School Documents and Test Administration Instructions, Student Rosters, Teacher Issues, Baghdadi Jewish Schools
View interactive document pageThese 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.
1556 7/22/1932 To the Honorable Director of Ras al-Qarya School Reference to your letter No. 54 dated 6/3/1932 Please be so kind as to attend the administration of the Jewish Community on any day of the coming week between 8:00 and 9:00 AM - and may you remain [in peace] ⟦illegible⟧ The President
24/7/32 Dear Gurji Effendi I would be grateful if you would kindly take the necessary measures to postpone the demand for payment of the two electricity bills numbered 32/5/6166 and 32/6/6166 and dated 26/5/32 and 24/6/932 and to prevent the execution of the notice directed to Mr. Muhammad Al-Ani regarding the disconnection of the electricity supply from the house No. 23-125, which is used as an official school in the neighborhood of Ras al-Qarya, until the issue of the expenses related to the aforementioned school is settled and the party responsible for paying them is determined. Thank you. Sincerely, ⟦signature⟧ ⟦Confronting Husaym Afaq⟧ ⟦illegible handwriting⟧
Directorate Ras al-Qarya Primary Amiri School Baghdad Number 6/4 Date 10/12/1924 To His Eminence, the Respected Head of the Jewish Community Further to our letter No. 5/1 dated 10/12/1924 I understood from the content of my oral conversation with Your Excellency that the community fund is in severe financial distress making it at the present time ⟦unable to⟧ pay the electricity fees. I wished to provide assistance to our respected community fund Therefore, I have decided to pay the electricity lighting expenses for the coming school year from my own pocket as a donation from me to the community and in service of knowledge, provided that you order the payment of the previous amounts. Sincerely, ⟦signature⟧ The Director Administration of the Lay Council -- Baghdad: Number: 1424 Date: 10/14/24 File Number: Expedite 10/14/24 I answered him orally 10/16/24 ⟦signature⟧ Write that to him 10/20/24
2095 January 16, 1933 Electricity fees for Ras al-Qarya Official School His Excellency the Director of Education for the Baghdad District, Respected With reference to our conversation the day before yesterday, I submit herewith to Your Excellency the two letters from the Directorate of Ras al-Qarya Official School along with the four electricity bills attached to them, in view of the case's relevance to your respected directorate. ⟦H⟧ ⟦S⟧ Acting Head of the Jewish Community
Directorate of Education for the Baghdad Region Number: 27 Date: 24 January 33 Subject ⟦line⟧ To the Principal of Ras al-Qarya School Due to the lack of ⟦allocations⟧ in your school's budget, we cannot pay the cost of electricity expenses consumed in your school, so you must pay the mentioned fees from the grocery revenues or cut the electrical current from the school immediately. ⟦signature⟧ Director of Education for the Baghdad Region A copy of it to The Presidency of the Israelite Community ⟦line⟧ In reference to its letter numbered 2095 and dated (16/1/33) Administration of Israelite Schools - Baghdad 1948 22/1/22 ⟦Karrada⟧ ⟦128⟧
Baghdad District Education Directorate Number ⟦1295⟧ Date ⟦11⟧ March 1933 To the Presidency of the Jewish Community We transmit to you below a copy of the letter from the Capital Health Directorate No. 481 dated 27 / 2 / 1933 and we request the implementation of the first three articles of it, and we thank you. ⟦Signature⟧ Director of Education for the Baghdad District A copy of it to "The Headmaster of Ras al-Qarya School" (For the implementation of the fourth article of it) Copy of the letter from the Capital Health Directorate No. 481 dated 27 / 2 / 33 This department has inspected the Jewish school located in the Ras al-Qarya neighborhood And found the deficiencies listed below, and therefore it is requested to carry them out to make the mentioned school healthy. 1- Whitewashing the walls and ceiling of the toilets with lime 2- Painting the toilet doors with oil paint 3- Extending water pipes to the toilets 4- Placing an acid solution in the tank permanently. Headmaster of Ras al-Qarya School Please note the deficiencies ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ Fawz //
Directorate Ras al-Qarya Amiri Primary School Baghdad Number ⟦line⟧ Date 24 / 4 / 1927 To the Honorable Secretary of the Presidency of the Jewish Community After greetings I have inspected the worker regarding the necessary pipes and faucets for the toilets in accordance with the required health regulations. This requires six faucets with six pipes, fourteen elbows, eight tees, and eight ⟦brass⟧ single-sided uprights. Therefore, I hope you will reach an agreement with him so that he may begin the work. Best regards. Sincerely, ⟦signature⟧ Director of Ras al-Qarya Amiri School
