Avram Naon

Born in Istanbul, Avram Naon (İbrahim Nom) attended the Şule-i Maarif Jewish primary school, where Ottoman Turkish was the primary language of instruction, before completing his studies at an Ottoman imperial high school and obtaining a degree in law. A lawyer, poet, and editor, Naon called on Ottoman Jews to employ Turkish as a vernacular and literary language. During the brief publication of the bilingual Ladino-Turkish journal Ceride-i Lisan (Language Review, 1899) Naon served as editor of the Ottoman Turkish section. Although he and other Jewish intellectuals writing in Ottoman Turkish saw some of their work published in Ottoman Turkish-language periodicals during this period, they also complained about being asked to write under non-Jewish pseudonyms or were prevented from publishing because of their Jewishness. It was for this reason that, together with fellow Ottoman Jewish lawyer Isak Ferera, Naon published the short-lived journal Mir’ât (Mirror, 1909), which showcased the writing of the still-tiny community of Jewish authors writing in Turkish.