, economic dynamics, and mentalities, or the mind-sets that shape the worldview of small groups and communities at large.

Faithful to the Annales methods, the book’s introduction provides us with a historiography of Palestine and a family biography shaped within the geographical context. Chapter 1 provides us a history of the family’s generations within the context of the geopolitical transformations occurring in the region and the subtitles have an air of Biblical generations: The Children of Yoseph Moshe, the Children of Haim Aharon, and so on. The chapter also provides a section titled “Women in the Valero Family,” which takes care of examining the role played by gender but is, in the mind of this reader, way too short and could have dealt more in-depth with the topic, such as an exploration on the possible subjectivities that permeated these women’s lives, especially as embedded in their time and place, and preferably from a gender studies or feminist point of view. This is my main quibble with the book, but I think it would have enriched it further to provide more on this topic.

Chapters 2 and 3 offer an overview of the development of business practices, banking system and land transactions in Palestine, as well as of the social space through an explanation of the spatial distribution of business and family activities, and business and pleasure travels taken. Chapters 5 and 6 are rich in community history, examining the political and philanthropic activities in which the Valeros actively participated, and which highlight interactions with Yemenites, Maghrebites, and interactions with Arabs and between Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews, which has its own long and fascinating history. Not surprisingly the Valeros, as large landowners and banking businesspeople, held conflictive views of the political development of Israel, seen as occurring under the auspices of “Socialist” ideology (which it was).

Chapters 5 and the Conclusion bring us into the private sphere, with an illumination of the social and economic class underpinnings for the family, marriages, births and death, household managements and eventually, as one of the titles states, “the decline of the Sephardi elite.” This book sheds light, then, on the existence and importance of a greatly diverse Sephardi community, its vibrant participation in the political, cultural and economic spheres of societal ferment in the region, and the developments within the private sphere. I particularly enjoyed the great many photographs that enliven the book and help the reader connect with the people and visualize the social landscape. The authors offer family recipes and photographs highlighting fashion, interiors, and cars as well, which shed a bit of levity and a tender touch on what could otherwise be taken as only a somewhat dry historical narrative.

I believe the authors have written a book that illustrates clearly the research methodology of the Annales school of history and contributes, as well, to the history of Jews and Arabs and the historical dynamics of Israel and Palestine. It particularly provides a fascinating view into the history of Jerusalem. On a personal level, as a member of a Sephardi family myself, I could connect the stories told with the narratives listened to in my own environment, from ageing and long-gone family members as well as the elders in other families I know. I grew up in Latin America, and could see the continuities in Sephardi communities, through generations and across the oceans. I am glad and grateful that Gefen Publishing is publishing these historical works, as they are greatly helpful to scholars and culturally enriching for all who read them with the purpose of learning about the region or just curling up with a book and getting lost in another time and place.

A 'family' genealogy / history book about the Valero family (one of modern day Jerusalem's founding families) and how it came to be an important family name in and around Jerusalem from about 1800 to the formation of the state of Israel.

Sephardi Entrepreneurs in Jerusalem: The Valero Family 1800-1948

A few words first about the form of the book itself: It is a study, hardbound book that looks like a textbook (in fact, it elicited the question of why I was reading a textbook from more than one person). It is, though, beautifully bound, and it is a sewn binding (rather than glued), a minor miracle in today’s publishing world. The paper is high-quality glossy, much like you would expect in a pricy textbook. All photos and images are clear and show great detail on the page. In other words, as far as the text as a physical object goes, it is of highest quality. The layout of the text and of the images, as well as the appearance of the book, though, will have most people assuming that you are reading a textbook, which is neither a compliment or a criticism; it is merely an observation.

In my review, though, I am going to treat the book as a textbook because its layout so closely matches that of a textbook (chapters with subheads, which are further divided into subjects) and because the authors explicitly state in the introduction that they are defining more terms in the text for the benefit of an American audience. If this were a textbook, I would imagine that it would be for an advanced class in Palestinian or Israeli history. For a completely amuteur audience, such as myself (I am in my late 20s, I know basic post-1948 history, and I keep up with what I read in the newspapers), the background information of this pre-1948 period often assumes too much knowledge and familiarity. The ideal reader for this book would be a student or someone whose knowledge of Israel extends beyond the knowledge I just outlined as my own. This is not at all to say that I did not find the book fascinating, because I did. I only wish that my own learning had been sufficient to keep up with the book.