Directorate Ras al-Qarya Princely Elementary School Baghdad Number: Date: 25 / 4 / 1933 To the Honorable Secretary of the Presidency of the Jewish Community After greetings, The work on the pipes and faucets discussed yesterday has been completed in a good manner. This is what was required; therefore, I hope to inform you of this for your knowledge. Best regards. Sincerely, ⟦signature⟧ Director of Ras al-Qarya Jewish School
Directorate Ras al-Qarya Primary Amiri School Baghdad Number ⟦line⟧ Date 2 / 4 / 1934 To the Honorable Secretary of the Presidency of the Community Council After greetings, Jabbawi ⟦son of Fadl⟧ al-Sabbagh has completed painting the room and the doors as requested. Sincerely, ⟦illegible⟧ The Director
Directorate Ras al-Qarya Amiri Elementary School Baghdad Number 5 / 29 Date 26 / 4 / 1922 To His Eminence, the President of the Jewish Community Council, the Respected The tent that has been used to shade the school courtyard for three years has now torn and it is absolutely impossible to benefit from it, and leaving the courtyard exposed during the hot summer days, especially when the scorching sun is in the middle of the horizon, affects the health of the students badly and hinders the progress of teaching. Please order the expenditure of three dinars to redo this, and by doing so you preserve the health of (252) students of the rising generation and ensure their educational benefit together. May you remain. ⟦illegible⟧ Director of Ras al-Qarya Amiri School To the esteemed Council 7/5/22 ⟦illegible⟧
229 17 May 1933 School travel by tent To - Directorate of Ras al-Qarya Official School Reference to your letter No. 39/5 dated 26/4/1933 Despite the smallness of the requested amount, our council apologizes for not spending it for your school's travel, and that in view of its financial constraints, and requests the repair of the previous tent and its use L.W. Vice President of the Physical Council ⟦red signature⟧
Directorate Ras al-Qarya Princely Primary School in Baghdad 1933 Number 47/6 Date 7 Muharram 1352 and 18 May 1933 To the Presidency of the Physical Council Reference to our letter No. 229 dated May 17, 1933 We have explained to you in our letter No. 29/5 dated 26/4/1933 that it is not possible to benefit from the tents previously used to cover the school at all, and that they are torn into pieces that are difficult to arrange and repair, and you must send someone to see their condition. Therefore, I hope you will reconsider the matter once again to protect the health of [250] students from the heat of the sun which is burning, especially since the studies are intensifying day by day, and if the school remains in its current state until the end of the year, some students will inevitably suffer from various diseases as a result of the deadly heat of the sun. Therefore, I ask for compassion and mercy for the condition of these innocent students. May you remain well. ⟦signature⟧ Director of Ras al-Qarya Primary School A copy of it to Baghdad Education Directorate (for information) To the Council ⟦...⟧ To be seen first ⟦...⟧
Directorate Ras al-Qarya Amiri Primary School Baghdad Number ⟦line⟧ Date 28 / 5 / 1934 ⟦illegible⟧ 4 / 1954 My dear and virtuous Shalom Tuqa, respected After greetings We have sent for the tent maker and examined the type of fabric that we received to be used, and after measuring half the area of the courtyard, it appeared that the area of half the tent is (120) square cubits, and its cost would be (6) Dinars, whereas we had estimated (2) Dinars if we made it from the first type that was previously made for the school and which you saw during your visit to the school. Since it was the desire of the respected member that the tent be of this type, I therefore refer the matter to you, knowing that you will reduce this amount significantly, and I thank you in advance. Sincerely, ⟦signature⟧ The Director Passed 20 / 5 morning
Baghdad 22 / 7 / 44 His Eminence, the Head of the Jewish Community, the respected Rabbi Sassoon Khedouri After greetings, I have come with this letter to present to your presence what you are unaware of, and allow me if I use in this letter of mine some strong expressions indicating the intensity of the agitation in my chest. Yes, I am agitated and what an agitation! Why should my heart not burn and my liver not break when I have been afflicted through my son and my dear one, and I have become not knowing what to do. Yes, allow me to hold you to account for your neglect of school affairs from the moral perspective, and here I see myself exaggerating and being hasty if I meant by these words of mine all the schools overseen by the community administration, because I am not familiar with all of them. Know, Your Eminence the President, that if a student is sent to school for the purpose of his education and culture, and the result is that his morals are corrupted and his honor is violated, then