AI en Translation, Pages 126-150
Page 126
Form Taha (12)
From: President of the Court of Cassation of Iraq
To: Chief Rabbi of the Mosaic Community in Baghdad
Number: 122 / 33
Date: 16 / 12 / 1933
Memorandum:
The court has decided that your presence is required before the Court of Appeal on January 29, 1934
at ten o'clock in the morning to clarify some matters regarding the lawsuit formed
between the head of the Israelite community in Basra and the teacher Abdullah Baruch and Rajah. Therefore,
please attend on the day and time mentioned.
⟦illegible signature⟧
President of the Court of Cassation of Iraq
A copy of it to the head of the Israelite community in Baghdad to also attend on the day and time mentioned
before the court.
Presidency of the Israelite Community
Baghdad
Special Number 1129
Date 18 / 12 / 33
To be filed
98
10/25
Dear Michel Effendi
Warm greetings
I received your memorandum dated today and I have instructed
the management of the Shamash School to fulfill the request made
however, I learned that the Ministry of Education had requested
the acting equipment for a temporary period, so it has become impossible
therefore to hand over the curtain to you. With respect,
For the sincere
72
⟦mirrored text from reverse side:⟧
BOARD OF MISSIONS
AMERICAN SCHOOL FOR BOYS
BAGHDAD IRAQ
MARCH 30 ⟦...⟧
⟦mirrored Arabic text⟧
Page 127
The Chief Rabbi of the City
Baghdad, may God protect it
Chief Rabbi of Baghdad Benjamin Hakham Moshi
CHIEF RABBI
BENJAMIN H. MOSHI
Baghdad
Number ⟦...⟧
Date January 11, 1933
His Excellency the President of the Court of Cassation of Iraq, the Respected
With reference to the letter numbered 122 / 933 and dated 12 / 16 / 933
It is not hidden from your Excellency that the Spiritual Council is composed of eight members and a president, and according to
the provisions of our religion, matters relating to religion, clarifications, and fatwas are referred to the Council
for all members to decide upon. Since the lawsuit discussed in your letter relates to religious matters
as we have understood, and in order for our council to be able to look into the clarifications for which you seek an answer
from the President, please send them in written form for deliberation and to provide the answer
to them in written form as well. With respect to your Excellency,
⟦illegible⟧
President of the Spiritual Council
A copy of it to the Honorable President of the Jewish Community
Presidency of the Jewish Community
Number 1186
Date 1 / 18 / 34
98
To be registered and kept
1/24
Page 128
General Form (11)
From — President of the Saray Court of Cassation — Number 22/
Date 13 / Shawwal / 1352
29 / 1 / 1934
To — Chief Rabbi of Baghdad —
Presidency of the Jewish Community
Baghdad
Special Number 2216
Date 5 / 1 / 934
Memorandum:
With reference to your letter numbered 106 and dated 11 / 1 / 1934
The matter was not a case of dispensing with the Spiritual Council, but rather to obtain some
clarifications from you regarding certain particulars relating to the case formed
between the Head of the Jewish Community in Basra and Muslim Abdullah and his request, therefore
please attend before this court on Thursday, corresponding to 1 / February / 934
at ten o'clock in the morning;
⟦G Alexander⟧
President of the Saray Court of Cassation
A copy of it to the Head of the Jewish Community in Baghdad
To attend on the day and time appointed before this court
To be registered and filed
88
Page 129
2527
28 December 944 / 10 / 4
Rabbi Daoud Yehuda Somikh
His Excellency the President of the Lay Council, the respected
After greetings and respect
We refer to your esteemed council the petition of Rabbi Daoud Yehuda Somikh
with the special papers to look into the jurisdiction of the case to your council,
⟦signature⟧
On behalf of
The Head of the Community
Attached: three papers
72
Page 130
Presidency of the Jewish Community
Baghdad
Number 2576
Date 6 February 1934
The Honorable and Distinguished Notables
Ibrahim Hayyim Effendi Moallem Nassim
Eliyahu Effendi Ezra Al-Mansi
<del>Khedhouri Effendi Sassoon Askar</del>
Selim Effendi Isaac the Lawyer
Ezra Effendi Eliyahu Al-Ani
Ezra Effendi Shahim Daniel
Meir Effendi ⟦Ina⟧
Harun Effendi Daoud Suhayt
Yehuda Effendi Saleh Zeloof
Youssef Effendi Al-Kabir the Lawyer
After greetings and respect
I request that you kindly attend the administration of the Jewish Community at
four o'clock in the afternoon next Sunday (11 / 2 / 1934) to discuss the issue of the dispute formed
between the head of the Jewish Community in Basra and Abdullah Baruch and his companions and to form a committee
to travel to Basra to resolve this dispute
With much respect to you in advance;
Sassoon Khedhouri
Head of the Community
88
Page 131
22 - 8
6 March 934
His Excellency the President of the Jewish Community, the Respected
Basra
After greetings and respect
The great hospitality I received from your presence and from the honorable members of the community upon my arrival
and return from Basra had the deepest impact on my soul, and the few days I spent in
your hospitality will remain in my memory as beautiful days that cannot be forgotten.
