Photo-portrait of Rabbi Refael Aharon Ben-Shimon. Stamped with the photographer's stamp: "B. Edelstein, Mousky Street Cairo-Egypt" (English and Arabic). Cairo, [late 19th century / early 20th century].
Rabbi Refael Aharon Ben-Shimon (1848-1928) was born in Rabat, Morocco, to Rabbi David Ben-Shimon and his wife Rachel. At a young age he immigrated with his family to Palestine. Later he served as secretary of his father's Beth Din in Jerusalem and headed the "Magen David" Yeshiva. In the years 1888-1890 he served in Morocco as rabbinical emissary on behalf of the North African Jewish Community in Jerusalem. Upon returning he was appointed Chief Rabbi of the Jewish community in Cairo – a position he held for thirty years.
In 1921 he immigrated with his family to Palestine. In his apartment in Tel Aviv he opened a synagogue, and the chief rabbis of Tel Aviv-Jaffa would consult with him on legal and halakhic matters.
Photograph: 28X22 cm. Mounted on cardboard, 41X34 cm. Good condition. Foxing. Tears and light defects to photo margins and cardboard margins.