Correspondence and Financial Information, Chief Rabbi of Baghdad
View interactive document pageThese are archival documents from the Baghdadi Jewish community containing accounts of values, units, and shares for the Chief Rabbi. There is correspondence from the Office of Accounting to the Chief Rabbi; requests for financial information; a letter on the kosher meat tax requirement and agreement; registration of taxes/fees. There is also a contact between two parties, one being Chief Rabbi Ezra Reuben Dangoor, about selling slaughtered sheep parts.
Receipt Form No. 86 Receipts for funds collected for the government Serial Number 47 5617 19108 / Name of Department ⟦line⟧ ⟦Notary Public of South Baghdad⟧ Fils / Dinar 15 / -- Received from ⟦line⟧ Yehuda ⟦Zelouf⟧ Amount ⟦line⟧ ⟦Fifteen⟧ Dinars and ⟦line⟧ Fils On account of ⟦line⟧ ⟦Two Subscriptions⟧ Dated 7 / 12 / ⟦1932⟧ Signature of Receiver ⟦Signature⟧ Job Title ⟦line⟧ ⟦Notary Public of South Baghdad⟧
Presidency of the Jewish Community Baghdad Number: ⟦282⟧ Date: 14 March 1933 Yehuda Zelouf Menashe Saleh Salim Akka The respected and distinguished Abdullah Battat Hesqel Murad Musa Abia Saleh Faraj Sam Sion Suwairi Ezra Al-Ani Ibrahim Naqoum Greetings and respect, The public auction for the commitment of the Qaboola and intestines will take place at four-thirty in the afternoon of tomorrow (Wednesday) the 15th of it. We request the favor of your presence at the community administration at the aforementioned hour to oversee the conduct of the auction. To you much gratitude and respect. H Ezra Dangour President of the Jewish Community
March 10, 1933 Upon arrival My dear Ibrahim Bey Warm greetings. It is not hidden from Your Excellency that it has been the custom to collect the Gabelle tax on each kilogram of Kosher meat, and given that the contract for this fiscal year will be awarded on the 20th of the current month, and given that the Indian currency has been replaced by Iraqi currency, and that the equivalent of two Annas in Iraqi currency is slightly more than 9 Fils, and awarding the contract on the basis of collecting 9 Fils per kilogram would cause a disadvantage to this administration and an unjustified reduction in the contract value at a time when we are suffering from a severe financial crisis, while awarding it on the basis of 10 Fils results in an increase in the tax that may not have a legal justification. Therefore, I request that, after reviewing Article 18 of the Jewish Community Regulations attached to this letter, you provide us with your sound opinion in resolving this issue in a manner that does not conflict with the observed law nor cause a disadvantage to this administration. I would be very grateful if you would kindly provide us with the answer before the 15th of the current month, which is the day designated for awarding the Gabelle by temporary referral. Sincerely, Alwan
Private His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khadduri Effendi Respectable President of the Israelite Community. After greetings: Before me is your letter dated March 10, / 33, discussing how to convert the Gabelle fees into the Iraqi currency. It is no secret that solving the problems arising from the application of the Iraqi Currency Law is a legal issue more than a financial one, and its consideration belongs to men of law. Nevertheless, I state below my observations on the problem discussed in your above letter. Article 4 of the Iraqi Currency Law stipulates considering one Rupee in the laws and regulations in force in Iraq on April 1, / 32 as seventy-five Fils, and the Anna as five Fils (for the payment of Rupee fractions). I do not know the reasons that prompted the legislator to place the restriction mentioned in the article, as the goal is to convert the unit of fees into the Iraqi currency because it is related to the issue of payment. Therefore, I believe that the Gabelle fees must be set by obligation on the basis of the Iraqi currency in accordance with Article 4 referred to above. Also, the amount of the fee, which is two Annas, must be converted to ten Fils, considering that the amount represents fractions of the Rupee, and I do not see the possibility of applying the article practically in any other way. Please accept my highest respect. Baghdad, March 17, / 33 Sincerely, ⟦illegible⟧
Presidency of the Jewish Community Baghdad No. 2163 Date: March 15, ⟦33⟧ Lawyer Ibrahim Effendi Hayyim "Salman" Sheena The Honorable and Distinguished "Anwar" Shaul "Munshi Effendi Ibrahim Levy" Greetings and Respect, The public auction for the commitment of the Khabila and intestines will be held at four-thirty in the afternoon today. We request your presence at the community administration at the aforementioned hour to supervise the conduct of the auction. With much gratitude and respect to you. S. L. President of the Jewish Community
Presidency of the Jewish Community Baghdad Number 2163 Date 15 March ⟦3⟧ His Eminence the Respected Rabbi Greetings and Respect The public auction for the weighing and gut contracting will take place at four-thirty post meridiem this evening the 15th, so we request your eminence to please attend the Community Administration at the aforementioned hour to supervise the proceedings of the auction, and to your presence much thanks in advance ⟦signature⟧ On behalf of President of the Jewish Community Rabbi Salman Hoki Abboudi " Raphael Elohim " Joshua Moshe " Sassoon Ezra Asaf " Eliya Joshua " Eliahu Ibrahim " Daoud Ezra Safi
Presidency of the Jewish Community Baghdad 19 March 1933 Sh. Joshua ⟦Ezekiel⟧ Shatoub The honorable and distinguished Ezra Fattal, Respected Aaron Shatoub Khedouri Shukur Greetings and respect, The final award for the commitment of the Fadhilah and the Mihrabs will take place at four-thirty P.M. on Monday afternoon, 20 March 1933. Please kindly attend the Community administration at the mentioned hour to supervise the progress of the auction. With respect, 1000 On behalf of President of the Jewish Commun⟦ity⟧
