Shimon Aghasi

Born in Baghdad, Shimon Aghasi attended an Alliance Israélite Universelle (AIU) school, continuing in a bet midrash instead of working in the family business. He became a noted kabbalist, and his erudite commentaries—on the weekly Torah readings, the Talmud, and other traditional Jewish texts—eventually earned him the respected title of Hakham. Known as Harashba among Iraqi Jews, Aghasi maintained a proto-Orthodox identity, reproaching his community, many of whom were increasingly secularizing, by stating that the droughts and poor economic conditions they suffered from were due to their increasing violations of Shabbat and other commandments.