Page 426
National School National School—Baghdad WATANIYAH SCHOOL Baghdad 193 Baghdad on 193 - 2 - - 2 - Total amount paid on account for the months of April and May 1934 Fils | Dinar 218 | 875 ⟦signature⟧ Director of the National School
IJA 3787
School Documents and Test Administration Instructions, Student Rosters, Teacher Issues, Baghdadi Jewish Schools
View interactive document pageDescription
These are archival documents from the Baghdadi Jewish community. The item includes fundraising letters for the establishment of the Jewish Lay Council’s School Relief Committee, invoices for construction materials for repairs and utilities; budget estimates, guides for school administrators, test administration instructions, student rosters, and documents pertaining to teachers and employment issues. Correspondence is in Arabic, English, and French, and comes from Switzerland, Bombay, England, and Shanghai. There is one birth certificate from 1946.
AI en Translation, Pages 426-450
Page 427
KEREM YELADIM SCHOOL Kerem Yeladim School - Baghdad Photo for the file Al-Karam School Number: 198 Baghdad 192 192 Baghdad June 27, 1924 Subject: Regarding teachers' requests and accumulated allocations His Excellency, the respected President of the Israelite Community Greetings and respect In response to your Excellency's instruction letter No. 1624 dated the 26th of it to the Director of Editorials of your administration, we submit herewith: 1) A list detailing the requests of our school employees until the end of March 1924 2) That 146.925 (one hundred forty-six dinars and nine hundred twenty-five fils) is the total of our school's accumulated allocations from the community fund until the end of this month, for the three months of April, May, and June 1924 3) That the total monthly salaries of our school employees for April and May 1924 amount to 180 (one hundred eighty) dinars, of which 161.112.5 (one hundred sixty-one dinars and one hundred twelve and a half fils) has been paid. With respect, sir The Director ⟦Mishal⟧ Administration of the Lay Council - Baghdad: Number: 1096 Date: 27 / 6 / 1924 File Number:
Page 428
KEREM YELADIM SCHOOL Kerem HaYeladim School - Baghdad Al-Karam School Hamouda Salman Baghdad: 192: Baghdad: 27 June 922 192: List of Accumulated Requests Employee Name | Monthly Requests | Total Accumulated Rupees | Anna | July 21 Anna | Aug 21 Anna | Sept 21 Anna | Rupees | Anna The Director | - | 190 | - | 190 | 42 | 2 | 284 Naji Effendi Jinyat | - | 120 | - | 120 | 45 | - | 285 Daoud S. Saqil | - | 100 | - | 100 | 20 | - | 220 Salim ~ Ephraim | - | 80 | - | 80 | 20 | - | 180 Eliyahu S. Shua | - | 70 | - | 70 | 25 | - | 165 Saqil ~ Ibrahim | - | 75 | - | 75 | 25 | - | 175 Hayya ~ Meir | - | 120 | - | 100 | ⟦...⟧ | - | 220 Saqir ~ Ezra | - | 90 | - | 90 | 30 | - | 210 Baruch ~ Shalom | - | 65 | - | 65 | 25 | - | 155 Aaron ~ Saqil | - | 80 | - | 80 | 30 | - | 190 Ibrahim Hayyim ~ Haham Yosef | - | 70 | - | 70 | 25 | - | 165 Salouma ~ Khedhouri | - | 65 | - | 65 | 25 | - | 155 Reuben ~ Yehuda | - | 60 | - | 60 | 25 | - | 145 Servants | | | | | | | Gurji Aaron | - | 35 | - | 35 | 10 | - | 80 Gurji Zion | - | 30 | - | 30 | 10 | - | 70 Husni Saqil | - | 30 | - | 30 | 10 | - | 70 | | | | | | 2 | 2879 Two hundred and fifteen Dinars and nine hundred and seventy Fils Thirty-four A. F. 215 974 ⟦illegible⟧
Page 429
The National School National School - Baghdad WATANIYAH SCHOOL Baghdad June 27, 1932 Baghdad 193 Number: 175 The Honorable President of the Jewish Community Greetings and respect Further to our letter No. 170 dated the 27th of this month I request to correct the second paragraph of our report as follows: 2 - Total accumulated allocations owed to the school administration by the community fund Allocated funds 1108 x 12 = 13296 Received by us during the year 9787/6 3508/400 The following amounts received on the school account are also deducted January 7, 1932 240/- Transfer to Soki Bushay April 19, 1932 Dinars 126/800 By the hand of Saleh Atudj Jim June 2, 1932 Dinars 133/600 The amount owed by the Council 500/- Meaning Dinars 2008/800 ⟦illegible⟧ Director of the National School 1100 1/7/932
Page 430
