About Semah Sarfati
Lived 1624 – 1717 (aged 92–93). Semah Sarfati was a Turkish rabbi.
Semah Sarfati (1624–1717) was a Tunisian rabbi who was chief rabbi of Tunisia and was a member of the Bet din of Tunisia.
At the end of his life, he moved to the Holy Land, dying in Jerusalem in 1717. Following a schism between the Granas and Twansa communities, in which two of his students – and Isaac Lumbroso respectively – both succeeded him as Chief Rabbi of Tunisia. Another student was Taïeb's successor, Masa'ud Raphael Alfasi.
Sarfati played an important role in the revival of Jewish study in Tunisia in the 17th century. While his judgements and commentaries have not been published in their own volume, his work has been cited by his students and their successors.
One of the oldest oratories in Hara, the Jewish quarter of Tunis, was named after Sarfati.
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Important facts
People in Semah Sarfati's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Semah Sarfati's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Semah Sarfati?
Tunisian rabbi
When was Semah Sarfati born?
Semah Sarfati was born in 1624.
When did Semah Sarfati die?
Semah Sarfati died in 1717 in Jerusalem.
What was Semah Sarfati's occupation?
Semah Sarfati was a rabbi.
What nationality was Semah Sarfati?
Semah Sarfati was Turkish.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Semah Sarfati. https://biography.guide/semah-sarfati/
MLA: "Semah Sarfati." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/semah-sarfati/.
Chicago: "Semah Sarfati." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/semah-sarfati/.
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