Voices from the Archive

IJA 3723

Sale of Shamash School Building; Correspondence from Government; List of Synagogues in Iraq

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Description

These are documents from the Baghdadi Jewish community. Included is a newspaper with an article concerning the seizure of property owned by Iraqi Jews who renounced their Iraqi citizenship. The documents also contain correspondence between branches of the Iraqi government and the Baghdadi Jewish community, such as a notice from the Ministry of Culture to the Jewish community informing them the Jewish schools would remain unharmed after the emigration of the community. The documents also include the Jewish Community's payments and receipts; correspondence from the Iranian Foreign Ministry about the rental of the former Shamash School building; a report overseeing a Jewish school clinic; a list of synagogues in Iraq and their approximate date of establishment.

Metadata

Archive Reference
IJA 3723
Item Number
6839
Date
Approx. January 1, 1951 to December 31, 1960
Languages
Arabic
Keywords
Financial, Menahem S. Daniel's School, Masooda Saliman School, Revenue Stamp, Synagogue, Newspaper, Ledger, Laura Khedouri School for Girls, Thumbprint, Typed, Baghdadi Jewish Community, Ink Stamp, Letterhead, Jewish Lay Council, Abrogation of Citizenship, President of the Jewish Community, Envelope, Bani Said Elementary School for Boys, Receipt, Birth Certificate, Correspondence, Architectural Plans, Al-Fār’ah Primary School, Maintenance, Annotation, Handwritten, Reemah Kadoorie Eye Hospital

AI English Translation, Pages 401-425

Archival unit 401

Presidency of the Jewish Community
in Baghdad
Telephone Number { 3531 President
5452 Secretary
Number: T / 56
Subject: ⟦line⟧
Date: 2 / 2 / 1956
His Excellency the Director of Education of Baghdad Province, Respected
- Center -
After greetings
With reference to your letter numbered 2861 and dated 29 / 1 / 956, please note our letter
numbered T / 3644 / 56 and dated 11 / 1 / 956, from which it appears that this school is included
in our letter referred to above.
Please accept our highest respect
Rabbi Sassoon Khadhuri
Acting President of the Community

Archival unit 402

Presidency of the Jewish Community
in Baghdad
Telephone No. { 3531 President
5452 Secretary
Number: T / ⟦illegible⟧ 56
Subject: ⟦line⟧
Date: 2 / 2 / 1956
His Excellency the Director of Education of Baghdad Province, Respected
- Center -
After greetings
With reference to your letter No. 2861 dated 29 / 1 / 956, please note our letter
No. T / 3644 dated 11 / 1 / 956, from which it appears that this school is included
in our letter referred to above ⟦line⟧ .
Please accept our highest respect
Rabbi Sassoon Khedouri
Acting President of the Community

Archival unit 403

Directorate of Education of Baghdad Province / Center:
Primary Accounts:
Number /: 2861
Date /: 1 / 6 / 95
29
Presidency of the Jewish Community
The local administration engineer has conducted an inspection of the building of the Sha'ba Al-Haydariya School for Girls located in
Taht Al-Takiya neighborhood, which belongs to you, and found that it requires the repairs detailed below, which
occurred in the building as a result of normal use. Please carry them out immediately within one week from the date
of your receipt of this letter of ours, in accordance with the terms of the lease agreement. In case of refusal, we will be forced to carry them out ourselves
and deduct the necessary expenses from the rent.
⟦signature⟧
Director of Education of Baghdad Province
Center
A copy to -
Presidency of the General Provincial Council, Baghdad Provincial Governorate / Your letter No. 1200 dated
17 / 1 / 1956 for your kind information
Sha'ba Al-Haydariya School for Girls - for information and to inform us of the result
Primary Education Accountant / with the original letter of the Baghdad Provincial Governorate / for follow-up /
Presidency of the Jewish Community
⟦illegible⟧
Repairs
⟦line⟧
1- Demolishing and rebuilding the basement wall and making some wainscoting in the building.
2- Adjusting the tiling of the rooms.
3- Repairing the crushed areas in the gypsum and cement plaster, as well as ⟦the pointing⟧.
4- Cleaning the drains and raising their heads.
Kadhim / 26

