Voices from the Archive

IJA 2727

Citizenship Correspondence between Iraqi Government and Jewish Community; Synagogue Financial Information

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Description

These are documents relating to the Baghdadi Jewish community, many about Iraqi citizenship. Included are various correspondences between the Jewish community and the Iraqi government. Correspondence with the Secretary General of the Frozen Fund Administration regarding the revocation of Iraqi citizenship of employees at Jewish establishments and daily payment of workers; a letter with names and salaries of employees; a letter from the Secretariat for Monitoring and Managing the Funds of the Jews to the Jewish Hospital Council proclaiming Jewish Iraqi citizenship and permitting employers to pay the employees but freeze a percentage of their salary for the Secretariat. Correspondence with the Secretariat to Monitor and Manage the Funds of the Jews: proclaiming Iraqi Citizenship to the Directorate of Travel and Citizenship, and to the President of the Jewish Community verifying if certain people are having their Iraqi citizenship revoked; requesting the release of a Jewish community fund; the formation of a committee to manage the affairs of David Ezra Synagogue; inquires related to property; request to exempt the Jewish poor from paying tax on their belongings when leaving Iraq; a request to return a shop belonging to the Jewish community; paying the Jewish cemetery guard accumulated salaries; returning an endowed Jewish property; provisions to help the Jewish poor; releasing items belonging to Ḥevrah Ḳadishah (burial society) for Jewish burial; returning the endowed eye hospital and pharmacy; Information about Hebrew religious books in the storage of the Directorate; letters between the President of the Jewish Community and Iraqi government offices regarding exchanging information and answering inquiries, the heirs of Jewish deceased, names, Jewish hospital operations, property tax, lifting the "hand" from the Jewish community funds, and management of the Jewish community funds. Documents relating to Baghdadi Synagogues: an inventory from Mindili Synagogue; correspondence between the Committee on the Administration of Ezra Synagogue and the Directory of Rights and Commercial Matters regarding the members of Ezra Synagogue citizenship status; correspondence from the Jewish Lay Council and banks about opening a bank account for Ezra Synagogue; correspondence from the Lay Council to the Secretary General of the frozen funds regarding the name of the Ezra synagogue committee. Correspondence between the Jewish Lay Council to the General Secretariat regarding exporting 100 Jewish books to without paying for the silver cover; a reply from Municipality of Rights and Commercial Matters to permit the export of the books if it had no silver cover; the Jewish presidency’s reply that it is a family owned, there are not commercial items, and it is against the freedom of religion law. Correspondence from Rabbi Sassoon Khedouri: to the General Directorate of Import regarding Iraqi Jewish property taxes, the Jewish properties exempted from tax, hospitals, schools and orphanages; to the Chairman of the Property requesting a copy of plans and documents of properties belonging to the Jewish community; to the Director of Property Tax requesting a reduction or exemption of property tax for demolition or vacancy reasons.

Metadata

Archive Reference
IJA 2727
Item Number
11978
Date
Approx. January 1, 1951 to December 31, 1960
Languages
Arabic
Keywords
Annotation, Architectural Plans, Baghdadi Jewish Community, Burial, Burial Society, Butcher, Charity, Correspondence, Czechoslovakia, Debts, Director of Import, Doctors, Endowment, Ezra Menahem Daniel, Ezra Synagogue, Financial, Frank Iny School, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Furniture, Hakham Sassoon Khedouri, Handwritten, Ḥevrah Ḳadishah, Identification Card, Immovable Properties, Inventory, Iranian Bank, Jewish Hospitals, Jewish Hospitals Committee, Kosher, Lawrence Khedouri Primary School, Lawsuit, Marriage, Marriage Certificates, Meir Elias Hospital, Menorah, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Municipality of Accounts, Nahum, Naḥum, Nurses, Ottoman Bank, Paris, Patients, Pharmacy, Property Tax, Receipts, Reemah Kadoorie Eye Hospital, Reem Khadory Clinic, Rent, Stamps