woe to that school which has ceased to be an institute for upbringing and a place for refinement and has become a hotbed of corruption and a den of vice. And shame on those villainous individuals who spread corruption and debauchery among innocent students. Yes, it is the duty of the community administration, in its capacity as the direct controller and the sole person responsible for the safety of the honor of the community's children from the tampering of the corrupt, to strive with all the strength and power it possesses to be fully aware of the morals of every principal and teacher into whose hands the pieces of people's hearts are delivered. Yes, the administration should have guaranteed the honor of the students when financial distress forced it to hand over their education to the government. Yes, duty requires you to ask and investigate, in secret and in public, about the morals of the person to whom the Department of Education entrusts the management of the affairs of the Ras al-Qarya official school.
That you may know Humanity calls you and the honor of the students calls you (in any form) regarding what is happening in this scientific institute of corruption and the spreading of vice. Yes, you should have known how the school principal Ahmed Al-Yassin seduces the students and violates their honor by threatening them that he will fail them in the exam if they do not obey him in his heinous act. Do not let it escape your mind, O Rabbi, that a young boy is easy to seduce and easy to shape, especially by his principal; so he comes to the school after lesson hours in response to his invitation for trivial matters and flimsy excuses, falling into the trap set for him, forced and driven by the will of that predatory beast, thus losing his honor and his future. It was suggested to me that I take this scoundrel to court so that the hand of justice may reach him, but I did not do so because I expect that afterwards my son's matter would be exposed and my family's honor stained with the mark of shame and disgrace. And know, Your Eminence the Rabbi, that my son is not the only student reached by the sinful hand of this predatory beast, but many students whose morals have been corrupted by him, according to what I have heard recently. Some students of this school have complained about their principal to the Ministry of Education regarding moral issues on one hand, and on the other hand, the school's neighbors also complained about him because they witnessed some heinous acts taking place in the school at night. Are you aware of all these matters? God forbid. Because it is not reasonable that you would remain silent, far be it from you, while knowing of them, given what I know of your chastity and zeal for the sons of the community. Will this letter of mine receive your attention?
Will you please look into the case and save the honor of the students? O Allah, yes, and that is because of what I know of your firmness, good management, and initiative to do everything that would benefit our community, and especially our innocent children. Peace be upon you, sir. Your servant The student's guardian I have clarified this case in a letter to His Excellency the Director General of Education
Baghdad / 3 February 1933 To the Honorable Director of Ras al-Qarya Primary School After greetings, On 18/8/32, an agreement was reached between me and the Acting Head of the Jewish Community that I teach the prescribed Hebrew in our school during the mornings only, with a reduction of 15 dirhams per month from the existing salary - six dinars and seven hundred and fifty fils. When this agreement was drafted, I was not invited to attend so that it would be consistent with what we indicated; rather, it was recorded in my absence, and thus it came out contrary to the truth and reality, as he wants to deduct 15 dirhams monthly. So he fabricated a fixed duration and said from August 1932. And he neglected the teaching of the prescribed Hebrew in our school during the mornings only. He replaced it by reducing three lessons per week from the total number of his lessons. He added to that by referring to his approval, etc... At that time, I submitted a letter to the Community Leadership dated 26 August 1932, in which I explained - the nature of the agreement that took place and which came out contrary to the letter submitted to you dated 24/8/32. At that time, I received nothing but illegitimate verbal [assurances], so I followed that letter with another - dated 2 September 1932, and among what I stated in it was that I remained firm on what we agreed upon, i.e., the reduction with teaching in the mornings only. I waited until the opening of the school but received no answer. This was evidence of the Acting Head's involvement in this matter, and accordingly, the application of the - reduction was cancelled, just as the effect of "mornings only" was revoked. On 