A few words about the book’s introduction: it is the most difficult part of the book to get through, and some readers may end up discouraged before they ever plunge into the book itself. During the preface, you begin to see the authors’ technique of defining a term unfamiliar English-speaking, non-Israeli audience (the book had already appeared in Hebrew in 2005) by giving the definition parenthetically, after a dashed line, set off in commas, and sometimes with footnotes. Certainly, that is a big rough-and-ready, but it’s simple, and it works. I personally have no qualms here. Because I look at this more as a textbook, I am not looking for style and grace in integrating these definitions.

It is here, in the introduction, that the authors try to give the readers a sense of the Ottoman rule and pre-1948 environment, but in a culture where most readers will not remember a time of peace in Israel and Palestine, their historical explanation relies too much on theory and is not simple and down-to-earth enough. The writers do promise (and do fulfill the promise) to show the complex ethnic relationships in the area by showing the Valero’s actions, but they have clearly set aside this introduction for broad historical strokes, and the strokes for pre-1948 history are simply inadequate. The English-speaking, non-Israeli audience that the authors acknowledge they’re writing for will not find sufficient background here or in the rest of the book; one family will not answer the lingering questions you will no doubt have about interactions in the ever-complicated area.
No, the strength of this book lies in what it calls “family biography,” a “micro-history.” If this book is like a textbook, it is not for a 101 class; it is for something advanced. When you reach chapter 1, “Family History,” the book hits its stride and becomes fascinating. The authors trace the name from 1492, though thankfully they spare us taking the genealogy back that far. They treat four generations of the family, which, as genealogical charts (very helpful and very through) in the back show us, is quite a lot of family! The authors have wisely limited themselves to a limited number of people; by the end of the family history chapter, I found that I could keep all of the major characters straight in my head without flipping back to remind myself who was whom. The family history chapter is thoroughly enjoyable, I found; it is also well-organized in a way that allows you to keep the generations straight. Flipping back through it now as I write this review, I find that the text has given me much information that I can attach to each family photograph: the writers are excellent at attaching specific information to specific people in a way that allows you to “personalize” the historical character. If this is a family biography, then I think this is quite well done. The chapter is not simply a collection of dry historical dates attached to a person but stories that make these people “real.” The only complaint I have, and it is one that I will raise again, is that if any of these people had significant negatives attached to them (only one Valero woman’s husband is mentioned as having drinking and gambling problems—but he was not a Valero by birth), they are not mentioned), they are not mentioned. Biography or hagiography?

The chapter following is “Economic Activities,” which one might expect from the title to be as dry as dust. Fortunately, the authors surprise us—it’s interesting! We trace the changes between the first and second generation to the break that occurred with the third and fourth generation in the world of banking. Some history and sociology does come into play here, and it was changing populations in Palestine and a move toward the British Mandate period that forced the changes the Valero family went through. The subject of banking is covered extensively, and we are given a brief (and helpful) history of banking in Jerusalem. Now would be a good time to pause and mention the many footnotes that pepper the pages of this text: if you want to feel that your history is well-researched and well-grounded, the authors do not disappoint. When describing this history of banking, for example, they cite a multitude of resources to support their factual claims. All of these sources are duly recounted in the bibliography; if you wanted to track down any citation, the authors have thoroughly mined the subject area, and their research trail can be easily followed. I cannot stress enough how well-researched this book is and what a diversity of resources it contains. “Exhaustive” is the only word for it.

The “Economic Activities” section also covers banking, another Valero entrepreneurial activity. This, too, is quite interesting in that one gets a bit of a tour of Jerusalem at the time period of the family member in question. We also get some idea of law and justice in the legal disputes that arose because of land and land transactions. At the end of the chapter, though, the authors touch on a question that will remain with the reader to the end of the text: “there is no way of estimating the family’s wealth” (165). From here I would say that we never have a true idea of how prominent the family actually was in its time. Certainly, it seems to have been important, but how important? Can this even be determined? We are told several times that the bank never moved from its home place of humble origins. This is another place in the book where we are missing a historical scale on which to weigh the relative importance of, not an event this time, but of a family.

