Isaac Akrish

Isaac Akrish was a leading rabbi and dayan (judge) in Istanbul, who took a strong antimodernist stance on issues within the Jewish community. He opposed the teaching of European languages to Jewish youth, claiming that the ability to read Christian texts would lead to heresy. In 1862, he excommunicated Abraham de Camondo, a prominent member of the community, for founding a modern Jewish school in Istanbul. Akrish was almost imprisoned for this decision, but pressure from members of the Jewish community and the Ottoman government allowed him to remain free. Eventually he moved to Hebron, where spent the rest of his life.