List of Karaite Jews

People associated with Karaite Judaism include:

• Early Karaite Period — 8th-9th centuries (700-899 CE)
  • ‘Anan ben David, founder of the Annanites which would later be absorbed into Kara'ism
  • Benjamin al-Nahawandi, regarded by some as the proper originator of Kara'ism as it has come down through the ages
• Golden Age — 10th-12th centuries (900-1199 CE)
  • Aharon ben Mosheh ben Asher (died c.960 CE), refiner of the Tiberian writing system, regarded as having produced the most accurate version of the Masoretic Text
  • Daniel al-Qumisi, Kara'ite scholar, polemicist, proto-Zionist, and compiler of the legal code Sefer ha-Mitzvot
  • Ya'akov Qirqisani aka al-Kirkisani, dogmatist, author, and exegete of the early 10th century
  • Yehudah Hadasi, 12th century scholar, philosopher, and grammarian from Constantinople
  • Solomon ben Jeroham, exegete and controversialist
  • Yefet ben Ali, Babylonian commentator on the Bible
• Middle Period — 13th-17th century (1200-1699 CE)
  • Aaron ben Elijah of Nicomedia (1328/9-1369), perhaps the most prominent Kara'ite theologian, considered the Kara'ite equivalent of his rabbinic contemporary, Maimonides
  • Elijah Bashyazi (1420-1490), Hakham who codified Kara'ite laws
  • Yiṣḥaq b. Avraham of Troki, 16th century Lithuanian Kara'ite philosopher and writer who wrote the important apology or defense of Judaism vis-a-vis Christianity entitled Ḥizzuq Emunah (Fortification of Faith)
• Early-Modern Era — 18th-19th centuries (1700-1947 CE)
  • Abram Samoilovitch Besicovitch (1891-1970), Russian-English mathematician
  • Adolph Joffe (1883-1927), Russian communist revolutionary, Bolshevik politician, Soviet diplomat
  • Avraham Firkovich, famous leader of the Crimean Karaites, a very important collector of manuscripts, who was an amateur archeologist
  • Samuel Maykapar (1867-1938), Soviet composer
  • Seraya Shapshal (1873-1961), ḥakham of the Lithuanian Karaite community
  • Sima Babovich (1790-1855), ḥakham of the Crimean Karaites
• Current-Modern Era — 20th-21st centuries (1948 CE-present)
  • Avrom Aryeh-Zuk Kahana, Author of the Kahana Chronicles series of books and publisher of the website blog Kahana's Voice
  • Avraham Kefeli, Ḥazzan in Ashdod, Israel
  • Avraham Qanaï, Ḥakham of the Kara'ite congregation “Oraḥ Ṣaddiqim” in Albany, New York
  • Melech ben Ya'aqov, Ḥakham of the World Alliance of Qara'im, and maintains the website Karaite Insights
  • Joe Pessah, Congregation leader of congregation B'nai Y'Israel in Daly City, California
  • Meir Rekhavi, Ḥakham and co-founder of the World Karaite Movement, holds the position of Chancellor for the Karaite Jewish University, maintains the website Rekhavi.karaitejudaism.org
  • Moshe Marzouk (1926-1955), Egyptian Kara'ite Jew, hanged by Egypt for his participation in Israel's Operation Suzannah, also called the Lavon Affair
  • Nehemia Gordon, Author/scholar, and co-founder of the World Karaite Movement
  • Moshe ben Yosef Firrouz, Chief Rabbi and Vice-Chancellor of Karaite Jewish University, maintains the Karaim.net website
  • Yochanan Zaqantov, Hazzan and Dean of Students of Karaite Jewish University, maintains the KaraiteJudaism.org website

References