AI English Translation, Pages 26-50
BAGHDAD
From the Post Office
Dated 19 / 10 / 19
To: His Eminence the Hakham Bashi of Baghdad
Greetings, since the insured registered letter No. 9 sent
on March 27 ⟦illegible⟧ to your address has arrived in a damaged condition,
please collect it from this office either in person or by an authorized agent who must present this notice with
your endorsement at the bottom. The item may be opened at the post office in the presence of a responsible postal official. If it appears that
something of its contents has been lost, a list of the contents shall be drawn up which must be signed by you or your agent and the officer in
whose presence the item was opened. Thereafter, official investigations shall commence.
Postmaster
Working Hours
From 8 to 12 AM
From 3 to 5 PM
Further to the above. I authorize ⟦line⟧
⟦line⟧ to receive or to open, on behalf of the damaged item:
Signature of the Addressee
C / 1152
May 22, 1930
His Excellency the Postmaster General
After greetings,
Reference to your memorandum dated 19/5/1930
We have no connection with Paris, therefore the letter
numbered 90 sent in Paris 63 does not concern us;
⟦illegible stamp⟧
Acting Chief Rabbi
The Chief Rabbi
N. M.
Invn. 3.
BAGHDAD
From ⟦line⟧ Post Office
The ⟦line⟧ 19⟦line⟧
To ⟦line⟧
⟦line⟧
SIR,
AN insured uninsured registered letter parcel No. ⟦line⟧, posted
at ⟦line⟧, having been received
to your address in a damaged condition, I beg that you will take delivery of it
at this office either personally or by an authorized agent, who should present this
notice endorsed by you at foot. The article may be oponed at the post office in
the presence of a responsible postal official : if any of the contents appear to be
missing, an inventory will be made and should be signed by you or your
agent and the officer in whose presence the article is opened, and an official
enquiry will then be instituted.
I have, &c.,
Postmaster.
⟦line⟧
With reference to the above, I authorise ⟦line⟧
⟦line⟧ to receive and open, on my behalf, the
damaged article.
Signature of addressee.
T.P.B....1809...2779...10,000...15-8 22.
S. 3.
'Iraq Government.
POSTS & TELEGRAPHS.
Iraqi Government
Posts and Telegraphs
From: ⟦Post Office⟧ ⟦Baghdad⟧
To: ⟦His Eminence the Hakham Bashi of the Jewish Community⟧ ⟦Baghdad⟧
No.: ⟦4222 / 25⟧
Dated: ⟦25 / 5 / 24⟧
Greetings,
Subject: Registered Letter No. 90
With reference to your letter numbered 2/1152 and dated 25/5/24
The registered letter in question was sent to you by
Mr Nakache Jacques, 35 Rue St Sebastien Paris
Please inform us if you do not wish to receive it and regarding its return
as "Refused" to its sender. For this, remain [sincerely].
Office of the Hakham Bashi - Baghdad
Number 500
Date 25 / 5 / 1924
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF RABBI
BAGHDAD
⟦illegible⟧
25/5
⟦illegible⟧
4 / 1156
May 26, 1930
Subject: Registered letter No. 90
His Excellency the Postmaster of Baghdad
Greetings,
With reference to your letter No. A / 453 / 30 dated 5/23/30
Since we do not know of any relationship between us and the addressee mentioned
in your aforementioned letter, I wish to inform your Excellency
that we do not wish to receive this letter - Sincerely;
⟦Anwar Shaul⟧
⟦illegible⟧
Acting Hakham Bashi
4/1156
May 26, 1930
Subject: Registered letter No. 90
His Excellency the Postmaster of Baghdad
Greetings,
With reference to your letter No. A/30/453 dated 23/5/30
Since we do not know of any relationship between us and the addressee mentioned
in your aforementioned letter, I would like to inform your Excellency
that we do not wish to receive this letter - Sincerely;
⟦Anwar ...⟧
⟦stamp⟧
Acting Chief Rabbi
With the help of Heaven, Eve of the Holy Sabbath, Portion of ⟦Vayechi⟧
5686 [1925/1926]
To the honor of the exalted Sage, the honorable Nissim ⟦A.⟧ Sassoon, may his light shine
After inquiring of your peace and welfare, may you be blessed from Heaven
I am hereby informing you that your letter from the ⟦14th⟧ of Kislev has reached me, and in it was placed
the sum of fifty rupees on account of your ⟦debt⟧, and I received them