Archival unit 404

Presidency of the Jewish Community
in Baghdad
Telephone Number 3531 / 5452
Number :: T / 2644 / 56
Date :: 11 / 1 / 1956
Subject ::
His Excellency the Director of Education for the Baghdad Province, Respected
– Center –
After greetings
Reference to your letter numbered 13216 and dated 29 / 12 / 1955
It is not hidden from your Excellency that the buildings occupied by your respected directorate and used as schools (including Al-Obaidia School)
their current rental rates are very low, and schools always and forever need maintenance, and these rates are not sufficient for this
maintenance and government fees. We would like on this occasion to inform you that when these schools were rented, the intention was
cultural cooperation, as their rental rates are spent on the cultural institutions belonging to this Presidency. Since the community's income
is not sufficient at the present time to spend on the maintenance and renovation of its properties rented by your directorate and to nourish its cultural and charitable institutions,
it is requested of your Excellency to form a committee to estimate the rental rates for the following properties:
1 - Al-Haydariya Branch School
2 - Al-Obaidia School
3 - Al-Nabaha School
4 - Bani Said School
So that this Presidency can carry out the mentioned maintenance for these properties and benefit from them so they remain houses of knowledge
occupied by your directorate.
Please accept the highest respect
Rabbi Sassoon Khedhouri
Acting President of the Community
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧

Archival unit 405

His Excellency the Director of Education for Baghdad District, Respected
- The Center -
Greetings,
With reference to your letter numbered 7416 and dated 29 / 12 / 955
It is not hidden from your Excellency that the buildings occupied by your respected schools
and designated as schools (including the Mahdiya School), their current rental rates
are very low, and schools always and forever require maintenance and management ⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧ is not sufficient for this maintenance and necessary repairs. We wish to draw
your attention to the fact that when these leases were made, the assessment was based on cultural
cooperation, as their rental rates exceed those of leading cultural institutions
these days. Since <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> its revenues are not sufficient
at the present time to carry out the necessary inclusions for spending on the maintenance and reconstruction of the properties
of the latter by your directorate, and for the sake of our cultural and charitable institutions, it is requested
from your Excellency to form a committee to estimate the rental rates for the following properties:
1- Shami' Al-Haydariya School
2- " Al-Mahdiya
3- " Al-Saadiya
4- Hani Saeed's shop
So that this presidency can carry out the mentioned maintenance for these properties
and benefit from their use as houses of science occupied by your schools.
Please accept our highest respect.
The Rabbi

Archival unit 406

His Excellency the President
According to your orders, I contacted the Director of Education of the District regarding student
trips and the non-approval of the Chief Rabbinate for considerations with an explanation of the reasons.
I suggest that we write the attached letter, and if it meets your respected
approval, please have it signed by His Excellency the Head of the Community.
Naji
1/8
I have reviewed ⟦...⟧
and I have no objection to His Excellency the President signing
the attached letter.
⟦signature⟧
1/8

Archival unit 407

Directorate of Education of Baghdad Province / Center
Primary Accounts
Number / 12226
Date / 12/29/1955
29
Presidency of the Jewish Community
Your letter No. T/55/3573 dated 7/17/1955.
The local administration engineer has inspected the building of the Al-Mahdiya School for Boys
and found that it is in need of the repairs whose costs are shown in the attached inspection sheet, and you
are obligated under the lease agreement to carry out the repairs that occur in the building as a result of
normal use. Please carry out the required repairs in the building within a week from
the date of your receipt of this letter of ours, and in case of refusal, we will be forced to carry them out ourselves and deduct the expenses
from the rent.
Director of Education of Baghdad Province
Center
A copy of it to:-
Presidency of the General Provincial Council "Baghdad Provincial Governorate" your letter No. 13230
dated 12/13/1955, and we kindly request you to provide us with a second copy of
the inspection form.
Administration of Al-Mahdiya School for Boys - for information and to inform us of the result.
Nasser / 27 Primary Education Accountant - for follow-up. ⟦(with a copy of the letter and the envelope)⟧