KEREM YELADIM SCHOOL Kerem Yeladim School - Baghdad Al-Karam School Baghdad, August 21, 1932 Baghdad 192 Subject: Regarding the inquiry about accumulated salaries To the Honorable Secretary of the Schools Committee Greetings and respect: We, the teachers of Masouda Salman and Al-Karam schools, had received word last year from the President of the Lay Council that he holds official letters stipulating the payment of accumulated salaries in four installments, each installment to be paid at a specific time. Based on this, we continued teaching with all diligence and sincerity. Since the second installment, amounting to approximately fifty dinars, became due on August 15, 1932, and only ten dinars of it have been paid, we have become suspicious of this matter! If the venerable President relied on reducing the accumulated salary of former teachers of the Hayya school from the due second installment, that is inappropriate because the letters state the payment of the accumulated salary to each teacher individually, not based on the salaries of departing teachers. Therefore, we ask you to take the necessary measures and negotiate with the venerable Head of the Community regarding this matter and inform us with the utmost speed, and we thank you in advance!! The group of teachers for the schools of Masouda Salman and Al-Karam A copy of it to the respected Deputy Head of the Jewish Community School Administration ⟦...⟧ Number 1254 Date 8/21/932 File Number
Page 431
Committee of Teachers of the Israelite Community Baghdad Date: August 22, 1932 Number - 20 His Excellency the President of the Israelite Community, Respected Greetings and respect. Enclosed you will find a copy of the letter from the teachers of Rachel Shahmoon and Masouda Salman schools who request us to mediate with you regarding their salaries, according to the petition submitted to the Lay Council in our letter No. 8 dated 17 / 9 / 931 The decision of the Lay Council taken on 14 / 10 / 31 is explicit that the Council undertakes to cover the schools' deficit for the year 30 / 31 in four equal installments, and this decision was issued based on the Committee's desire to settle the accounts of the past year. Therefore, the schools' debts are not the allowances alone but the entire deficit incurred in the school until the opening day. We do not know the reason that made the directors pay the teachers less than their entitlement this time after they had received the first installment in full according to the decision. Therefore, we request Your Excellency to look into the Council's decision and then settle the teachers' requests according to the Council's promise, out of respect for promises and for the interest of the teachers who were promised equality with the rest of the community's employees. May you remain in respect, my Lord. ⟦A. Hour⟧ Secretary A copy of it to the Director of Rachel Shahmoon School " " to the Director of Masouda Salman School ⟦Mr. Secretary⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦24 / 8⟧
Page 432
Copy of a letter from the teachers of Rachel Shahmoon School To the Honorable Chairman of the Teachers' Committee Greetings and respect. We, the teachers of Rachel Shahmoon School for the year 1930/1931, have not received the second installment of the accumulated salaries for that year, contrary to what was stated in the agreement concluded between the esteemed Lay Council and your honorable committee. Therefore, we request that you mediate with the school principal and the head of the community to pay the remainder of the installment like other schools, as this is one of the mandatory duties upon you since the formation of the committee. Please accept our utmost respect. Signatures of the teachers ⟦line⟧ Copy of a letter from the teachers of Masouda Salman Schools To the Honorable Secretary of the Teachers' Committee Greetings and respect. We, the teachers of Masouda Salman and Karam schools, had received official letters last year from the former head of the Lay Council stating the installment of accumulated salaries into four installments, each installment to be paid at a specific time. Based on that, we persevered in teaching with all diligence and sincerity. As the second installment, amounting to approximately fifty dinars, became due on August 15, 1932, and only ten dinars and 85 fils were paid, we remained suspicious of this matter. Therefore, we have come to inform you to take the necessary measures and negotiate with the head of the community in this regard and notify us with the utmost speed, and we thank you in advance. Signatures of the teachers
Page 433
1819 8/24/1932 Honorable Secretary of the Teachers' Committee Reference to your letter No. 20 dated 8/22/1932 His Excellency the Deputy Head of our Community has instructed me to request your presence at this department tomorrow between 8 and 9 in the morning ⟦illegible⟧ Director of Correspondence
