Nuro, Abrohom (1923–2009) [Syr. Orth.]

Educator and modern reformer.

Educator and modern reformer. He was born Ibrahīm Kahlajī (later Syriacized his name to Abrohom Nuro) in Edessa , then migrated to Aleppo with the massive Edessan exodus of 1924. In 1946 he joined the University of St. Joseph, Lebanon, and studied law, only to withdraw in the final year due to illness. From the 1950s he began to work in the field of Syriac, especially teaching the language, and was the first to introduce Kthobonoyo Syriac as the spoken language at home (first with his sisters, and much later in life with his wife). He lived in Beirut from 1964 until 1982 where he taught Syriac at Taw Mim Simkath School, 1970–71 (and earlier in the 1940s), Kaslik (1967–68). After 1943 he organized more than 45 Syriac-language evening courses in Aleppo, Beirut, Qamishli, and the Monastery of Mor Gabriel . He developed an audio-visual pedagogical method called Suloqo, later published in book form. His reform proposals include printing Syriac in separate letters (al-Isṭrangiliyya al-Mustaqilla with Karim Shahan [Beirut, 1967]), a partial vocalization system for schools (see *Suloko *[Holland, 1989]), and hundreds of neologisms for modern technical terms, many of which are now standard in Kthobonoyo Syriac (see Tawldotho 1997, and the appendix to Manna’s dictionary [2nd ed. 1975]). In 1967, he published My Tour, a report on the state of the Syr. Orth. Church, but also rich with pictures of Syriac scholars from Joseph Assemani (1687–1768) to Nöldeke (1836–1930). His private library is rich with books published in the Middle East during the 1800s and 1900s, most of which were acquired by G. Kiraz and the Beth Mardutho Library. His unpublished works include a checklist of the Syriac books in his collection and various studies in draft form.

See Fig. 93.