I can only offer here to your presence my great respect and gratitude, thanking
your generosity, hoping to remain sincere.
On behalf of
President of the Jewish Community
Page 132
2/198/7
22 Dhu al-Qi'dah 352 and 7 March 934
His Excellency the Respected President of the Court of Appeal
After greetings and respect
After I perform the duty of thanking the esteemed court for its kindness in answering my petition
and adjourning the lawsuit existing between the head of the Jewish community in Basra and Abdullah Barrio and his companions
to give me sufficient opportunity to mediate between the litigants.
I hope to inform Your Excellency that I have traveled to Basra with the Jewish Religious Court
for the purpose of averting the dispute, however, the matter of reconciliation has not yet reached a
decisive result.
With highest respect and honor to Your Excellency
⟦Alwan⟧
Head of the Jewish Community
Page 133
2612
7 March 934
His Eminence the Haham Bashi of Basra, the Respected
After greetings and respect,
The great hospitality I received from Your Eminence and from the honorable members of the community
upon my arrival and return from Basra has left the deepest impression on my soul, and the few days that
I spent as your guest will remain in my memory as beautiful, unforgettable days.
I can only offer Your Eminence my profound respect and gratitude,
thanking you for your generosity and hoping to remain sincerely yours,
Sassoon
Head of the Community
⟦illegible⟧
Page 134
Baghdad 27 Adar 5694
The Honorable Salman Effendi Daniel
Basra
After greetings and respect
Reference to your letter dated March 4, 1934
There is no doubt that our ultimate goal is to avoid the causes of the existing dispute between our brothers, which
as you know, was the reason for our visit to Basra. I would be most grateful if you would kindly
agree with Khadouri Effendi Al-Ani on the final demands you require and submit these
demands as quickly as possible to His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khadouri, President of the Community, for study
in the hope that we may succeed in settling the matter before the arrival of the blessed Passover, which I hope will come upon the community
while it is in a state of complete calm and reassurance.
Our greetings to all, and may you remain in respect,
⟦illegible⟧
President of the Jewish Religious Court
Baghdad
A copy of it to His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khadouri, the respected President of the Community
For information
Presidency of the Jewish Community
Baghdad
Private Number 1250
Date 14 / 3 / 934
81
Page 136
( 2 )
A - We do not do that, for we are people with much work and have no time to waste in saying prayers that are nothing
more than mere hollow words whose essence cannot be imagined.
The visible phenomena of the universe and its existence depend on its working parts and the exchange for
systems, and not on prayer and prayers.
Q - Do you not believe in the effect or influence of prayer?
A - Not in prayer specifically described by outward repetition, if by prayer you mean that
⟦external⟧ petition of the believer, because it is unknown; the Jews believed in it and the Persians accepted it.
Q - Is there another type of prayer?
A - Yes, undoubtedly, and we call it administrative prayer, which is a psychological matter more than it is
a petition.
Q - To whom do you pray then?
A - There is no ⟦person⟧ among us in heaven in this sense of the phrase in its hidden, not outward, meaning.
Q - Does the meaning differ from its theological meaning?
A - It does not differ entirely, for the Theosophist directs his prayer to "his Father" who is in secret. Read
and try to understand the Book of Matthew, Chapter Six, Verse 6.
Q - So you make man a lord?
A - Perhaps say the Lord and not a lord, for in our belief the inner soul is the only god
that we know.
And it was stated on page 55 as follows:
The cruel god of the Jews, likened to an envious man, the owner of bloody laws,
an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, the owner of these blood-shedding and animal-sacrificing laws, had to
be relegated to a secondary place.
And likewise on page 75 of it:
And the god who creates every soul to live for a short period of time,
indifferent to whether it will inhabit the body of a rich or happy man, or the body of a poor, suffering, wretched,
unlucky person from birth until death, has done nothing to deserve his cruel warning.