Page 434
Committee Schools of the Jewish Community Baghdad Number - 22 Date - August 28, 1932 His Excellency, the President of the Jewish Community, Respected After reviewing the decisions of the Lay Council taken in the presence of the committee, it became clear to us that the first decision taken on 9/17/31 and communicated to us by the Council's letter No. 1339, a copy of it was sent to the accountant to act accordingly. As for the second decision taken on 10/14/31 and communicated to us by letter No. 1381 dated 10/15/31, a copy of it was not sent to the accountant to act accordingly. Since the decision was issued by the Council, it was necessary to inform the accountant at the time. We have consulted the President of the Lay Council twice in this regard, and he promised us that he would act according to the decision issued by him. Therefore, the committee requests your Excellency to inform the accountant to include the deficit within the teachers' claims - according to the Council's decision - and the amount of the deficit must have been sent by the directors to the Lay Council, and thus the debts will be distributed equally among all teachers when you order the payment of one of the installments. Please accept our highest respect, and may you remain, Sir. ⟦illegible⟧ Secretary ⟦illegible⟧ 1264 8/29/932 A copy of it. To the Director of Rachel Shahmoon School " " To the Director of Masouda Salman and Al-Karm School Accountant There is no doubt that the students and the salaries themselves must now be audited carefully by the committee so if we are satisfied with their validity, these words and their submission are legal. According to this signed memorandum immediately and based on the ratio of its writing, this is for information that if you encounter a problem or have any doubt in any of the sections, you must consult me. H ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧
Page 435
Committee Teachers of the Israelite Community Number - 33 Date / 29 August 932 His Excellency the President of the Israelite Community, Respected Greetings and respect. Further to our letter No. 32, we present to you below the amount of the deficit that occurred in the budgets of the school Rachel Shahmoon and the two schools of Masouda Salman for the year 30 - 31, which the Lay Council took a decision on in a general manner after the deliberation that took place in the presence of the committee Fils | Dinar | Statement 891 | 51 | Amount of deficit of Rachel Shahmoon School 803 | 16 | Amount of deficit of Masouda Salman and Al-Karam School 694 | 68 | Total Therefore, the committee hopes that you will issue your orders to add this deficit to the request of the two schools mentioned. Furthermore, the Lay Council had stated several times that it takes special measures for the separated teachers in a way that does not affect the teachers who accepted the reduction at that time and the installment of debts, and it has actually done so as it has sent allocations to those who left the school before the first installment of debts was paid, and when the first installment was paid it reached all teachers in full without deducting from them the share of the separated teachers. We hope your Excellency will investigate this and issue your orders as necessary so that everyone is equal upon receipt - whatever the amount - as permitted by the community fund The matter is yours, sir. ⟦illegible signature⟧ Secretary A copy of it to the Director of Rachel Shahmoon School " " to the Director of Masouda Salman and Al-Karam School Administration of the Lay Council: Number: 1462 Date: 29 / 8 / 932 File Number: After the deficit was audited by the accounting department and the necessary reports were submitted and decisions were made to accept the impression. To be filed ⟦illegible⟧ 29/8/932 ⟦illegible signature⟧ Accounting It appears from the statements that Shahmoon School ended its deficit in the past year i.e., 1930 / 31 and 1931 / 32. If that is the case, in what manner was it ordered to pay all these previous deficits, and we know of their result through the necessary papers that all the books of this school are kept according to the double-entry system, so the school management must send accurate statements on time to allow for ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧
Page 436
