KARMI:

Family name, the Biblical "Carmi" (Num. xxvi. 6); it was used, according to Gross, as a gentilic adjective to the French "Crémieu" or "Crémieux" (= "Kerem Ṭob"), name of a county of the department of Isère, where many Jews were living in the Middle Ages, and to "Cremiacum," a place in the Dauphiné; it was changed at the beginning of the seventeenth century to "Crémieux."

Karmi:

Copied, in 1583, MS. No. 1424 of the Codex de Rossi.

Abraham Karmi.

See Jassuda and Abraham Karmi.

David ben Joseph Karmi:

Lived at Carpentras, France, where he often delivered public discourses in the synagogue on the Sabbath, in 1621 and 1622, during the rabbinate of his teacher Solomon Ezobi.

Elhanan David Karmi:

Died at Reggio, Kislew 8, 1643. He wrote glosses to the Shulḥan 'Aruk, which were praised by Benjamin Coen in the funeral oration which he preached at Elhanan's death ("Gebul Binyamin," p. 29).

D. A. Pe.Elijah Karmi:

Teacher at Carpentras, France; lived at the end of the seventeenth century. Elijah Karmi collected, under the title "Seder Tamid," the prayers in use among the Jews of the four communities of Avignon, Carpentras, L'Isle, and Cavillon (Avignon, 1767).

Bibliography:
  • Fürst, Bibl. Jud. i. 143;
  • Gross, Gallia Judaica, pp. 262, 263.
S. S. I. Br.Isaiah Karmi:

Lived at Reggio about the same time as Jacob Israel Karmi; pupil of R. Israel Benjamin Bassan, who died there about 1790. Isaiah was, apparently, a teacher of the Talmud. He is praised as a poet and preacher by his pupil Hananiah Elhanan Hai Coen, rabbi of Florence.

Jacob Israel Karmi:

Rabbi at Reggio in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; pupil of Jacob Moses 'Ayyas, rabbi at Ferrara, in whose house he met Hananeel Neppi, subsequently rabbi of Ferrara, who was an intimate friend of Jacob.

Jassuda and Abraham Karmi:

Two wealthy and educated brothers living at Carpentras about the middle of the eighteenth century. Abraham, rabbinical judge there, devoted himself throughout his life to the development of Hebrew poetry.

Joseph Jedidiah ben Benjamin Jekuthiel Karmi:

Went to Modena in 1612; in 1623 was appointed ḥazzan and teacher at the synagogue of the brothers Ausilio in that city. Although his brother-in-law Aaron Berechiah had published at this time a collection of prayers for vigils, Joseph undertook a similar work, but consisting of his own compositions only, to which he added a commentary, printing the book at his own expense under the title "Kenaf Renanim" (Venice, 1626). These prayers have a haggadic, mystical tinge, and are for all the week-days and festivals.

Leon Karmi of Hamburg:

Wrote the apologetic work entitled "De Charitate et Benevolentia a Christianis erga Judæos Habenda ab Evangelica Lege Extractus" (Amsterdam, 1643).

Menahem Karmi:

Author of Talmudic collectanea contained in Luzzatto's MS. No. 66.

Mordecai Karmi:

Son of Abraham Karmi; died at Aix in 1825. He was one of the most learned rabbis of France, and was distinguished for the nobility of his character as well as for his writings. His "Ma'amar Mordekai" is a commentary on Shulḥan 'Aruk, printed at Leghorn in 1784. His "Dibre Mordekai," a Talmudic polemic against his friend Azulai, was also printed at Leghorn, according to Nepi.

Moses Karmi:

Son of Solomon Karmi; died at Aix in 1837. In 1790 he accompanied his father and his uncle Mordecai ben Abraham, who was also his father-in-law, to Aix, where he was appointed rabbi. Between 1829 and 1836 he was engaged on his "Ho'il Mosheh Be'er," written in rabbinical Hebrew. Vols. i.-vi. contain a commentary on the daily prayers and the prayers for special occasions; vols. vii.-x. form a supercommentary to Ibn Ezra on Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Proverbs, and Job. The whole work has not yet been printed.

Samuel ben Yoma Karmi:

Was living at Carpentras in 1631.

Saul Raphael Karmi:

Jonah Gerondi dedicated to him, in 1586, his "Iggeret ha-Teshubah."

Simson Karmi:

Emigrated in the fifteenth century from Chambéry, department of Savoy, to Italy.

Solomon Karmi:

Son of Abraham Karmi; rabbi of Carpentras after the death of his father. At the age of eighteen he wrote "Ḥesheḳ Shelomoh," notes to Rashi's commentaries and to the Pentateuch Midrashim (Leghorn).

Bibliography:
  • R. E. J. ix. 243, 254-255; xi. 114; xii. 203-221;
  • Steinschneider, Hebr. Bibl. xii. 118:
  • Wolf, Bibl. Hebr. ii. 132;
  • Nepi-Ghirondi, Toledot Gedole Yisrael, pp. 23, 36, 104, 115, 186;
  • Zunz, Literaturgesch. p. 423;
  • idem, Z. G. pp. 239 (note 6), 365;
  • Mortara, Indice Alfabetico, p. 10;
  • Literarisches Beiblatt to Allg. Zeit. des Jud. 1839. No. 8, p. 29;
  • Carmoly, in Allg. Zeit. des Jud. 1840, p. 411;
  • Steinschneider, Cat. Bodl. cols. 1198, 1448, 1657;
  • Gross, Gallia Judaica, pp. 261-263.
D. A. Pe.
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