Karait synagogue in Ramle (AUTHOR PHOTO)                

Karait synagogue doesn’t fit town landscape of Ramle. Countless stores, garages, shabby gray buildings are crowded round a lonely brick-red building with a well groomed grass lawn around. It seems that the fence might disappear any minute and uninterrupted stream of heavy lorries going along the street will pour into the premises breaking its tranquility with machine oil smell, brake gnashing, shouts and abuse. The center of Karait community, squeezed all around, looks like a besieged bastion and this impression is symbolic: one of the last strongholds of ancient stream of Judaism can hardly endure the pressure of the city brimming with life.
Karaites feel ill at ease in the Land of Israel. Original Jews, actually, they are not considered authentic Jews by Israelis. Their origin accumulated countless speculations and conjectures; their history is covered by cobweb of prejudices. "Too much nonsense, consciously and unconsciously, have been attributed to us. Common talk is that we are close to Moslems because we take off shoes in synagogue and pray standing, not sitting, like most Jews. But, actually, Moslems adopt our tradition and not vice versa!" - Josef Dvir, immigrant from Egypt, the head of Karait synagogue in Ramle explains. This is the reality. Most people consider Karaites a strange sect of Khazars or Turks, who embraced Jewish religion. And the most amazing thing is that a lot of Karaites believe this myth.
…The founder of Karaite movement Anan Ben David couldn't envisage such misunderstanding even in nightmare, as he considered himself heir of Sadducees, composed largely of Jewish priestly aristocracy in the period of the Second Temple, politically and doctrinally opposed to the Pharisees, and cultivated Temple tradition. Ben-David didn't recognize Talmud, which he considered theological scholasticism, and called back to the original – Tora. No wonder that modern historians call Ben David "Jewish Luther": his aim was reformation of Judaism and restoration of its original face.
Well known, that Karaism was founded in Baghdad in the 8-th century under the impact of strict Islam and Jewish sects which denied Talmud. The Karaite doctrine based its tenets on the interpretation of the Scriptures and returning to the spirit and letter of Torah ("Karaite” means "Reading"). However, Rabbis claim that ambitious Anan Ben-David decided to revenge Baghdad Jewish community for not being elected an exilarch and originated a new movement. In some way or other, but on the verge of I and II millennium at least every tenth Jew – from Spain to Byzantium –confessed Judaism in Karaite version.
They were doomed to defeat because of lack of consistency and presence of a keen rival – Rabbi Saadia Gaon. He returned lost clarity and simplicity to Orthodox teaching making a great break through, that Catholic Church was supposed to do but failed, while being challenged by Protestantism. Saadia Gaon translated Torah to Arabic, increased number of religious schools ("eshivas") and simplified learning of Talmud.
By the 18-th century the fight had been over. Karaite movement steadily decreased and disintegrated to little communities. It was preserved in Muslim world, but on the North – Poland, Lithuania and Russia – the adherents tried to adjust to Christianity. As a result one confession was split into two streams and there is hardly any resemblance left between them.

"Search thoroughly in Torah…"

Jewish fundamentalists, Karaites, reject rabbinic authority and Talmudism; refuse to fulfill commandments, not mentioned in Torah. According to Chief Rabbi of Karait synagogue of Ramle Gabi Abraham they prey standing, like people used to prey at kings David and Solomon time. They don't follow strict rules of kashrut, introduced by Rabbis later. They are more democratic in their attitude to women than ultra orthodox Jews.
Karaites don't wear phylacteries. ("A Jew should know Torah by heart, remember it everywhere and always, and there is no need to put on boxes with commandments to head and hands", - says Dvir). They don't accept idea of "shabes-goy" – non-Jew, hired by a Jew to work on Saturday ("This rule is contrary to the basic law of Torah: don't work and don't force to work anyone instead of you"). They take off shoes in synagogue ("You mustn't enter sacred place with dirt and sewage on soles of your shoes").

 

Rabbi Gabi Abraham (AUTHOR PHOTO)
And most important: Karaites don't consider instructions of Rabbis as an obligation. "Regardless of Torah, rabbi can say that black is white, and his parishes can never contradict him. For us, however, Torah is more important than an opinion of the most respectable rabbi", - says Rabbi Gabi Abraham.
Denial of authorities played fatal role in the fate of the movement. "You must thoroughly look for an answer in Torah and don't rely on my opinion", - claimed Anan Ben-David. Karaites followed his advice and came to opposite conclusions, unable to find clear answer. Discussions and discordances split the new movement. The former powerful stream turned into multitude streamlets, as mushrooms after rain new schools and directions emerged.
The reformer of Judaism didn't allow deviations from Torah texts, but is it possible in real life? Is it possible not to take medical advice because it's said in Torah "I'm Lord, your healer"?
Eventually, almost six centuries after Ben-David’s death, leaders of Karaite movement realized the necessity of making their own comments to Torah. But by this time the fate of Jewish reform had been predetermined. As the State of Israel was proclaimed, the handful of Karaites returned to Holy Land from Egypt, Iraq and Turkey and it turned out they were supposed to suffer the fate of poor and unexpected relatives.