31/1/33, I received a letter dated 29/1/1933 signed by the clerk on behalf of the Acting Head of the Jewish Community. Its author wants to implement a reduction of (750) fils per month from the first of August 1932. If the claim of the author of this letter has any share of truth, I will be forced to demand compensation for the damages inflicted upon me as a result of this treatment, since when we agreed to teach in the mornings only, I had obtained a clerical job in the afternoon with a salary of three dinars per month, and I lost that along with the insurance due to what occurred of the change in the drafting of the agreement. (1) Did the Acting Head not agree then that I teach the prescribed Hebrew in our school only in the morning? (2) Did we touch upon then the number of lessons, whatever their number might be, and did the Acting Head inform me that he would neglect the prescribed Hebrew for mornings only and fabricate in its place - three lessons and add to them arbitrarily the phrase (referring to his approval)? (3) Did we mention then the start of the reduction period? Is it not that teaching transactions that usually take place during the final holiday take effect from the opening of the school for its new year? This is if no change occurs in the transaction, as the essence of our transaction was revoked and became void - ⟦In the name of⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ this ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
— 2 — in its entirety. (4) Why did the Vice President not answer me at that time regarding the two letters in which I clarified what was ambiguous and obscure? If he had been able to at that time, he would not have delayed the answer. (5) Is there a law or regulation that indicates a general reduction based on a proportional rule that was applied to all employees of the community of various classes without exception or distinction? This is what the Vice President knows well..!! (6) The last letter I received had a check attached to it on account of the accumulated salaries. The check is signed by the Vice President, and the letter is signed with the signature of the clerk on behalf of the Vice President of the Jewish Community. So what is the meaning of this, and who is the original author of the letter, and on whom does its responsibility fall? (7) The subject of the mentioned letter — settlement of your salaries until the end of Dec. / 33 — does the writer mean Dec. (32) or what? (8) On the date of 2 / 1 / 33, i.e., after the administration of our school and the Directorate of Education of the Baghdad region wrote about my accumulated salaries (which, up to the writing of these lines, my January 1933 salary is late), at that time the Vice President drew a check for me equal to the salaries of July, August, and September 1932 without reduction, so I submitted the required receipt, and it was accepted instantly, and there was no objection to it neither from the Vice President nor from the author of the last letter. So how does the signatory return now to turn all that upside down and renew in his letter the subject of this reduction, that is if he has the authority to act in such a manner? Would the signatory be so kind as to inform us what he donated or how much he waived of his salary this year or the one — preceding it when our salaries were reduced by ten rupees, so he asks me to repeat this reduction? (9) Among what was written in the mentioned letter, he requests confirmation of that, etc... (i.e., he wants me to agree with him on renewing the reduction in his letter). Would it not have been more appropriate for the Vice President to ask me for such confirmation before the opening of the school if he saw it as a reasonable or fair matter? (10) Is there a teacher in the community schools, among locals or Palestinians, who performs my duty, i.e., teaching the fifth and sixth grades, for this meager salary? (11) Last year, my salary dropped from one hundred rupees to ninety under the pretext of a general reduction carried out in the community. The men of the Lay Council used to promise us that this reduction was temporary. Does logic or conscience accept that another ten rupees should be snatched away this year as well? Who has donated or waived ten rupees of his salary permanently, even those who were not touched by the past reduction? (12) Was the Vice President or the signatory able to persist ⟦in that⟧ with others who have huge salaries, or foreigners, or even with the employees of his office? Is this treatment the fruit of the appreciation we expect from our miserable profession? Therefore, I have come hoping for your kindness to look into this treatment and become acquainted with this situation so that you may lift this injustice from me, enabling me to continue with what my sacred duties dictate — and please accept my highest respect. Teacher at Ras al-Qarya School ⟦signature⟧