RAHEL SHAHMOON RAHEL SHAHMOON SCHOOL 116 December 11, 1922 No. Baghdad 19 To His Excellency, the Acting President of the Jewish Community, Respected Greetings and respect, Enclosed you will find the petitions submitted to us by the teachers of our schools, requesting in agreement the payment of their overdue salaries before Monday the 18th of this month. They also indicated that they would be forced to cease teaching. Today, we held a general meeting at the Rahel Shahmoon School attended by all the teachers of the Rahel Shahmoon School, the National School, and the Masouda Salman School and its branch. We asked them to postpone the date of the strike until the community administration provides sufficient funds to meet their demands. We exerted all our efforts toward this end but did not succeed because we found them insistent on their request. We hope that you will set an appointment for us to meet with Your Excellency to deliberate on this important matter so that no opportunity is given for the disruption of order in the schools. Yours respectfully, ⟦illegible⟧ Director of Masouda Salman School and its branch, Al-Karam ⟦illegible⟧ Director of the National School ⟦illegible⟧ Director of Rahel Shahmoon School Teachers' Committee All Administration of the Lay Council in Baghdad Number 1492 Date 11/12/22
Page 437
Baghdad 7 December 949 The Honorable Director of Rachel Shahoon School After greetings and respect Many are the letters we have sent to you at various times complaining of the distress and poverty we suffer from as a result of these salaries which we have begun to receive in installments and intermittently like the breaths of a sick person, but unfortunately we have not found from you anything but excuses and hopes that all came contrary to your promises, so we were patient, but now there is no more room for patience left. Based on the previous considerations and given our lack of equality with other employees of the community, we inform you that we request you to take effective measures to pay our salary in full at the end of each month starting from the past month and to look into the matter of the overdue salaries, and if we do not receive a satisfactory answer by Monday, December 19, we are determined with all regret to go on strike from lessons, for the matter has reached its limit and we can no longer endure this prolonged situation. He who warns is excused, please accept our highest respect Teacher | Teacher | Teacher ⟦signature⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ ⟦signature⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ Teacher | ⟦signature⟧ | with space Heskel ⟦...⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ Teacher | ⟦signature⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ Naim ⟦...⟧ | Salman ⟦...⟧
Page 438
Baghdad on December 16, 1946 To the Honorable Director of the National School Greetings and respect, Furthermore, the opinions of our fellow teachers have agreed and their word has united on demanding what has accumulated for them of salaries, given the severe destitution and need they are in, as they have become grumbling and indignant at the wasting of their rights regarding salaries; they suffer from the delay and ache from the fragmentation of payments, and they want to put an end to these farces and these violations. They have formed a committee from among us to demand their rights and have given us wide-ranging authority to take the measures we see success in resorting to for our efforts. As for us, we want - (1) Payment of all overdue salaries (2) A commitment to pay the salaries of the coming months month by month until the end of the school year. We hope that you do not neglect these modest requests, as neglecting them will push us to organize a strike in which the teachers will support us in realizing their rights, and we hope you are aware that Monday, December 19 of this month, will be the date for the aforementioned strike With respect and appreciation, ⟦illegible⟧ Committee Member ⟦illegible⟧ Committee Member Note: - Due to the teachers' lack of trust in the teacher Sion and Ibrahim Akhaf they have decided not to include them in the agreements made between them regarding the collection of salaries
Page 439