⟦line⟧
As for what was mentioned in the book "The Secret Wisdom" written by the aforementioned Madame Blavatsky, also Part
Two of it, page 254, this is its translation:
In this case, it is natural - even if we take the meaning literally, we may look
at the Devil mentioned in the Book of Genesis as the true god, the benefactor, and the father of spiritual mankind, because
he was the light-bearer and the shining, radiant star who opened the eyes of the moving image which, as it was said, was created by
the ⟦...⟧
And that he was the first to command that on the day we eat from it, we become like the Lord, knowing
( ⟦good from evil⟧ )
Page 137
( 3 )
It must be observed as a savior of God's opponent (the personal spirit) and still in the hidden truth (the Messenger)
The veiled angel, the Seraphim, and the Cherubim who taught us our duty and blessed us with spiritual eternity
instead of physical eternity, and as stated in the book of the writer King about the sect of infidels among Christians regarding
Ialdabaoth, whom many sects considered the God of Moses
Ialdabaoth is far from being a pure spirit because greed and pride had prevailed in his composition
Therefore, he determined to cut off all relations with his mother Achamoth and to create a world for himself
So he created man with the help of his own six spirits and wanted to make him an image of his preamble
But he failed in his endeavor completely and found that this production of his was a massive, soulless creature crawling on the ground
So the six spirits were forced to pass his sympathy again to their son in order to place the spirit in him, so he did that by sending
to him the divine light which he himself inherited from Achamoth.
And it was stated in the book "The Secret Doctrine" by its author Madame Blavatsky, page 796, what is quoted literally
⟦line⟧
Everything of our furniture falls subject to an inherent system, and it is difficult after forgetting a special type of
existence that nothing is produced from nothing, for we do not believe in miracles and for that reason we think of creation . .
From the National News newspaper, issue 17
20 August 941
Page 138
1 January 934
The honorable and distinguished notable Heskel Ezra Effendi Peres, respected
After greetings and respect
Further to our letter numbered 2514 and dated 31 December 933
The intention is to obtain for its bearer, named Levi Shalom, a travel ticket to Bombay.
Sincerely
On behalf of
The Head of the Community
⟦illegible⟧
98
Page 139
2518
28 December 933
2 January 934
The honorable and distinguished Khedhouri Effendi Lawee, respected
After greetings and respect,
I would be most grateful if you would kindly provide possible assistance
to the bearer of this letter, Saleh Yusuf, by giving him any work in your company after testing him.
I thank you in advance, and may you remain with respect.
Lu
⟦Sassoon⟧
Head of the Community
98
Page 140
⟦Administration⟧ Secretariat of the Jewish Community Administration
Baghdad
30 January 934
The Iraq Times
The Arab World
The Fourth Newspaper
Al-Istiqlal
Al-Ikha' Al-Watani
Yesterday (Tuesday), His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khedhouri, President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad,
and His Excellency Yehuda Effendi Zalouf, President of the Jewish Lay Council, had the honor of an audience
with His Majesty the Great King, and they offered to the Royal Throne the congratulations
and prayers of the Jewish community on the occasion of His Majesty's auspicious marriage;
⟦illegible⟧
Secretary
98
Page 141
Administration of the Israelite Community
Baghdad
Number 2562
Date 29 January 34
The Honorable Ezra Effendi Heskel Dallal
" " " Yaqub Effendi Yusuf Abraham "
" " " Heskel Ezra Effendi Saleh Zabli "
" " " Shabtai Effendi ⟦Muthir⟧ Hakham Shabtai, the respected
After greetings
I request your presence at the Community Administration at five
thirty in the afternoon next Thursday 2 / 2 / 934 - and stay well
⟦illegible⟧
Head of the Community
A copy of it to Daoud Yusuf Shamash to attend at the appointed time
98
Page 142
To the presence of the Honorable President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad
After greetings
I beg of your Excellency to mediate with the Director of Al-Kifl Sub-district, Mr. Tawfiq Effendi Al-Mukhtar
To assist us regarding Al-Kifl, peace be upon him, and other matters of the community there. I thank you, sir.
