Meir Benayahu

Professor Meir Benayahu passed away yesterday, at the age of 82. He began his scholarly career when he was only 17, and made extensive contributions to the field of early modern Oriental Jewry and bibliography. He was also a renowned bibliophile, building the library he inherited from his father, Chief Rabbi Yitshak Nissim, into one of the best private Jewish collections. Early on, he established Yad Ben Zvi, and later he opened a research institute named after his father - Yad ha-Rav Nissim.

Yad ha-Rav Nissim has published many important books, but for the past few years they've been quiet. This morning I saw a new and very important publication, which came out just a few days ago. It is a new edition of Mahzor Aram Zova, with an extensive introduction by several scholars. I don't remember all the details of Mahzor Aram Zova - I believe it represents a European (Spanish?) rite brought to Syria by Jewish immigrants, and that it was published only once, in a very rare and today incomplete printing. See here.