The Burmese Jewish community is not renowned for producing Jewish scholars. Yet the tale of a fascinating Baghdadi Jew from Rangoon and his quest to become a rabbi, reminds us of the presence of heroes even in far€ flung Jewish communities. In this article, Levi Cooper details the fascinating story of Rabbi Elias Levi.
Elias Levi – The Rangoon Rabbi
Introduction
Levi Cooper
Dr. Levi Cooper is Senior Faculty at Pardes, teaching Jewish Law and Hasidut. He holds an LL.B., LL.M. and Ph.D from Bar-Ilan University, where he currently teaches in their Faculty of Law. Levi has been awarded multiple post-doctoral research grants, held academic visitor and educational advisory roles in Europe and Asia, and written extensively for academic publications.
Known as the Maggid of Melbourne, Levi hails from Australia. He currently lives in Zur Hadassa, where he has served as rabbi since 2005, co-founded the Lavi Primary School, and spearheaded other communal initiatives.