Baghdad, January 7, ⟦1948⟧ To the Honorable Director of the Mas'uda Salman and Al-Akram Schools, the respected After offering greetings and respect, we submit: We, the teachers of the Mas'uda Salman and Al-Akram schools, have previously sent you from time to time some letters in which we requested your kindness to estimate for us the humble salaries that most of our peers deserve, and to pay us at the beginning of each month the salary of the previous one, but we encountered nothing but words and promises that captivated us and took our minds, so we made them the focus of our hopes and the reference of our expectations, we whose salaries are not enough to meet the needs of our living and the requirements of our homes. But now, as all hope has been cut off, and the installments of the humble salaries have become due, and the months have passed one after another and there is no salary for us to receive to meet our needs, there is no longer any room for patience and hope has run out. As employees of the Jewish community, we must be a class where every employee is equal to the other classes, but we, the teachers, see that ⟦our salaries⟧ are equivalent to many times the salaries of the remaining community employees. Therefore, we have come with this petition of ours, requesting you to act as follows: First: That you pay us all future salaries and settle them for us at the beginning of each month. Second: That we be equal with the rest of the Jewish community employees in the requests for late salaries. Furthermore, we inform you that we have decided to strike from teaching next Monday, the 19th of this month, if we do not receive from your kindness an answer that convinces us of that. He who warns is excused. This is with our further respect and thanks in advance. Teacher ⟦Isaac Shaul⟧ | Teacher Sasson Saleh | Teacher ⟦...⟧ ⟦signature⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ Teacher ⟦Raouf Samuel⟧ | Teacher ⟦...⟧ | Teacher ⟦Aaron Hezekiah⟧ ⟦signature⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ Teacher ⟦...⟧ | Teacher ⟦...⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ | Teacher ⟦...⟧ | Teacher ⟦...⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ |
Page 440
His Excellency the Head of the Community, Respectfully After greetings, We cannot agree to this solution that you have reached now; therefore, we support everything that was stated in our letters submitted to the directors. May you remain respected. On behalf of Masouda Salman ⟦and Al-Karam⟧ | On behalf of Rachel Shamoun | On behalf of Al-Wataniya ⟦illegible⟧ | ⟦illegible⟧ | ⟦illegible⟧ Al-Riyadi 22 / 12 / 72
Page 441
RAHEL SHAHMOON SCHOOL Rahel Shahmoon School Number 117 No. Baghdad Baghdad, December 16, 1922 19 1498 12/16/1922 M / 1 To the Honorable Acting President of the Jewish Community After greetings and respect With reference to our verbal memorandum and after we have exerted great efforts, we have reached the following terms with the group of teachers of our schools: First: The school administration undertakes to pay future salaries to its employees as one full salary at the end of each month, starting from this date until the end of the current school year. Second: The administration undertakes to pay every employee all that is due to them from the school until 9/30/1922, provided that the accumulated salaries for the school year 1921/1922 are not included under this undertaking. Third: The school administration shall pay all salaries stipulated in the first clause and undertakes that no more than two overdue salaries shall remain outstanding at the end of September 1923. Fourth: The school administration undertakes to pay these two overdue salaries in September, starting from the schools, meaning at the beginning of the school year 1923/924, in four monthly installments in addition to their salaries for the mentioned school year. Fifth: The administration undertakes to pay the remainder of the accumulated salaries for the school year 921 / 922 according to its budget approved by the previous Lay Council. Sixth: In order to implement the terms of this agreement, we will be forced to borrow ⟦via promissory notes⟧ signed by our members in addition to the school administration or by our personal signatures amounts totaling (780) seven hundred and eighty ⟦rupees⟧, so the leadership of the community must undertake an explicit and definitive commitment: First: To pay our schools' monthly allocations at the end of each month in a regular manner until the end of the current school year. Continued on page 2
Page 442
Rahel Shahmoon School RAHEL SHAHMOON SCHOOL No.: Baghdad on: 19 No.: Baghdad: 19 Date ⟦24 / 8 / 51⟧ Second. By paying the amounts listed in the attached list so that the administrations of our schools can pay the promissory notes in their custody upon their maturity, and no room is given for rumors outside the school Third. The amount of (780) seven hundred and eighty dinars mentioned above is not calculated within the allocations for the current year, but rather is calculated for the account of our schools' claim on the community fund until the end of November 1952 Please accept our highest respects ⟦Your sincere⟧ Principal of Rahel Shahmoon School Principal of the National School ⟦Your sincere⟧ Principal of Masouda Salman School and its honorable branch