Directorate Ras al-Qarya Princely Elementary School Baghdad Number 48/7 Date 25 / 2 / 1922 To His Eminence the Respected Head of the Jewish Community On February 2, 1922, the teacher Daoud Qa'touri submitted a letter to me demanding the issue of his reduced salaries, and I referred it to you at the time to consider his request, and until now you have not informed us of the result of that. Therefore, I hope to reconsider his previous request and kindly inform us. I also add my voice to his and hope to grant his request because he is a sincere and zealous teacher in his work, and to you thanks in advance, sir. ⟦illegible⟧ Director of Ras al-Qarya Jewish School The case was deposited at the time to the esteemed Council, and it decided to postpone consideration of it until the formation of a committee for schools 5/28/922 ⟦illegible⟧ Secretary Waiting on it now ⟦illegible⟧
Your Excellency the President The most important points mentioned in the attached petition are summarized in these four points:- 1- The petitioner complains that the reduction in the form communicated to him by this department on 24/8/942 was carried out with approval and a request insisting on its implementation, which was agreed upon as a result of the oral deliberation that took place between Your Excellency and him on 18/8/942 in which it was hoped that all lessons taught in languages other than Hebrew would be deleted, which correspond to 4 lessons against ⟦...⟧ 2- He submitted two petitions to this department explaining his objections and claims he received no response to them. 3- He objects to the reduction starting on the first of August 942, while the school year begins in October 942. 4- He received a letter signed by the Director of Investigations on behalf of the Acting Head of the Community, and he wants to know "who is the original author of the letter." Below are my observations on each of the above paragraphs: 1- After reviewing the private files and deliberating with Omar Effendi, the former school principal, it appeared that the aforementioned was not appointed for Hebrew only, but also to teach English in the primary classes of the school so that the students of these classes would be at the same level as students of other classes in our other schools in this language. Since it was found absolutely impossible to cancel these lessons which total 12 lessons, and from the information we gathered from the aforementioned principal (it turned out that the petitioner gives three additional lessons in the Arabic language that can be deleted) ⟦...⟧ it was decided to actually delete them as compensation for the reduction scheduled to be implemented to the salary of the aforementioned. The petitioner objects to the reduction of his salary alone among the community's employees, while the value of the three lessons deleted from his weekly working hours equals ⟦050⟧ fils, so the actual reduction that affected the mentioned teacher is ⟦250⟧ fils only, and such a reduction affected the salaries of most community employees when adjusting salaries in the budgets. 2- You have answered orally with the opinion of this presidency regarding the objections he raised in his petition under discussion. Your Excellency and the author of the report took charge of his followers, and you will find a summary of what transpired between me and the aforementioned attached at the bottom of his petition dated 18 September 942. 3- The petitioner's objection is valid and deserves assistance. 4- The letter the petitioner refers to is No. 1212 dated 29 August 942, and it was signed on behalf of Your Excellency based on your instructions, and you indicated approval of its content on 29 August 942, and everything built on this point I do not see worthy of attention. Director of Investigations 2/12/942 Against 4 lessons ⟦illegible faded text at bottom⟧
Baghdad 11 August 1922 Via the Director of the Ras al-Qarya Israelite School To His Excellency the President of the Honorable Israelite Lay Council Greetings! At the present time, I am faced with the marriage of my daughter, as I must provide for that amounts greater than what I am requesting from the community. I hope for your assistance by granting my requests until the end of the current holiday, and I offer you much thanks in advance. Fils | Dinar 750 | 87 Fils | Dinar 500 | 16 | On 29 / 1 / 22 . . . | 6 | " 2 / 4 / 22 . . . | 6 | " 5 / 4 / 22 . . . | 6 | " 2 / 6 / 22 . . . | 6 | " 4 / 7 / 22 . . . | 6 | " 4 / 8 / 22 500 | 46 | 250 | 41 | The Remainder ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ Submitted to His Excellency the President of the Council, hoping to fulfill his request In view of the legitimate necessity ⟦Signature⟧ Director of Ras al-Qarya School 12/8/22 The Teacher Raphael ⟦...⟧ Administration of the Lay Council - Baghdad: Number: 204 Date: 14 / 8 / 1922 File Number: . . . . . .
