The Mamluk-Ottoman Transition: Continuity and Change in Egypt and Bilād al-Shām in the Sixteenth Century, 2

Michael Winter (1934-2020),aprofessor at the Department of Middle Eastern and African History at TelAviv University, wasamensch. This illusiveYiddish praise is hard to explain, but when you see someone who deserves this appreciation, you simply know it. AndM ichael wasd efinitely it, as as cholar, as a teacher, and as acolleague. Michael studied the Mamlukand Ottoman Middle East.Hewas interested in the shorter-and longer-term transitionsb etween the periods. Instead of separating the Mamluks and the Ottomans, Michael connected the periods and looked for links and transitions. His reminded us that ap olitical distinction between the twoearly-modern empires waspart of the historical reality but never all of this reality. His focus wasthe human experience in the Middle East. Michael'sn umerous interests, the vast breadth of his knowledge, and his complete command of Arabic and Ottoman Turkish allowedhim to encompass a staggering variety of topics, ranging from ʿulama ̄ʾ ,shaykhs, to amirs and sultans, bureaucrats, soldiers, and diplomats. He wroteintellectual history but many of his published works deal with political and social questions. His publications include, for instance,studies on the writing of ʿAbd al-Wahha ̄bal-Sha c ra ̄n ı ̄,the important sixteenth century Sufia uthor; ʿAli Ba ̄sha ̄Muba ̄rak and ʿAbd al-Rah ̇man al-Jabartı ̄as sources for Egyptian popular culture in the nineteenth century; the judiciary of late Mamluka nd early Ottoman Damascus; Mamluk relationship with Ethiopia; SultanS elim I'so bsession with MamlukE gypt according to Evliya Çelebi;a nd the Arab self-image as reflected in Jordanian textbooks. These are onlyafew examples of abroad and rich work that spanned over forty years from the 1970s to the 2010s in English, Hebrew, and Arabic. Michael wasateacher. He had many students, some of whom matured under his mentorship to become leading scholars themselves in Israel and elsewhere. In fact, he wasm ore than at eacher-he wasa ne ducator. Early in his career,h e served as an inspector in the Ministry of Education in Israel, working mainly with Arabic-speaking schools. The spiritofmentoring and caring for students, on top of teaching themh istory, stayed with him decades later. Students positively responded.Students enrolled to his classes not because he wasa'cool' professor (he wasnot), or because he wasaneasy grader (he wasnot); they did so because they could not but notice he took his responsibilities as ateacher seriously, and that he took them seriously as young adults. All who worked with him will vouch that Michael wasavery good colleague. He generously shared his knowledgeand sources. He gaveahand to colleagues who needed advice and help in-and outside academia. He carried out several administrativep ositions, such as headingt he Department of Middle Eastern & African History at TAU and for many years acted as the academic advisor for Master'sstudents. These roles are part of academic leadership and our responsibility toward our academic institutions,o ur colleagues and our students. However, these roles are time consuming and cut back on time devoted to research. Michael wasar ole model how one fulfilled his obligationo ut of full commitment. Michael combined an erudite scholarship,asense of self-worth with modesty, balancing academic career with being avery devoted family man. He had many academic successes and received much international appreciation. Yet he continued to be unassuming and uncondescending. He possessed integrity. He was someone studentsand colleagues could rely on, to admire and strivetoemulate. In short, Michael Winter wasamensch. His passing is ag reat loss to the academic community, his manyf riends, colleagues, students, and aboveall his family. 7A lan Mikhail, God'sS hadow: Sultan Selim, His Ottoman Empire, and the Making of the Modern World (New York: W.W. Norton, 2020), 343-63. In Mikhail'sodyssey on the global consequences of the Ottoman conquestofSyria and Egypt, the consequences for the eastern Mediterranean region are unduly minimized. 8T he concept of an "Ottoman lake" is disputed, if it is taken to mean complete Ottoman control of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, but the expansion of Ottoman and Syrian interests into the area is indisputable.