Presidency of the Israelite Community Baghdad Honorable Notables, President of the Lay Council and its respected members, Greetings and respect, Since I had decided to postpone the final award for the Ghabila and intestines contract until four-thirty in the afternoon of Sunday 26 / 3 / 933, and considering that granting the Ghabila and intestines contract is among the duties of your esteemed council, I invite you to attend at the community administration at the appointed time to oversee the final award decision. May you remain in respect, ⟦For him⟧ ⟦Ezra Dangoor⟧ President of the Israelite Community
⟦illegible⟧ 2202 2 April 1933 Important and Urgent To the Honorable Director of Police of the Baghdad District This Presidency had granted the slaughter tax fees for the fiscal year 33-934 by contract to the contractors Muhammad Najib Effendi Farhat and Mulla Razzuqi al-Mulla Qadu according to the Jewish Community Law No. 77 of 1931. However, some butchers in the Jewish slaughterhouse have begun preventing meat sellers from purchasing it in the slaughterhouse and creating disturbances that would cause damages to the contractor and the community. Since the contractor is the one responsible (per the contract concluded between us and him) for providing sufficient sheep for slaughter and meeting the community's meat needs, and since he has the right to request the prevention of butchers who provide sheep for slaughter against his will, and to maintain order and protect the rights of the contractor and prevent damages, it has become necessary to prevent these troublemakers from slaughtering entirely. Therefore, I request your Excellency to kindly issue urgent orders to a commissioner and a few police officers to attend the aforementioned slaughterhouse located near the Secretariat of the Capital's slaughterhouse on the Rusafa side at three o'clock (afternoon/early morning) every day (temporarily) to prevent the mentioned persons from slaughtering and causing disturbance, under the supervision of the contractor Mulla Razzuqi al-Mulla Qadu who will be present there, in order to protect the interests of this community from tampering and to prevent the occurrence of undesirable consequences. We request that urgent measures be taken in this regard due to the importance of the case. Thanking your Excellency in advance, ⟦L⟧ ⟦Sassoon⟧ President of the Jewish Community
Basra, April 21, 922 His Eminence, the respected Head of the Jewish Community in Baghdad Greetings and respect, please send a certified copy of the order of the Ministry of Justice and Sects No. 6 dated September 21, 912, regarding the issue of the midwife, and if there are other documents related to the matter send a certified copy of them as well, for presentation in a lawsuit filed by us against the aforementioned woman We request you inform us of the amount of expenses so we may send them, and we thank you in advance. May you remain well. General Agent on behalf of the Head of the Jewish Community in Basra Lawyer Shafiq ⟦Hay⟧ ⟦illegible⟧
2090 14 May 1933 Honorable and distinguished lawyer, Ibrahim Effendi ⟦Khazzoum⟧, respected Greetings, The lawyer Munshi Effendi Ishaq, representing the head of the Israelite community in Basra, has requested from us a certified copy of the order from the Ministry of Justice and Denominations No. 116, dated 2 September 326, concerning ⟦the Rabbinate⟧. We kindly ask you to provide us with a copy of this order if you have it. With respect, ⟦signature⟧ On behalf of Head of the Community A copy of its dispatch to the lawyer Mahmoud al-Qaisi 15 / 5 / 33 ⟦signature⟧
Baghdad ⟦line⟧ on May 14, 1933 To the Presence of the Respected Head of the Israelite Community After offering respect. With reference to your letter dated May 4, 1933 and numbered 590 I do not have any copy of the orders regarding the ⟦treatment⟧ and therefore I cannot provide the requested copy. ⟦We hope⟧ for your excuse ⟦regarding⟧ the above. Please accept our highest respect. Lawyer Ibrahim ⟦Hazqeel⟧ Ibrahim Abboudi ⟦...⟧
275 13 Safar 353 and 28 May 934 His Excellency the Respectable Minister of Justice I submit to Your Excellency herewith a copy of the minutes of the General Council meeting held on 13 May 934 I request Your Excellency to kindly issue your approval of the decision taken by the aforementioned Council to increase the marriage certificate fees and create a fee on the slaughter of chickens according to the second paragraph of Article 18 of the Jewish Community Regulation No. 26 of 1931 Furthermore, I wish to inform Your Excellency that the Lay Council, before presenting these proposals to the General Council, had consulted the Spiritual Council on the matter and obtained its written approval on the legality of the case according to religious provisions. On behalf of Head of the Community
Mutasarrifate of Baghdad Liwa Editing Department Telegraphic Address: Mutasarrif of Baghdad Telephone: Baghdad 555 Sects Subject To :- ⟦Hacham Bashi⟧ We request your presence in the council ⟦...⟧ morning of August 2, 1933 ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦illegible⟧
Plaintiff - Na'ima Daniel Defendant - Daoud Murad - ⟦...⟧ in the Sharia Witness Register Page No. - The plaintiff Na'ima Daniel filed a lawsuit in the Israeli Sharia Court against her fiancé, the defendant Daoud Murad, and the aforementioned court notified him to appear before the court for the proceedings, and in view of the fact that he refused and did not attend court at the appointed time for the proceedings, the court ruled against him in absentia and imposed on him a monthly alimony of one dinar to be received by the plaintiff Na'ima Daniel from her fiancé, the aforementioned Daoud, effective from the second day of the month of August 933. ⟦...⟧
2112 25 May 1933 Order of the Ministry of Justice ⟦illegible⟧ To The ⟦illegible⟧ Agent In reference to your letter dated 26 ⟦illegible⟧ We were unable to find an order ⟦illegible⟧ Benefit from Article 28 of the ⟦illegible⟧ Regulations Regarding: Yours truly ⟦illegible⟧