via Mordechai ⟦the⟧ Sage, ⟦and⟧ I hereby thank you for this, ⟦and⟧ may you merit to perform commandments
And regarding the matter of your house, behold ⟦the⟧ tenant ⟦who⟧ was in it ⟦has left⟧ it, ⟦and⟧ the house stands empty
And behold ⟦today⟧ a certain man came to me ⟦and⟧ wants to rent it for the sum of ⟦five⟧
rupees per month, ⟦and⟧ I told him ⟦that⟧ I would write to you and see what
you say, ⟦and⟧ if you wish to rent it for the aforementioned sum, let me know ⟦and⟧ I will rent [it]
The youth
Ezra David Eliyahu
Yitzhak Yosef
S.T. [Sephardi Tahoar]
Adham Muslim
nns
ssing
el
at
l,kind
ion will
s mischiev
d the over-
vent his
ns well as
ly,
* The Court of Justice of the Holy City *
Baghdad, may God protect it
Jewish Spiritual Court in Baghdad
JEWISH RELIGIOUS COURT
BAGHDAD
Number: 245
Numero: 1767
Date: 6 Av 2006
Year: 5691
To the honor of the holy participant of the Hevra Kadisha
After the warning
It is the law upon you hereby that you give a place for the deceased Nissim son of David Zilkha in the house
of graves which is on the road, and by order of the Court, the mentioned deceased is exempt
from all tax and duty and charity and is not obligated to pay anything. And for proof we have signed
in the name of the Court
Hujji Sassoon
1212
1931/4/26
His Eminence, the Judge of the Ja'fari Court, the Respected
We inform your Eminence that Reuben Shaul Kurji, who had previously converted to Islam
and was called by the name Muhammad bin Nuri, has returned to the Mosaic religion and the
necessary religious ceremonies have been performed for him;
⟦illegible signature⟧
⟦illegible stamp⟧
⟦illegible stamp⟧
Acting Chief Rabbi
A copy of it to
His Eminence, the Judge of the Honorable Hanafi Sharia, the Respected
To notify him
Religious Affairs Section 1
The Chief Rabbinate
of the Jewish Community: Baghdad
Number: 1458
Date: 1 / 7 / 1931
His Excellency the Honorable Qasim Pasha Al-Khudairi, Respectfully
" " Yehuda Effendi Zelouf "
" " Ibrahim Effendi Khneim "
" " Sassoon " Khazzam "
" " Heskel " Shalom "
" " Shai " Saleh "
" " Menashe K. " Cohen "
" " Selim " Isaac "
You are hereby requested to kindly attend the office of the Jewish Community
upon receipt of this letter of ours for consultation with the Jewish Spiritual Council on
important matters concerning the community - with much respect to you, and may you remain;
⟦...⟧
CHIEF RABBI
Acting
Chief Rabbi Ibrahim
Aslan Yehuda
Acting Head of the Community
From him
12
Iraqi Government
IRAQ TELEGRAPHS
BAGHDAD
18 MAY 31
Office Stamp
No.:
Class: C.
Prefix:
Code: 4
Time: 7/12
Words:
Service Instructions:
Recd. here at: H. ⟦illegible⟧ M. ⟦illegible⟧
Minute: 5/15
Date: 18 7
Hour: 7
Minute: ⟦illegible⟧
Handed in at (Office of Origin): London
Recd. from: Hilla
By: 1311
Sent at: H. M.
Minute:
To:
By:
To
Hakham Bashi Baghdad
Some have rumored in Baghdad that there is an intention
Kershina Kaddouri Al-Khair in the Ministry
Mustawli Radis Baghdad
K F 21 Hilla
All
THE CHIEF RABBI
OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY,
Baghdad
⟦line⟧
The Chief Rabbinate
Baghdad
The Chief Rabbi
of the Israelite Community in Baghdad
Number:
No.:
Date: 3 June 1931
Date:
Subject:
To the Honorable Director of Customs and Excise
Reference to your letter No. 7287 dated 27 April 1931
I wish to state that since our synagogues are many and the religious occasions
are numerous, as we mentioned in the first paragraph of our letter No. 1407 dated
21 April 1931, we need to produce large quantities of wine for religious
use. We have designated the Meer Elias Hospital and the residence of His Eminence Rabbi
Daoud Al-Hakham as two locations for the extraction of wine at a rate of:
Gallons | What is extracted at the hospital
2000 | Gallons annually for distribution to the people and synagogues
| free of charge for the performance of Sabbath rituals
25 | " " for holidays, marriage contracts, and sermons
100 | For Sunday nights of every week, extracted at the house of His Eminence the
| aforementioned Rabbi
2125 | Gallons annually
⟦illegible stamp⟧
We request your kindness in issuing the license mentioned in your above-referenced letter
to begin extracting this quantity in the two aforementioned locations.