Without survival strategy

Karaite Anan Ben-David's synagogue with a little museum is situated in the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem Old City. Ancient Karaites’ books in Turkish, Lithuanian, Arabic languages; photos of synagogue founders; pictures of synagogue remnants destructed by Jordanian Legion; old carpets and manuscripts are exhibited here. The Head of Karaite community in Jerusalem Moshe Dabak recollects how he and his friends revived the synagogue from ruins, collected ancient exhibits and brought ancient Menorah from Egypt. "In spite of the risk we escaped taking ancient Menorah with us. We came to Jordan, and then Israel", - said Dabak smiling. He is proud of the synagogue reconstruction and told us about his plans to extend the museum. Dabak is preoccupied with his plans but reality is intruding on his idealistic world. It's ominous that Karaite community is crisis ridden, and doesn't know how to overcome it.
On one hand, it is a consequence of growing assimilation. It's inevitable, because Karaites work, serve in the army and learn side by side with other Israelis. Young people leave the community; its leaders don't consent to Karaite mixed marriages to Israeli girls, who, like good Samaritans, are ready to convert to Karaism.

 

Moshe Dabak (right) (AUTHOR article from newspaper "Novosti Nedely"
On the other hand, they have to oppose the constant pressure of Rabbinate. Members of the community are pushed out from Jewish world frame. "Rabbis are leading ambiguous game with us, - Dabak explains. – Formally they permit our children to study, but schools, which accept Karaites are maliciously attacked."
Karaites don't get enough money from the Ministry of Religion, says Dvir. Karaite communities are dispersed and Karaite children often feel isolated among Jewish children.
No doubt, Dvir has enough reasons to be offended. Unfortunately, history has no mercy on those who failed, and what is more dramatic –Karaites are guilty in their own defeat. At least – European Karaites.

Split Ways

Now we turn to metamorphosis of reincarnation happened to Anan Ben-David’s adherents at the spacious Russian steppes.
Karaites, together with Jews, appeared in Crimea and Azov area in the beginning of VII century. They settled in the capital of Crimean Khans – Solhate, and then – in Chufut-Kale. After the astounding growth of Lithuanian Princedom they began to move to the young Christian state.
Polish kings, as well as Lithuanian princes, and Tatar khans before, didn't make any distinctions between Rabbinists and Karaites. The Russian Empress Catherine, which got hundreds of thousands of Jews together with Crimea and East Poland, was the first ruler, who made such distinction. She decided to grant Karaites special privileges (the right to purchase land and exemption from taxation) though the rest of Jews continued to drag on a wretched existence of a despised minority. Eventually Karaites got full citizenship.

 

(Wikipedia) 
Strived to get rid of shameful mark of Jewry, they were ardent in their loyalty to the Czar, and gradually turned from "Karaite Jews" into simply "Jews". Finally local inhabitants began to forget who Karaites were, and finally the word itself was associated with something oriental – either Tatars, or Turkmens.
Karaites flourished. A lot of them became prominent landowners and entrepreneurs – owners of tobacco factories and salt-mines. This national minority with vague origin, but loyal and patriotic profoundly to the Court was in Czar’s good gracious. In 1863 Karaites, who had already got equal rights with Christian population de facto, got them legally. But to feel absolute first-class citizens, they had to rewrite their history. They needed a "legend", and got it. It was created by Shmuel Firkovich.

Shmuel Firkovich (Wikipedia)
Manipulating antic texts, the collector of Jewish manuscripts Shmuel Firkovich made "revolution" in history. Karaites, he said, are descendents of Hazars, which adopted Judaism in Karaite version. The purpose of Firkovich was very clear: Karaites should get rid of the burden of responsibility for the crucifixion of Christ and thus prove, that they are ethnical non-Jews.
Firkovich's "version" opened vast opportunities for new "researches". It was "found", that Karaites believe in Christ, that their ancestors were not only Hazars, but Crimean Muslims, who accepted "Jewish heresy". Eventually, not only Christians, but Karaites themselves couldn't distinguish between truth and fiction. But the falsehood won the game.
German Nazi didn't know what to do with Karaites. Either they were Jews or ethnical non-Jews who placed their faith in Jewish heresy? A letter of Russian Karaites, former officers of "White Guard", immigrated to Germany after the October coup, to Fuhrer determined their fate. The officers wrote that the Czar didn't consider Karaites Jews, and for Nazi’s bonzes it was a strong argument. Karaites were saved from Jews terrible fate.
And more so, Karaites even got protection from the Regime. When Vichy collaborators began to deport Karaites to death camps, they were stopped … by the Germans. Order was more important for Nazi, than excessive zeal, and according to "the order” Karaites were a separate nation with non-Jewish roots.
Last time fascists returned to Karaite descent on the threshold of "final solution". They asked their victims, Jews, for clarification. They appealed to three Jewish historians – Kalmanovich, Balaban and Shipher – to define Karaite origin. The historians saved the dissenters, ascribed to them Turkish genealogy.
Russian and Polish Karaites happily survived Holocaust, but their number diminished quickly due to assimilation. There were less than three thousands of Karaites in Russia and Lithuania by the middle of the past decade. But this tiny community is the largest in Diaspora. A lot of them are elderly people. and they feel quite comfortable in their homeland. Those who immigrate to Israel, prefer to be registered …as Jews, in order to begin new life easily and quietly. Without surge of fresh vigor Karaite's culture is dyeing.