Page 443
Rahel Shahmoon School RAHEL SHAHMOON SCHOOL List of amounts loaned to Rahel Shahmoon, Al-Wataniya, Masouda Salman schools and its honorable community, excluding allocations Number Baghdad on 19 December 1922 No. Baghdad 19 Fils | Dinar ⟦line⟧ | 264 | To Rahel Shahmoon School ⟦line⟧ | 248 | To Al-Wataniya School ⟦line⟧ | 270 | To Masouda Salman School and its honorable community | 782 | Statement of amounts to be collected as below A promissory note for a month from the 19th of the current month, due September 19, 1922, and that is from the original promissory note of (520) five hundred and twenty Dinars to the order of the Director of the Alliance School left at the Ottoman Bank ⟦with⟧ it annually, according to the transfer sent to the directorate of the aforementioned schools ⟦line⟧ | 120 | To Rahel Shahmoon School ⟦line⟧ | 115 | To Al-Wataniya School 220/000 | 85 | To Masouda Salman School and its honorable community A promissory note for a month from 1 January 1922, due 1 in 1922 | 102/000 | To Rahel Shahmoon School | 74/000 | To Al-Wataniya School 220/000 | 44/000 | To Masouda Salman School and its honorable community A promissory note for a month from 1 February 1922, due 1 in 1922 | 52/000 | To Rahel Shahmoon School | 60/000 | To Al-Wataniya School 170/000 | 58/000 | To Masouda Salman School and its honorable community A promissory note for a month from 1 March 1922, due 1 July 1922 To Masouda Salman School and its honorable community only Only eighty-seven Dinars and no more on 16/7/24 Expired Director of Masouda Salman School and its honorable community Director of Al-Wataniya School Director of Rahel Shahmoon School
Page 444
Presidency of the Jewish Community Baghdad Number 2060 Date 23 December 932 Directorate of Rachel Shahmoon School Directorate of the National School Directorate of Masouda Salman School With reference to your letter No. 117 dated 16 December 1932 We approve the arrangement you have agreed upon with the teachers of your school and we pledge to what was stated in paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 of Article Six of your letter referred to above; ⟦illegible⟧ Acting President of the Jewish Community
Page 445
2056 19/12/932 Directorate of Alliance Schools This presidency undertakes to pay you in cash the sum of five hundred and twenty Dinars (520) on April 19, 933. Two hundred Dinars of which are for the account of your school and three hundred and twenty for the account of the schools Rachel Shahmoon National and Masouda Salman, which is what you paid to these schools based on the request of our department, calculated against their accumulated allocations. To ⟦signature⟧ Acting Head of the Jewish Community
Page 446
2122 30 January 933 To - Directorate of Alliance Schools With reference to the conversation that took place between us on several occasions and to the difficult circumstances that you are facing as a result of the delayed allocations, you will find enclosed a check for 142/912 Dinars, allocations for one month. We agree that you discount a note for one hundred Dinars on the condition that its maturity be during the collection of student fees after Easter. I would be most grateful if the discounted note were for 140 Dinars, and these forty we want for the Shamash School. I hope you record that this Presidency undertakes to pay this amount to you in the second half of next May if financial conditions are helpful, otherwise it will be paid from student fees, while the amount of forty Dinars, we undertake to send it to you from the Shamash School. On this occasion, I reiterate my request to you to exert your diligent efforts to prevent any deficit at the end of the current school year, especially since we have reduced the salary of the English teacher, Mr. Boghos, and we have approved the reduction of Monsieur Rajwan's salary, and there is a surplus in fees that has occurred and will occur in the final part of this year. I reiterate my strong recommendation regarding the termination of the services of Daoud the servant and the reduction of the salaries of the rest of the servants, and the removal of one or two of them if possible. Furthermore, I will do my best to assist you in organizing a late-night event or holding a theatrical performance to increase revenues and prevent a deficit. Hoping that you will also exert your efforts and cooperate with this Presidency hand in hand toward this end. ⟦signature⟧ Acting President of the Jewish Community