Chapter 3, which deals with real estate, is again fascinating (and again, is a chapter you might not expect to find so interesting; the authors’ enthusiasm for their subject is infectious). Photography, plans, maps, and diagrams abound. The authors also introduce, briefly, the popular theoretical concept of “space” so that they may talk about social space / private space, religious space, etc. Travel is also covered, as is the fashionable traveling for medical treatment (which gives the reader not familiar with this particular history a touchstone with European history). Chapter 4, “Society and Local Politics,” is a place where more history would not have been amiss. Ottoman Rule and British Mandate become important in this chapter. The history is made more accessible, though, by focusing on the activities of the family members and not on larger changes (this is, after all, a family biography). However, even with the idea in mind that this is a Valero biography, the reader cannot help but wonder: what of ethnic relations? What of riots and conflict, these riots that are so casually mentioned? What of these fears that violence might erupt? They’re mentioned, but there is no further detail. The reader senses the empty space and wonders what’s missing. Certainly, it would be contrary to Glass and Kark’s purpose to spell out these riots and fears in detail—once again, they’re not writing a 101 introductory textbook—but to leave them untouched completely also seems to be a significant oversight.

Chapter 4 continues with charity work done by the family, of which there was much. It is entirely possibly that I am overly cynical, but, again, surely there were critics of the family? Glass and Kark’s meticulous research, mentioned above, of course makes it clear that all these acts occurred, and I am not at all contesting their validity. But were there less charitable works? Poor decisions? Biographies are seldom all good, all praise, and it seems unlikely that this is the one exception. Pages upon pages, though, are reserved for philanthropy. The authors devote pages 291-294 to “The Valero Family Viewed by Outsiders” and include some negative remarks in there; however, they are negative remarks of the most mild sort (“thriftiness,” for example) that are often balanced out by a counterclaim. It is hard to feel that the situation is balanced.

The final chapter, “Culture and Lifestyle,” is comparable to the first in its high level of
human interest. It, along with the first chapter, probably reads the most quickly. I like its placement at the back of the book: at the beginning, we are introduced to our cast of characters, and at the end, we wind down with look at their daily lives. Their businesses and politics are sandwiched in between. As a biography, though, the first and last chapter never let you forget that, above all, these were people, people who cared about the same things as most readers do: their families, their houses, fashion, furniture, schooling, children, religion, marriage, birth, jobs, etc. The last chapter goes through a discussion of how attitudes toward all of these changed over the years; while such a discussion might be expected, it is, of course, different for every time and place, and it is quite interesting here. A section on languages also fleshes out what these people’s lives were like. There are even two recipes, should you care to attempt them! This final chapter shows us what people did besides be born, participate in business, and die. One can take away much about the Valero’s class from this final chapter.

The conclusion is much livelier than the introduction (perhaps because we know more now? Though I must say, after rescanning the introduction, I don’t think that’s the case) and again reviews some history. This quick historical overview still leaves questions unanswered, but it would have been helpful earlier in the text—namely, in the introduction—nonetheless. In the conclusion, the authors bring up the discourse of “Arab versus Jew,” and this lies at the heart of the text as an issue on which much more needed to be spoken. Yes, it is covered at some length that the Valeros had business relations with the Arab population, but, quite simply, what else was going on around there? Were their relations only with the elite? What are these “offstage” riots we hear about from time to time? In today’s political environment, these questions can’t not be addressed. I do realize that this is a family biography, and I think that the authors have done an excellent job of illuminating a period by focusing on one specific family: this was their stated goal, and they have succeeded admirably.
Glass and Kark had a goal in mind when they set out to write this text, this family biography, and accomplished it. Through a microcosm, we do begin to see a larger picture. The work is exhaustively researched; I can’t imagine that they could have done more. Footnotes abound and are helpfully at the bottom of the page where they are referenced (it’s a pet peeve of mine when I have to flip to the back to read the footnotes). Their bibliography is staggering. Helpful family trees also serve to enlighten the reader, and the index is good. Glass and Kark have also done well in defining unfamiliar terms for their audience. My chief complaint, which I have mentioned throughout, is that I still have difficulty placing this in the history of the era. Given that this book looks and appears to be a textbook, I can’t imagine that it’s introductory; it has to be more of an advanced book. However, if it’s going to be read by the English-speaking, non-Israeli audience that Glass and Kark imagine, then turning attention somewhat outward to the larger historical picture (whether all along or in the introduction, or perhaps even in footnotes) will be necessary for this imagined reader.
Altogether, though, I enjoyed reading this book. I have that feeling one often has when putting down a good book, that, in closing it, one is saying good-bye to characters who are friends. I do feel as if I have gained some understanding of Jerusalem in the Ottoman / British Mandate period, and I understand better how a class of people operated at a particular time in history. Also, because this time period was unfamiliar to me, I appreciated the exposure to a timeframe hitherto unknown. I would like to see similar undertakings from Glass and Kark in the future.