President of the Baghdadi Jewish Community, Personal and Communal Documents
View interactive document pageThese documents contain correspondence, mostly on a personal level, of the President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad. Included are requests for a telephone to be installed in a school, teacher labor issues, student transfers, receipts and invoices, thank you notes and condolences to members of the Jewish Diaspora in Europe, America, and the Middle East. The documents include an excerpt from the 1945 edition of the Biographical Encyclopedia of the World, featuring the president of the Jewish community of Baghdad, Sassoon Khedouri; a license to import one Chevrolet car from the U.S.; a wedding invitation; and several business cards of foreign dignitaries.
His Eminence Rabbi Suleiman Head of the Jewish Community Mosul Their Eminences Rabbis Salman Hoki Aboudi and Daoud Ezra Musfi are heading to your side this evening by train Sincerely Rabbi Sassoon Khedouri Rabbi Sassoon Khedouri Head of the Jewish Community in Baghdad ⟦signature⟧ 5/29
21 / 10 / 946 ⟦...⟧ Department ⟦...⟧ To the honorable Monsieur Laredo, Director of the Alliance School, After greetings, I would be most grateful if you would kindly reconsider the three attached school fee papers, and kindly collect the fees as per the previous grant if possible. With my thanks in advance, Please accept my respects. Sincerely, Sassoon Head of the Community ⟦illegible⟧
October 31, 946 His Excellency Mr. Daoud Al-Qasir, the respected Dean of the College of Engineering in Baghdad My dear Daoud Bey Further to my previous letter dated August 27, 946 regarding providing possible assistance for the admission of the student Eliyahu Munshi Cohen, one of the graduates of the preparatory studies for this year in your college I hope to repeat in this letter my request for his assistance, and to your Excellency much thanks and respect. Sincerely ⟦Sassoon⟧ Head of the Community ⟦illegible⟧ 10/31 To be kept with the personal file
11/1946/ His Eminence Rabbi Yaqub Musfi, the respected After many greetings I enclose herewith the letter of Mr. Zion Ibrahim Karchi addressed to the secretary of the community administration, Mr. Selim Khabbaza, regarding the admission of a student to the school, hoping that you will grant the request, and with thanks to you. Student Two students Sincerely ⟦signature⟧ Head of the Community ⟦Number ...⟧ ⟦illegible⟧
Stuart Roe Head of Public Relations at the British Embassy Baghdad
Stewart Brown Head of Public Relations at the British Embassy Baghdad ⟦illegible⟧ Extends ⟦to you⟧ ⟦best⟧ ⟦greetings⟧ ⟦on the occasion of⟧ the ⟦New⟧ Year 1957 The British Embassy Baghdad
Stewart Brown Head of Public Relations at the British Embassy ⟦illegible⟧ Baghdad
Rabbi Sassoon Kadoori James S. Moose, jr. Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of the United States of America James S. Moose, Chargé d'Affaires of the United States of America ⟦. . .⟧
Mr. Edwin Drower Advisor to the Ministry of Justice thanks you and wishes you prosperity and happiness in the year 1946
Yu Houo Joei Chargé d'Affaires Yu Houo Joei Chargé d'Affaires a. i. Chinese Legation, Baghdad
Grigori Zaitsev Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics thanks you for your kind congratulations
Colonel Robert W. Minn, Chief of the Public Relations Department, thanks you sincerely for your kind Christmas and New Year greetings and wishes you his best wishes.