AI English Translation, Pages 426-450

Archival unit 426

Presidency of the Mosaic Community
in Baghdad
Telephone Number { 83531 President
5452 Secretary
Number T /: 59 / ⟦illegible⟧
Date: 13 / 12 / 1959
Subject:
Honorable Director General of Revenues
Greetings
Reference to our letter numbered T / 200 / 59 dated 26 / 10 / 1959
On 1 / 12 / 1959, we leased the property numbered 234 B / 94 Hanun al-Kabir for an annual
rent of 70/- Dinars. Please deduct the tax from the aforementioned date.
Please accept our utmost respect
Rabbi Sassoon Khadhuri
Acting President of the Community

Archival unit 427

Administrative Committee for Iraqi Jews
Telephone Number 5452
Number: <del>429</del> 61 /
Date: 20 / 7 / 1961
Subject ::
Honorable Director of Real Estate Tax - Al-Rusafa
Greetings,
The shop numbered 158 C / 158 Shorja (Dahana) was demolished by us on 17 / 7 / 1961
Please exempt it from property tax.
Please accept our highest respect
Chairman of the Administrative Committee
Salman Daniel

Archival unit 428

Administrative Committee for Iraqi Jews
Telephone Number 5452
Number: 61/
Date: 20 / 7 / 1961
Subject:
⟦25⟧
His Excellency Director of Property Tax - Rusafa - Respected
After greetings
The shop numbered 158 / 158 Shorja (Dahana) was demolished by us on 1 / 7 / 1961. Please
exempt it from property tax.
Please accept our highest respect
Chairman of the Administrative Committee
Salman Daniel
⟦illegible ghosted text⟧

Archival unit 429

Administrative Committee for Iraqi Jews
Telephone Number 5452
Number :: 444/17/8/61
Date :: 1961/8/14
Subject ::
251
His Excellency the Director of Property Tax - Rusafa - Respected
After greetings
The property numbered 1 D / 131 Qanbar Ali, which was rented as a shop, has been
vacant since the date 1/1/1960. Please exempt it from property tax.
Please accept our highest respect
Chairman of the Administrative Committee
⟦signature⟧
⟦illegible stamp⟧

Archival unit 430

Administrative Committee for Iraqi Jews
Telephone Number 5452
Number: 445/17/8/61
Date: 1961/8/14
Subject:
252
His Excellency the Director of Property Tax - Rusafa - Respected
Greetings,
The shop numbered 137/76 in the Al-Tawrat neighborhood is demolished, therefore please exempt it from
property tax.
Please accept our highest respect.
Chairman of the Administrative Committee
⟦Sassoon Khadhuri⟧

Archival unit 431

Administrative Committee for Iraqi Jews
Telephone Number 5452
Number: 61 / ⟦4⟧
Date: 1961/8/14
Subject:
252
His Excellency Director of Property Tax in Rusafa - Respected
After greetings
The shop numbered 72 d / 103 ⟦Qadir Ali⟧ is leased for an annual rent of -/60 Dinars, so please
Your Excellency, calculate the tax on this basis.
Please accept our highest respect
Chairman of the Administrative Committee
⟦Sassoon Khadhuri⟧

Archival unit 432

Administrative Committee for Iraqi Jews
Telephone Number 5452
Number 21/
Date 1961/8/14
Subject
His Excellency the Director of Real Estate Tax - Rusafa - Respected
After greetings
The shop numbered 72 H / 103 Qanbar Ali is leased for an annual rent of -/6 Dinars, so please
Your Excellency, calculate the tax on this basis.
Please accept our highest respect
Chairman of the Administrative Committee
⟦Sassoon Khedhouri⟧
Chairman of the Administrative Committee
⟦illegible⟧

Archival unit 433

Administrative Committee for Iraqi Jews
Telephone Number 5452
Number: 617
Date: 14 / 8 / 1961
Subject:
His Excellency the Director of Rusafa Real Estate Tax - Respected
Greetings,
The shop numbered 72 w / 103 Qanbar Ali is leased for an annual rent of - / 6 Dinars, so please
Your Excellency, calculate the tax on this basis.
Please accept our highest respect
Chairman of the Administrative Committee
⟦illegible⟧