Acting Chief Rabbi
⟦illegible handwriting⟧
C. 3.
MESOPOTAMIAN TELEGRAPHS.
Received here at:
H.:
M.:
No.:
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
This form must accompany any inquiry respecting this Telegram.
Lal Chand & Sons—2000—f. 9-21—50,000 Pks
Telephone No. ⟦line⟧ Telephone No.
Jewish Hospital Society - Baghdad
JEWISH HOSPITALS COMMITTEE
( Meir Elias Hospital, Rimah Khedouri Eyes Hospital & Dar-el-Shifa Pharmacy. )
BAGHDAD.
Established 1884:
No.: 117
Date: May 25, 1931
Subject: Extraction of Religious Wine
His Eminence, the Acting Chief Rabbi of Baghdad, Respected
After greetings and respect,
We have been informed that the official authorities have decided, in view of the issuance of the Intoxicating Liquors Law,
to exempt the tax on wine used for religious purposes.
Our committee is ready to undertake the work of extracting the wine necessary for religious
matters within the Meir Elias Hospital itself and distributing it free of charge to the members of the community. Therefore, please take
the necessary steps to provide information to those concerned, and with much thanks to you.
⟦signature⟧
President of the Hospitals Committee
Portfolio
Office of the Chief Rabbi in Baghdad
Number 722
Date 2 / 6 / 931
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF RABBI
BAGHDAD
File Number
MINISTRY OF FINANCE.
COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS
AND EXCISE.
Directorate of Customs and Excise
Baghdad
Baghdad, dated:
No.:
Baghdad on: 2 April / 1931
No.: 7287
To -
His Eminence the Acting Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Community
in Baghdad
Memorandum /
Reference to your letter No. 1407 dated 21 April / 1931.
Article seven of the Spirituous Liquors Law of 1931 stipulates that
regulations may be established to exempt any religious institution or religious institute from paying excise
on the wine manufactured by that institution or that institute for their
own use under a license issued in accordance with the provisions of the law and without collecting a license fee
provided that the wine is not offered for sale.
The exemption is for wine manufactured in any religious institution and not for
that which is purchased from abroad and consumed for religious purposes in that institution, so I request you
to inform us of the amount of your specific exemptions so that we can audit them and issue the order
for their exemption.
Rashid Jubran
For the Director of Customs and Excise
Baghdad
Office of the Chief Rabbi - Baghdad
Number ⟦...⟧
Date 1/5/1931
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF RABBI
BAGHDAD
Directorate of Customs and Excise Administration
Baghdad on 8 April / 1931.
Number 6154
The Honorable Head of the Chaldean Community
" " Syriac " "
" " Latin " "
" " Armenian Catholic " "
" " " Orthodox " "
" " Greek Catholic " "
" " Protestant " "
" " Jewish . " " ✓
After greetings /
The Spirituous Liquors Law of 1931 stipulates that the quantities of wine
manufactured by religious institutions for their own use without paying excise shall not exceed one hundred
gallons per year. I draw your attention to the articles of this new law, requesting you to apply your requirements
accordingly and to kindly inform us of your receipt of this letter.
Office of the Chief Rabbi - Baghdad
Number 714
Date 12/4/1931
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF RABBI
BAGHDAD
Rashid Jubran
For the Director of Customs and Excise
Baghdad
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
1474
July 15, 1931
⟦Baghdad⟧
His Eminence the Honorable Hakham Bashi
This department has taken a decision to pay half salaries and allowances
to all employees and institutions of the community without exception for any individual or institution. Therefore,
your return of check 58377 in the amount of 745 rupees without sending us a letter
explaining the reason was a matter that calls for surprise.
For this reason, we are returning the aforementioned check to you with this letter, and you may
submit your requests to this department in an official letter,
⟦...⟧ Avraham ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
Acting Chief Rabbi
⟦Yasir⟧ ⟦Muhammad⟧
1405
21 April 1931
Directorate of Customs and Excise - Baghdad
Reference to your letter No. 6159 dated 8 April 1931
We draw the attention of your respected directorate to the following important points which we hope you will kindly
take into consideration
1) It is not hidden from your directorate that the religious ceremonies in which
wine is used are many in our community; there are circumcisions, marriages, engagements, holidays, etc...