17 / 8 / 1933 His Excellency the Vice President of the Lay Council, the Respected After greetings In implementation of your request dated the 13th of this month, I present below the reality of the claims of the Hebrew teacher at the Ras al-Qarya school, Daoud Effendi Abboudi | Dinar | Fils Salary balance until the end of Jan / 32 | 22 | 500 Total salaries for 6 months ending in July 1933 | 36 | " | 58 | 500 Deducting what was paid to him | | On 30 Jan / 33 | 16 | 500 On 3 April 33 | 6 | " On 5 April 33 | 6 | " On 2 June 33 | 6 | " On 4 July 1933 | 6 | " On 24 August 1933 | 6 | " | 46 | 500 The remaining for him is only twelve dinars and nothing else | 12 | " It appears from the account he submitted that he did not recognize the reduction that occurred to his salary from the first of August 932, and he also persisted in calculating his salaries until the end of next October, and there are also errors in the mentioned account whose origin I do not know. This is for your Excellency's order, ⟦illegible⟧ The Accountant Administration of the Lay Council - Baghdad: Number: 2011 Date: 17 / 8 / 33 File Number:
Amounts recorded in the education account in favor of Daoud Anwar Abboudi before being recorded in the books of the Physical Council :- | Fils | Dinar 1922 | | Salaries for three months: August, September, and October at 6/750 | 250 | 20 Reduction of 12 months from August 922 to the end of July 923 for 750 fils | | 9 | 250 | 29 The recorded request | | 12 | 250 | 41 | | 62 Head of the report To be kept in his file 2 27 August 923 ⟦illegible⟧ The Accountant
Directorate Ras al-Qarya Primary Amiri School Baghdad Number 6 Date 4 / 11 / 946 To His Eminence, the respected Head of the Jewish Community Greetings and respect, and thereafter, First, I hope to finalize the issue of renting the school building for the current academic year so that the lessor can carry out the repairs required of him, Second, I would be very grateful if you would kindly ensure a visit by the respected community doctor to our school to examine the students and order their treatment, Third, the respected community has previously provided this school with electric light due to the lack of light in some classrooms, thereby ⟦protecting⟧ the students' eyes from inevitable harm; however, it recently decided against supplying it with oil for this purpose and cut off the electric current, so the students of the first and second grades especially are suffering health damage, particularly during winter days due to foggy clouds that block the eyes ⟦and those with difficulties⟧ from reading and writing. I hope you will be kind enough to reconsider the matter and order the connection of the electric power. I believe the monthly expenditure for lighting does not exceed (500) fils at most. This, and ⟦to Your Eminence⟧, many thanks in advance. ⟦illegible signature⟧ School Principal Presidency of the Jewish Community Baghdad No. S 1823 Date 5 / 11 / 946 Referred to the esteemed Lay Council for observation 5 / 11 / 946 ⟦illegible signature⟧ Head of the Community Sir, Vice President The school was equipped with electricity when it was first rented from its owner and since then based on the insistence of the former principal, but when the principal submitted the fire extinguishing lists, the former Deputy Head of the Community, Harun Zilkha, objected and did not agree to the payment of these expenses by the community administration, considering all electricity and water bills to be expenses of the Baghdad district as for paying their amounts, and it ⟦occurred⟧ that the Director of Education is obliged to pay these expenses from the grocery funds, otherwise ⟦there was⟧ a collection solution, and I think the principal was unable to pay the expenses from the grocery funds at the time, so the light ⟦ran out⟧ and the current was cut. ⟦illegible signature⟧ 5 / 11 / 946 ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧
2299 10 November 933 Director of the Ras al-Qarya Official School Reference to your letter No. 6 dated 4 / 11 / 933 referred to our council by the Head of the Community :- 1- The renewal of the lease for your school building has been completed for a full two years starting from the first of November 933 and you may now demand the lessor to carry out the necessary repairs. 2- The ophthalmologist will visit your school during his regular tour. 3- We agree to pay half of the monthly expense for lighting your school only. ⟦illegible⟧ Vice President 63