Archival unit 434

Administrative Committee for Iraqi Jews
Telephone Number 5452
Number 61/
Date 1961/8/14
⟦1961/8/14⟧
Subject
His Excellency the Director of Property Tax - Al-Rusafa - Respectfully
After greetings
The house numbered 137/61 in the Al-Tawrat neighborhood is demolished, therefore please exempt it from the depreciation tax.
Please accept our highest respect
Chairman of the Administrative Committee
⟦signature⟧
⟦illegible⟧

Archival unit 435

Administrative Committee for Iraqi Jews
Telephone Number 5452
Number: 61 /
Date: 14 / 8 / 1961
Subject:
His Excellency the Director of Property Tax - Al-Rusafa - Respected
Greetings,
The shop number doors 156 / 242 in Al-Kulat neighborhood is demolished, therefore please exempt it from property tax.
Please accept our highest respect
Chairman of the Administrative Committee
⟦signature⟧
⟦faint blue stamp: Administrative Committee ⟦illegible⟧⟧

Archival unit 436

Administrative Committee for Iraqi Jews
Telephone Number 5452
Number 61/
Date 14 / 8 / 1961
Subject
558
Honorable Director of Property Tax - Al-Rusafa
Greetings,
The shop numbered 72 C / 103 Qanbar Ali is leased for an annual rent of 6 Dinars, so please
calculate the tax on this basis.
Please accept our highest respect.
Chairman of the Administrative Committee
⟦signature⟧
Chairman of the Administrative Committee

Archival unit 437

Administrative Committee for Iraqi Jews
Telephone Number 5452
Number: 61 / ⟦illegible⟧
Date: 14 / 8 / 1961
Subject:
459
The Honorable Director of Property Tax - Al-Rusafa
Greetings,
The shop numbered 72 Z / 103, Qanbar Ali neighborhood, is leased for an annual rent of 6 Dinars. Please
calculate the tax on this basis.
Please accept our highest respect.
Chairman of the Administrative Committee
Chairman of the Administrative Committee
⟦illegible⟧

Archival unit 438

Administrative Committee for Iraqi Jews
Telephone Number 5452
Number: ⟦907⟧
Date: 14/8/51
Subject:
Copy to the Department
46
To the Honorable Director of Property Tax - Rusafa
Greetings,
The shop numbered 72 B/103 in Qanbar Ali neighborhood is leased for an annual rent of 6/- Dinars, so please
calculate the tax on this basis.
Please accept our highest respect.
Chairman of the Administrative Committee
⟦illegible⟧

Archival unit 439

Administrative Committee for Iraqi Jews
Telephone Number 5452
Number:
Date: 08/21/1961
Subject:
⟦illegible⟧
To
The Honorable Director of Land Registry - Al-Rusafa
Baghdad
Subject / Request for a map copy
Presented,
Please be so kind as to provide us with a copy of the registration and a map for property sequence 4 / 212
Al-Sinak neighborhood, which is under the trusteeship of this committee.
Please accept our highest respect
Chairman of the Administrative Committee
Trustee of the Waqf of Heskel Menahem Daniel
⟦illegible⟧

Archival unit 440

Administrative Committee for Iraqi Jews
Telephone Number 5452
Number: 21/427
Date: 11/2/1961
Subject: Property Tax ⟦...⟧
To the Honorable Director of Property Tax Baghdad - Rusafa
Greetings,
With reference to the warning addressed to this committee under number 2968 dated 10/25/1961, which was notified to us on 10/29/1961.
We enclose herewith a check drawn on the Ottoman Bank in Baghdad, number 727981 dated 10/21/61, for the amount of 1160/- Dinars. Please note that the rental value of the mentioned property is 2304/- Dinars and not 2900/- Dinars as stated in your warning. Therefore, please calculate the tax on this basis. As for the remaining amount, we would like to inform you that the Ministry of Health had been leasing this property since 4/8/1952 and used it as a Maternity Hospital, and the aforementioned Ministry used to deduct the property tax directly. Please contact the Ministry of Health regarding this matter.
Please accept our highest respect
Vice Chairman of the Committee
A copy to:-
Ministry of Health - for confirmation, as the
Rusafa Property Tax office has begun demanding
the Administrative Committee for the remaining property
tax for the building leased by
your esteemed Ministry, which was used
as a maternity hospital.