where wine is used by religious persons outside and inside the synagogues
besides the fact that there are weekly ceremonies held in every synagogue where wine is used
2) Our community does not have only one synagogue like other communities, but the number of our synagogues
exceeds forty-two synagogues, each synagogue performing religious ceremonies separately
3) The total of all members of the communities mentioned in your letter printed
above does not exceed a quarter of the total members of our community, a matter which undoubtedly necessitates the use of
large quantities of wine for the purposes stated in the first paragraph, exceeding one thousand
gallons per year, and these are, as is not hidden, matters worthy of being taken into consideration
Facilitating the performance of religious duties and ceremonies that must be completed as dictated by
religion is a necessary matter that does not agree with high prices by paying excise tax
So I hope to take these observations of ours into consideration to avoid what might happen from applying
the law in its current form of numerous problems, and to inform us of the result which we hope will be
by amending the paragraph specific to this matter;
Copy
The Head Abraham Yehuda
ACTING CHIEF RABBI ASLAN YEHOODA
Acting
Hakham Bashi Ibrahim
Aslan Yehuda
Baghdad
BAGHDAD
Acting Chief Rabbi
1487
2 August 1931
To the Honorable Officer in Charge of Bab al-Sheikh Police Station
It occurred during a funeral procession to its final resting place in the
Israeli cemetery in the ⟦Al-Jahda⟧ neighborhood last Friday that some residents of
the houses adjacent to the cemetery pelted the mourners and the funeral with stones and other things.
As the sanctity of the dead must be respected, I hereby request
that you kindly take all possible measures to prevent the recurrence of such
an unfortunate incident - with respect;
Acting Chief Rabbi
Acting Chief Rabbi Avraham A. Yehuda
ASLAN YEHUDA
Hakham Bashi Ibrahim Aslan Yehuda
Qaimaqam
Baghdad
Copy
A
18529
1931/8/30
Referral of a Petition
Ministry of Interior
Enclosed with this letter is the petition submitted to this
department by the notables of the Jewish community in Khanaqin
regarding the transfer of Dr. Mirza Al-Amir to Badra, requesting it be considered
and to kindly look with favor upon the demands of its authors if possible;
Acting Chief Rabbi
⟦illegible⟧
Ministry of Interior
Incoming ⟦illegible⟧
Number ⟦illegible⟧
Date ⟦illegible⟧
OFFICE ⟦illegible⟧
MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR
‘IRAQ.
BAGHDAD.
Iraqi Government
Ministry of the Interior
"Personnel Affairs Department" Baghdad 5 September 1931
Number 12180
His Excellency the Acting Chief Rabbi
Subject: - Dr. Mirza Al-Amir.
In reply to your letter No. 1529 dated 30 / 8 / 1931.
The transfer of doctors is carried out based on the proposal of the Directorate of Public Health responsible
for public health, and there is no doubt that it was motivated by the public interest when
it proposed the transfer of the aforementioned doctor to another area. Therefore, we regret
our inability to reconsider what has been decided.
⟦signature⟧
Minister of the Interior
Copy to: -
Directorate of Public Health for information with a copy of the letter
mentioned above and its attachment.
Office of the Chief Rabbi - Baghdad
Number 811
Date 6 / 9 / 931
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF RABBI
BAGHDAD
K. T.
⟦signature⟧
The Jewish Religious Court
Baghdad, May God Protect It
Jewish Spiritual Court in Baghdad
JEWISH RELIGIOUS COURT
BAGHDAD
Date: 14 Elul
Year: 5699
No.: 92
To the Honorable Lay Council of the Jewish Community in Baghdad
Pleasant and Important
When Mr. Abraham son of Ezra son of Shimon the Elder came before us today
and his physical strength failed him, we came to request mercy for him from the aforementioned Excellency
that they grant him and his wife and his old age from charity, for he is worthy of charity, and this
is sufficient, may your honor increase and peace
The humble Sassoon Kadoorie
Hugi Aboudi
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
2822
1932/2/21
The Respected Spiritual Court
Reference to your letter dated March 14, year 5692
It is not within our power to provide the assistance requested for the infirm whom
the Secretariat of the Capital prevents from begging, especially since your council had formed a special committee for them and that ⟦the Council⟧
the Lay Council alone is to decide on any financial assistance for them. Respectfully,
⟦The Chief Rabbinate in Baghdad⟧
Acting Chief Rabbi
A copy of it to the esteemed Lay Council for information
⟦signature⟧
2059
1933/3/16
The Honorable Rabbi Sassoon Isaac
"Ezra Sofer"
"Sassoon Aaron Moallem Eliyahu"
It has come to our attention that you intend to preach and provide guidance next Saturday morning.
Since it is the custom that the preaching on such a Saturday every year is undertaken by
His Eminence Rabbi David Rabbi Yaqub, it was therefore necessary to inform you of the impermissibility
of your preaching next Saturday morning at all.
⟦illegible⟧
Acting Chief Rabbi
⟦handwritten signature⟧