Baghdad, December 21, 1945 Members of the Crowy Cilly thank His Eminence Mr. Sassoon Khadhuri Head of the Jewish Community for his congratulations on the occasion of the birthday of our Lord Christ, peace be upon him wishing him happiness and prosperity
Sir Humphrey Snow-Burr returns to you with many thanks for the kind congratulations you sent to him on the occasion of the happy Eid, and in turn he wishes you every happiness and prosperity in the New Year. British Embassy Baghdad
Grigory Zaitin Plenipotentiary Delegate and Ambassador of the <del>Soviet</del> Socialist Federation Russian
Name: Rabbi Sassoon Khedouri (Heskel Ezra) Current Position: President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad - Iraq Birth: 1886 Place of Birth: Baghdad - Iraq Education: The Jewish Religious School in Baghdad Married: Yes - married Miss Lulu Shaul Tweg in 1905 His children Shaul Naji Dr. Mushir Hayyim Salman Saleh Victoria Marcelle Start of his work ⟦line⟧ Member of the Jewish Religious Court 1919 Then President of the Jewish Religious Court 1927 Then Hakham Bashi 1928 Then President of the Jewish Community 1933 And he is still in his position Kept in correspondence ⟦illegible⟧
Ministry of Social Affairs Baghdad on The Honorable Rabbi Sassoon Khedhouri After offering my due respect to your Eminence Your friend, I request your Eminence to mediate with the administration of Ezra Menahem or the Alliance schools to accept the daughters of Yusuf Musa (Clementine and Rachel) free of charge, and I would be grateful if you could find a way to do so. I take this opportunity to offer my sincere respect to your Eminence Sincerely ⟦illegible⟧ Dr. Yusuf Al-Jawahiri Baghdad on 22 / 11 / 947
His Eminence Al-Hujjah Agha Hussein Al-Isfahani Najaf Al-Ashraf A delegation headed by His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khadouri, President of the Jewish Community, left Baghdad at six o'clock this morning heading to Najaf Al-Ashraf to offer the community's condolences on the occasion of the death of the late Ayatollah Sheikh Abi al-Hasan al-Musawi. ⟦illegible⟧ First Secretary Presidency of the Jewish Community Tanoa Sion Shamash First Secretary of the Presidency of the Jewish Community in Baghdad
True copy of receipt Number ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧
4 / 11 / 946 Rabbi Sassoon Khedouri is honored to accept with thanks the invitation of His Excellency Mr. Abdul Hadi al-Chalabi, Minister of Communications and Works, for lunch at one o'clock in the afternoon on Thursday, corresponding to November 7, 1946, in honor of General Sir Edward Spears. ⟦illegible⟧ The ⟦Residential⟧ Rabbis
Copy for the Department 9112 27 / 11 / 946 To the Honorable Head of the Mosaic Community Mr. Salman Ibrahim Haroun, the Respected, Khanaqin After greetings and respect, I present to you the two zealous gentlemen, Shaul Nathan and Yusuf Hesqel Mukhtar, who have headed to your side and endured the hardship of travel to perform a sacred duty, which is the attempt to resolve a marital problem that occurred between Mr. Haroun Shaul in your area and to implement it religiously. I hope you will kindly provide all possible assistance to help the two brothers in performing their sacred mission successfully. May God increase the number of righteous people like them. Please accept my respect, with my wishes for your success and prosperity. Sincerely, Alwan Head of the Community ⟦illegible⟧ 27 / 11
JEWISH LAY COUNCIL BAGHDAD TELEPHONE NO. 531 The Lay Council of the Jewish Community in Baghdad Telephone No. 531 Number: 2626 Date: 19 / 11 / 946 His Excellency the President of the Jewish Community, Respected Subject Summary: After greetings and respect I have the honor to inform you of Resolution No. 3 taken at the meeting of the Lay Council on November 18, 1946, for your kind information. (( 3 - The Council deliberated on the matter of the community's car, which has become unfit for use, and decided the following:- First - To sell the car, provided that the Council's approval is obtained for the sale price. Second - To grant His Excellency the President of the Community a fixed transportation allowance of thirty-five Dinars per month, starting from 20 / 11 / 946. Third - The arrangements shall be reconsidered upon the purchase of a new car for the community. Please accept our respect ⟦illegible⟧ The President Copy to The Accountant to act accordingly. To be kept in the file Special ⟦illegible⟧
Department Copy 21/116/946 To the Honorable Director of the German School After greetings and respect, I would be most grateful if you would kindly provide possible assistance regarding the exemption of Louise Isaac ⟦Hayyim⟧, a student at the Laura Kadoorie Kindergarten and daughter of Mr. Isaac Munir, an employee at the Israelite Religious Court. With thanks in advance, please accept my respect. Sincerely, Sassoon Head of the Community ⟦illegible⟧ 11/21 In the personal file
⟦Department Copy⟧ 21 / 11 / 946 The Honorable Mr. Habib Ajam, Respectfully Baqubah After greetings and respect, The great hospitality with which you received their Eminences the Rabbis has met with our gratitude and appreciation, so please accept our sincere wishes for your prosperity and the happiness of the noble Israelite community in Baqubah. My thanks to you and to all our honorable sons in Baqubah, with respect. Sincerely, ⟦Sassoon⟧ Head of the Community ⟦signature⟧ 11/21
Department Copy 3/12/946 His Excellency Mr. Muhammad Ali Asaad Director of Railway Police. After greetings and respect I would be most grateful if you would kindly provide possible assistance to the bearer of this letter Ibrahim Isaac, the employee in your respected department. With my thanks in advance, please accept my respect ⟦signature⟧ 2/12 Secret Archive On behalf of Head of the Community