About this talk

What comes to mind when you think of Jewish life in Egypt? Perhaps the Great Synagogue in Alexandria, Maimonides in Cairo, or the Cairo Geniza. But few know the story of Egypt's Karaite Jews—a vibrant community that regarded the Hebrew Bible as its sole scriptural authority and rejected the rabbinic Oral Law.

In this lecture, we'll journey through the streets of Alexandria and the pages of my own family history to uncover the lesser-known legacy of Karaite Jews in Egypt. At their height, they formed a distinct and active part of Jewish life in the region, with their own synagogues, customs, and scholars.

We'll also explore how Karaites differ from Rabbanite Jews—in prayer, Torah interpretation, approaches to kashrut, gender roles, and more.

Join us for this glimpse into a unique Jewish tradition that few have heard of, but that continues to survive and evolve to this day, though now in other parts of the globe.

About Ranash

Ranash (Ran Menashe) was born and raised in Ra'anana, Israel, in a secular Karaite family. He is a freelance educator, lecturer, and group facilitator. As a social entrepreneur, he has been involved in and founded two major nonprofit organizations in Israel—Elul Bashvil and Masa Hevrati—which have contributed to Israeli society.

Ranash has studied and taught Judaism, Jewish thought, and philosophy for the past 15 years in a variety of settings, including the Ein Prat Academy in Israel. He is also affiliated with Machon Hadar in New York.

During the 2022–2023 academic year, Ranash was a fellow in Paideia's one-year program. He took a sabbatical from his professional work to deepen his engagement with Jewish studies. During this time, he explored his Karaite heritage more deeply and decided to create a series of lectures that combine personal stories with an introduction to this distinctive and largely unknown Jewish tradition.