In the Shadows of History: Rabbi Yehuda Margoza
- Catherine Said
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
The Jaffa Jewish Cemetery goes unnoticed by most visitors, and even by its own residents. Its founder also remains somewhat "hidden" behind the name of the famous street "Yehuda Margoza." In reality, this refers to Yehuda Mé Raguza - meaning Yehuda from the city of Raguza, today’s Dubrovnik in Croatia.
Yet, Rabbi Yehuda Halevi of Raguza (1783–1882) was a figure who was not only scholarly and charismatic but also profoundly original and inspiring.
A Turning Point for the Jaffa Community
Born in Sarajevo, he studied in Raguza before leaving at the age of 18 for the Land of Israel, where he became a rabbi. His destiny shifted when he was appointed Rabbi of Jaffa in 1825. He discovered a small town of a few thousand inhabitants, home to a tiny Jewish community whose habits he would radically transform.
He noticed, for example, that for unclear reasons - apparently linked to an interpretation of Halakha (Jewish law) - the city's Jews were transporting their dead all the way to Jerusalem for burial.
The new rabbi demonstrated that no religious prohibition prevented the community from having its own resting place. In 1834, he officially founded the Jaffa cemetery, giving a growing community an additional reason to take permanent root.
A Polyglot and Visionary Leader
A true pillar of the city, Yehuda Mé Raguza earned the respect of all - Jews, Christians, and Muslims - thanks to his personality and his mastery of six languages: Hebrew, Arabic, Serbian, Turkish, French, and Ladino.
For his own community, he achieved a feat of diplomacy: he established the Jaffa Assembly, bringing together Sephardim and Ashkenazim. Under his leadership, the boys' school of the Alliance Israélite Universelle (Kol Israel Haverim) opened its doors in Jaffa in 1868. As a high-level institution, it propelled an entire generation of young Jews in Jaffa, with Haim Amzlag serving as its first president.
A Man of Action for the Yishuv
An entrepreneur for the city, he was also one in his own right. A precursor and supporter of political Zionism, he opposed the Halukka system (foreign subsidies for Jewish populations in the Land of Israel) and decided to lead by example. With this in mind, he purchased land to plant, with his own hands, an orange grove.
If you pass through the Montefiore neighborhood in Tel Aviv today (located between Hashalom and Yitzhak Sadeh avenues), spare a thought for Rabbi Yehuda: it is precisely there that his farm was located before he sold it to Sir Moses Montefiore.
Today, it is at his grave that you can pay tribute to this extraordinary figure who shaped the face of the city. The cemetery is generally open to the public every Thursday morning.
Article written by Catherine Said
Certified tour guide in Israel, following a scientific career.
Creator of the twelve-step tour "Unusual Stories of Jaffa."
She offers a perspective on the country at the crossroads of history, society, environment, and contemporary realities.
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