Archival unit 441

Presidency of the Mosaic Community
in Baghdad
83531 President
Telephone Number {
5452 Secretary
Number T /: 62 /
Date: 2/ /1961
Subject: ⟦line⟧
His Excellency the Director of Baghdad Land Registry - Al-Rusafa - Respected
After greetings
Please provide us with a copy of the registration and a map for the property sequence 529 Bab Al-Agha
belonging to this Presidency.
Please accept our highest respect
Rabbi Sassoon Khadhuri
Acting President of the Community
⟦Urgent⟧

Archival unit 442

Presidency of the Mosaic Community
in Baghdad
Telephone Number { 83531 President
5452 Secretary
Number T/: 61 /
Date: 1 / 2 / 1961
Subject:
His Excellency the Director of Tapu for Baghdad Governorate - Al-Rusafa - Respected
After greetings
Please provide us with two copies of the registration record and a map for the property sequence 312, Al-Tawrat neighborhood
Door numbers 94/393 and 73/139 Tawrat belonging to this Presidency.
Please accept our highest respect
Rabbi Sassoon Khadhuri
Acting President of the Community
⟦Assistant⟧

Archival unit 443

Honorable
⟦large blue ink scribbles and stylized signatures⟧
⟦faint illegible text and bleed-through from reverse side⟧
⟦stylized signature in blue ink at bottom left⟧

Archival unit 444

To the Director General of Real Estate Departments - Al-Rusafa - Respectfully
After greetings
Please provide us with a copy of the registration for the real estate numbered 212, neighborhood
Al-Tawrat, door number ⟦292⟧ / 72 in Turan
Belonging to the endowments of this council, included in the endowment
Walandam
Walandam

Archival unit 445

Presidency of the Jewish Community
in Baghdad
Number T /: 276 / 61
Date: 20 / 2 / 1961
Telephone Number: 83531 / 5452
Subject ::
His Excellency the Director of Land Registry (Tapu) of Baghdad - Rusafa - Respected
After greetings
With reference to your letter numbered 372 and dated 17 / 1 / 1961 and received on 12 / 2 / 1961 regarding
the registration of property sequence 169 Taht al-Takiya in the name of the heirs of Shlomo Yaqub Ahdia.
We would like to inform you that the mentioned property is a Torah (synagogue) and this is supported by the Land Registry records and files organized 74 years ago
and that it is an endowment (waqf) of the community's endowments in its capacity as a Torah (synagogue) and that the Presidency of the Community has been managing it and in possession of it before
the date of registration, i.e., 74 years ago, and it is still until now managing it and in possession of it, and that the heirs of
Shlomo Yaqub Ahdia have no connection to it.
Accordingly, and based on the fifth paragraph of Article Sixty-Nine of the Land Registry (Tapu) Regulation of 1959, the renewed
registration shall be in the name of the Jewish Community.
Please accept our highest respect
Rabbi Sassoon Khadhuri
Acting President of the Community
A copy of it to :-
His Excellency the Judge of Personal Matters in Baghdad - for your kind information
His Excellency the Secretary General for the Supervision of the Property of Jews Deprived of Iraqi Citizenship
for your kind information.
His Excellency the Director of Travel and Nationality. For your kind information.

