Rabbi Eliyahu Chazan was born in Smyrna in the mid-19th century. After settling in Jerusalem in his youth, his scholarly reputation grew, and he was appointed secretary and then judge of the Sephardic rabbinic court. While on a fundraising trip, he agreed to remain as rabbi in Tripoli, where he stayed for 14 years and helped develop key community institutions, including an organized Jewish educational system that included languages and other studies he believed were essential to modern life. Chazan then served as chief rabbi in Alexandria for 20 years until his death. He was influential in developing these communities, especially regarding maintaining traditional Jewish life in a changing world.