Dunash ben Labrat

• Rehavia street names honor the Jewish writers of Medieval Spain. Dunash ben Labrat’s (http://www.blogger.com/(http://www.poetry-portal.com/poets20.html) name is otherwise forgotten except by scholars who know about his refutation of ibn Saruk (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Saruk.html), a grammarian whose street is a few minutes’ walk away.
• Tens of thousands sing another work by ben Labrat every week, for he composed Dror Yikra (Let Freedom be Proclaimed), a Sabbath-table song. It works well to the tune of "We Sailed on the Ship John B" ("I Want to Go Home").
• See also http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/my-jerusalem-neighborhood.html

Copyright 2006 Jane S. Fox

Jerusalem, Israel