24 January 1924
Trustee of the Endowments of Al-Kifl, peace be
upon him
Reuel Yehuda
Presidency of the Jewish Community: Baghdad
Private Number: 1202
Date: 28 / 1 / 924
Page 143
2537
11 Shawwal 352 and 26 January 934
His Excellency the Governor of Hillah Province, the Respected
After greetings and respect
I would be most grateful if Your Excellency would be so kind as to extend
assistance to the bearer of my letter, Reuben Effendi Yehuda, the trustee of the endowment, regarding
the matters he will present to Your Excellency ⟦...⟧
To Your Excellency, utmost thanks and respect
Head of the Israelite Community
in Baghdad
98
Page 144
14 Shawwal 352 and 29 January 934
2522
His Excellency the Mutasarrif of Hillah Province, the Respected
After greetings and respect,
I wish to offer your Excellency many thanks for what you have done in terms of
assistance to the trustee of Al-Kifl, Rubin Effendi Yehuda and his sons. I attach a true copy
of the aforementioned's appointment over Al-Kifl, in the hope that you will kindly resolve this case soon.
I wish to repeat my thanks and gratitude to your Excellency;
⟦Sassoon⟧
Head of the Community
98
Page 145
Presidency of the Jewish Community
Baghdad
Number: 2558
Date: 28 January 934
The Iraq Times
Al-Tariq
Al-Istiqlal
Al-Araa Newspaper
Al-Ikhaa
The Arab World
In the name of the orphans and the sick, the Presidency of the Jewish Community in Baghdad offers to the threshold of His
Majesty the beloved King prayers and gratitude for the kindness and charity they received from His Majesty on the occasion
of his happy and auspicious marriage. This administration has received sheep, rice, fat, and wood to feed the orphans
and the poor. We ask the Almighty to make this blessed marriage a beginning of goodness and blessing for this
dear country;
H. D. ⟦9⟧
The President
98
Page 146
Presidency of the Jewish Community
נשיאות הקהלה היהודית - בגדד
PRESIDENT OF
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY - BAGHDAD
Baghdad
Number ::
NO::
Date ::
DATE::
Subject: ⟦line⟧
SUBJECT: ⟦line⟧
The Distinguished Al-Iqab Newspaper
After greetings and respect
His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khadhuri, President of the Jewish
Community, has donated one Dinar to the Child Protection Society and the
Greeting Card tax for the blessed Eid al-Fitr, as his eminence
will not perform the duty of visits in mourning for the great deceased,
the late His Majesty King Faisal I the Great.
May you remain in peace
Secretary
8 / 1 /
34
98
Page 147
4546
15 January 934
His Excellency the Director of General Revenues, Respected
After greetings and respect
The First Property Assessment Committee has estimated the income of the shop numbered
61 / D / 137 belonging to the endowments of the Beit Zilka Synagogue located in the Torah neighborhood at an amount of five Dinars
annually, and since its annual rent is only three Dinars, we request Your Excellency to instruct its assessment
anew and to reduce the tax amount in proportion to the rental value.
With respect to Your Excellency
⟦L...⟧
Sassoon
Head of the Community
98
Page 148
5/24
His Eminence the Honorable Chief Rabbi ⟦my respected hidden presence⟧
After respect,
And after, I express to your presence that the bearer,
my brother Saleh, the director of Tikrit station, is a good man and has a family
with us, and he has a case regarding his wife for which he submitted a petition
to your Eminence, and the woman is called Rosa
daughter of Yusuf Shofir, a resident of the ⟦Qanbar Ali⟧ neighborhood.
So I ask you to look into the case and order
fairness towards his wife if there is no legal
impediment, and please accept my sincere respect.
4/8/1924
Sincerely,
⟦illegible⟧
⟦...⟧
Page 149
7 / 2 / 934
His Excellency Abdul Aziz Bey
Fragrant greetings
And after, it was my wish to meet Your Excellency personally
but my poor health prevented what I desired.
The bearer of this letter, Reuben Effendi Yehuda,
the trustee of the shrine of our master Al-Kifl, has matters he wishes to present to Your Excellency
regarding the encroachments occurring there by some, and I would be
very grateful to Your Excellency if you would kindly take the necessary steps to end
these violations. To Your Excellency, my abundant respects.
Sincerely,
⟦illegible⟧
Head of the Community
98
Page 150
7/2/34
His Excellency the Honorable Mawlud Mukhlis Pasha
Respected Vice President of the Senate
Greetings and respect
With reference to your letter dated February 5, 934, I have
referred the petition of Ishaq Effendi Saleh to the
Israeli Religious Court in Baghdad, which is the authority
for complaints of this kind, and I have recommended to it what you requested
I hope to remain sincerely yours
Sassoon
Head of the Community