Archival unit 408

Baghdad Liwa Mutasarrifate
Local Administration
Inspection Form
Item | Details | Number | Dimensions | Quantity | Price | Amount | Notes
 | Renovations of Al-Musawiya School for Boys |  | Length Width Height |  | Fils Dinar | Fils Dinar | 
1- | Supply of materials and construction of a wooden ladder 4 meters long and 80 cm wide, comfortable | Lump sum |  |  | - - | 55 00 | 
2- | Supply and application of crushed bricks and restoring them with tiles ⟦...⟧ Al-Hashimi comfort |  |  | 125 m2 | 600 - | 81 00 | 
3- | Removal and tiling of the four northern rooms with tile paving |  |  | 100 m2 | 650 - | 65 00 | 
4- | Construction of brick partitions ⟦...⟧ with a thickness of 12 cm |  |  | 60 m2 | 700 - | 42 00 | 
5- | Removal and application of bricks, leveling the walkway and re-paving |  |  | 15 m2 | 450 - | 6 750 | 
6- | Cement plastering for partitions and walls |  |  | 15 m2 | 3 - | 45 00 | 
7- | Supply of gypsum plaster for all school rooms |  |  | 100 m2 | 400 - | 40 00 | 
8- | Supply of Sinite paint for all school rooms with cement |  |  | 150 m2 | 260 - | 39 00 | 
9- | Repair of electrical installations | Lump sum |  |  | Reserve | 5 750 | 
 |  |  |  |  |  | 378 500 | 
 |  |  |  |  |  | 400/--- | Only four hundred Dinars
Government Press 819-7-1955

Archival unit 409

Number / 71/75521
Date / ⟦illegible⟧
Issue / ⟦illegible⟧
Subject / Inquiry about the marital status
of the named ⟦illegible⟧
Border Guard Command Second Region
71/75521 on ⟦illegible⟧ 5/7/1971
Greetings
It has been decided that you conduct an investigation regarding the marital status of the named ⟦illegible⟧
employed as a worker in the Karbala Canning Factory to indicate whether he is married or not
and in the event that he is married, state the number of wives and children, mentioning their ages and current
place of residence, and provide us with a copy of the marriage contract or death certificate in the event of
the wife's death or the divorce decree in the event that he is divorced, and provide us with the information
above promptly so that we can take the necessary action, with our thanks and appreciation.
On behalf of / Director of Administration
⟦illegible⟧
Attachments / Inquiry form
Number / 1
A copy to /
1- Karbala Police Directorate / Your letter No. 71/75521 on ⟦illegible⟧ 5/7/1971
for your kind information and review, with appreciation.
2- Karbala Canning Factory / for your kind information and review, with appreciation.
3- ⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧

Archival unit 410

1/8/1957
His Excellency the Chairman of the Administrative Committee, Respected
Subject: Repairs in Al-Hidaya School
(formerly Al-Wataniya)
Based on the letter from the Baghdad District Education Directorate No. 12226 dated 12/29/1955
I have inspected the mentioned school, taking into account the requests contained in the Education Directorate's letter:
(Please refer to the local administration inspection form attached to this letter)
Fils | Dinar
⟦line⟧ | 10
⟦line⟧ | 8
⟦line⟧ | 20
⟦line⟧ | ⟦line⟧
⟦line⟧ | ⟦line⟧
⟦line⟧ | ⟦line⟧
Engineer Saleh

Archival unit 411

Accounts of Al-Tawfiq Mixed School
Fouad Salem Building
Year 1948/49
In Rupees
Notes | Statement | Number | Fee | Total | Date
 | Balance carried forward from last year's accounts |  |  | 55 | 1
 | According to receipt No. 1 from Youssef Salim for fees |  |  |  | 
 | School administration - for the month of September | 1 | 18 | 18 | 10
 | According to receipt No. 2 from Salim Ibrahim for fees |  |  |  | 
 | School administration - for the month of October | 1 | 25 | 25 | 10/20
 | According to receipt No. 3 from Salim Ibrahim for fees |  |  |  | 
 | School administration - for the month of November | 1 | 23 | 23 | 11/7
 | According to receipt No. 4 from Salim Ibrahim for fees |  |  |  | 
 | School administration - for the month of December | 1 | 20 | 20 | 12/5
 | According to receipt No. 5 from Salim Ibrahim for fees |  |  |  | 
 | School administration - for the month of January | 1 | 15 | 15 | 1/5
 | According to receipt No. 6 from Salim Ibrahim for fees |  |  |  | 
 | School administration - for the month of February | 1 | 15 | 15 | 2/5
 | According to receipt No. 7 from Salim Ibrahim for fees |  |  |  | 
 | School administration - for the month of March | 1 | 15 | 15 | 3/10
 | According to receipt No. 8 from Salim Ibrahim for fees |  |  |  | 
 | School administration - for the month of April | 1 | 15 | 15 | 4/10
 | According to receipt No. 9 from Salim Ibrahim for fees |  |  |  | 
 | School administration - for the month of May | 1 | 15 | 15 | 5/10
 | According to receipt No. 10 from Salim Ibrahim for fees |  |  |  | 
 | School administration - for the month of June | 1 | 15 | 15 | 6/10
 | Total |  |  | 251 | 
Page Number ⟦illegible⟧