Travail in an Arab Land

Italian Hebrew poet, translator, and playwright Samuel Aaron Romanelli was born in Mantua and traveled extensively throughout his life. He is best known for his Hebrew travelogue Masa ba-arav, which describes Jewish life in Morocco from a Western perspective. His language drips with condescension when he regards the seemingly primitive and exotic Jews of North Africa, but he preserved a priceless picture of their lifeways. While living in Germany, Romanelli befriended Berlin maskilim such as Isaac Euchel and David Friedländer. He worked as a proofreader in Vienna and published his play Alot ha-minḥah in honor of the marriage of Charlotte Arnstein. A number of his Hebrew works appeared with Italian translations. He returned to Mantua in 1807 and died in Casale Monferrato.