Archival unit 446

To the Director of Baghdad Land Registry ⟦...⟧ Al-Rusafa - Respectfully
Greetings and respect
Reference to your letter numbered 774 and dated 17 / 8 / 1961
and received on 12 / 9 / 1961 regarding the registration of property ⟦...⟧
146 under Jadid Al-Shaya in the name of the heirs of Shlomo Yaqub Ovadia.
We wish to inform you that the mentioned ⟦...⟧ is a Torah ⟦...⟧
for the shop whose debts belong to ⟦...⟧ the original Land Registry records
which were organized 74 years ago. In view of what ⟦...⟧ of
the community's endowments ⟦...⟧ the Rabbi of the community in the form of a Torah
and that ⟦...⟧ has disposed of it and was in possession of it before
the date of ⟦...⟧ registration, i.e., 74 years ago, and it still is
until now, and the heirs of Shlomo Yaqub Ovadia have disposed of it
and are in possession of it, and since it has become clear to you that the property is registered
in the name of ⟦...⟧
Accordingly, and based on the second paragraph of Article Sixty-Nine
of the Land Registry Regulation of the year 952, the esteemed Court of Cassation decides
in the name of the Mosaic community ⟦...⟧ This, and please accept our highest respect
⟦illegible⟧

Archival unit 447

⟦...⟧ in the name of
⟦...⟧
A copy of it to
1) His Excellency the Governor of the Patent ⟦...⟧
His Excellency ⟦...⟧
His Excellency the Secretary General for the Control of Frozen Jewish Property, the Respected
His Excellency the Director of Travel and Nationality
Baghdad

Archival unit 448

Republic of Iraq
Directorate of Tapu Baghdad Al-Rusafa
Sequence
⟦129⟧ Under assignment
Number:
Date: 24 / 12 / 1960
Subject:
Personal Status Court in Baghdad
Reference to the ⟦Sharia⟧ distribution from your court under number 207 / Sh / 1960 and date 15 / 11 / 1960
Information from the concerned parties that the deceased Khozin Shouri Ibrahim Yaqoub Ovadia holds the nationality
Czechoslovakian based on the residence book numbered 1080 with file number 939/465 attached herewith
Which requires verifying whether there is inheritance between Iraqis and Czechoslovakians while making
The necessary amendments to the mentioned distribution and then returning it to us please.
Abdul Aziz Al-Hassani
Director of Tapu Baghdad Al-Rusafa
Qasim Muhammad Al-Janabi
Attachments 1 - Residence book
A copy of it to - The General Secretariat for the Supervision and Administration of the Property of Jews Stripped of Iraqi Nationality
Please inform us whether your secretariat has seized the property mentioned above
Or not, as the concerned parties applied to register it again as pure property in the name of the heirs of
Shlomo Yaqoub Ovadia, and we noticed on the file that it is registered as Torahs...
Travel and Nationality Police Directorate - Please confirm to us that the Jews Sassoon Khedhouri
Ovadia and Yaqoub Ibrahim Yaqoub Ovadia and Ezra Abdullah Shimon Cohen who
Hold non-revocation of Iraqi nationality IDs numbered 2218, 404, and 2426
Dated 13 / 7 / 952, 18 / 3 / 951, and 25 / 4 / 958 respectively
Still retain Iraqi nationality.
Presidency of the Israelite Community, please state your relationship to the mentioned Torahs and whether they are
Under your disposal, as an application was made to register them as pure property in the name of the heirs of Shlomo Yaqoub
Ovadia.
His Eminence the Rabbi
President of the Israelite Community (Respected)
17/01

Archival unit 449

Presidency of the Mosaic Community
in Baghdad
Telephone Number { 83531 President
5452 Secretary
Number T/: 62 /
Subject:
Date: 21 / 2 / 1961
His Excellency the Director of Land Registry of Baghdad Governorate - Al-Rusafa - Respected
After greetings
Please provide us with a copy of the registration and a map for the property sequence 17/326, Al-Kulat
district, belonging to this Presidency ⟦line⟧
Please accept our highest respect
Rabbi Sassoon Khedouri
Acting President of the Community
Sassoon

Archival unit 450

h
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧ tape ⟦illegible⟧
Respectable Mr. Director of ⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧ greetings
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧
17 / ⟦illegible⟧ / ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧
With highest respect
⟦illegible⟧
Special ⟦illegible⟧