Page 447
RAHEL SHAHMOON SCHOOL Rahel Shahmoon School No. 121 Baghdad, January 21, 1922 To His Excellency the Acting Head of the Jewish Community, Respected Greetings and respect, We request the allocation be sent to our school so that we may be able to pay the teachers' salaries for the current month without borrowing this month. May you remain in health. Sincerely yours, ⟦illegible⟧ The Director
Page 448
WATANIYAH SCHOOL Date: 16 February 1922 Baghdad 193 No. 21 Excellency The Respected President of the Jewish Community After greetings and respect It is not hidden from your Excellency that, in view of the financial distress that has overtaken the community fund, school employees have not received their salaries regularly for years, and the teachers had agreed to strike from teaching on December 19, 1922. When we succeeded in resolving the matter, we held a meeting under the chairmanship of the Acting High President, and agreement was reached on the points listed in our letter No. 117 dated December 16, 1922, and also the Community Presidency gave a definitive and explicit pledge to implement what was stated in the first, second, and third paragraphs of our aforementioned letter, according to the letter No. 206 dated 22 December 1922. So we contracted joint loans in the amount of 740 Dinars, 520 of which are due on April 19, 1923 (200 Dinars owed by the Alliance School and 320 Dinars owed by us) and the remaining 220 Dinars are due on May 1, 1923, and we will also need to contract a third loan in the amount of 420 Dinars at the end of this month. Therefore, we hope that you will kindly confirm the decision of the former Acting President of the Community regarding the commitment of the community fund to pay these amounts on their due dates. May you remain protected. ⟦signature⟧ ⟦signature⟧ ⟦signature⟧ Director of Masouda Salman School | Director of the Wataniyah School | Director of Shamoun School Form No. 7 — 500 — 1 — 1933
Page 449
Shamash School Baghdad Shamash School Baghdad No.: 295 Date: 2 / 5 / 1922 Subject: His Excellency the President of the Honorable Lay Council Greetings and respect I have the honor to inform you that the promissory notes taken through Ezra Aqadh Haddad have become due and must be paid today, so we hope you will attend to this matter Please accept the highest expressions of respect and remain in peace ⟦illegible signature⟧ The Director Very Urgent To the Financial Secretary To explain the circumstances Urgent Respected Ezra Aqadh Haddad There is nothing recorded in the community administration regarding the loan, so we hope you will explain to us how this loan occurred, and remain in peace ⟦illegible signature⟧ The Secretary 2 / 5 / 922 Respected Shalom Afa Darwish At the end of the month of January ⟦1922⟧ we had informed the former President about our need to borrow 50 Dinars, so he wanted to obtain this loan through the Director of the Alliance, but the aforementioned refused to lend us the amount, so we were forced to borrow it according to promissory notes due on the first of May 922 ⟦illegible signature⟧
Page 450
Dear respected George Effendi, Please review the letter along with Ezra Effendi Haddad's reply and kindly state your opinion regarding this urgent matter because the amount was due yesterday and must be paid today. Is the Council responsible for such a transaction that was not carried out according to any resolution? Thank you in advance. Sincerely, 2/5/22 ⟦signature⟧ Dear Heskel Effendi, As far as I know, ⟦...⟧ the former head of the community had authorized the Jewish schools to borrow an amount via promissory notes up to a certain limit, and that was by an official letter. So if the amount under discussion is within that authorization, I think the Lay Council is obligated to fulfill this commitment. Otherwise, no. 2/5/22. Sincerely, ⟦signature⟧ Dear respected Ezra Effendi Khayyat, Please review the attached letter and the opinion of the aforementioned George Effendi, and please provide me with your opinion as well. However, I must inform you that this borrowing was not authorized by any official letter or resolution. As for me, I believe the Council is not responsible for this. 2/5/22 ⟦signature⟧