Description
These are documents from the Baghdadi Jewish Community committees and associations through which the Jewish community conducted its business; included for each committee are names of chairmen, board of directors, and secretaries. The documents contain correspondence between the President of the Jewish Community and various Jewish schools in Baghdad, including Frank Iny, Tomkhe Tora Society (teaching Torah to poor children), and the Midrash Talmuh Torah Schools. Subjects include classroom assignments, teacher salaries, requests for Hebrew Bibles from the British and Foreign Bible Society in London for schools in Baghdad. There is also correspondence with the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior regarding the laws of establishing organizations, and documents outlining the arrangement of various organizations including the Dorshe Tora Society (teaching Torah to adults) and Ozer Dalim (committee for helping the poor); correspondence between the Jewish Lay Council and the Baghdad Chamber of Commerce, the Ḥevrah Ḳadishah (Burial Society), Meir Elias Hospital and the Jewish Hospitals Committee; correspondence regarding the training of ambulance attendants, the annual report of the Red Crescent Society from 1947, and lists of the heads and structure of Jewish organizations, hospitals and schools. These committees were all vital in the daily life of Baghdadi Jews.
AI en Translation, Pages 1-25
Page 4
SOENNECKEN
S T A T I O N ⟦E R Y⟧
OFF⟦ICE⟧ SUPPLIES . OFFICE ARTICLES
ST⟦ATIONERY ART⟧ICLES . OFFICE SUPPLIES
SOE ⟦N⟧ NECKEN
No. 231 . Hole Punch
Perforator . Perforator
Perforator . Perforator
No. 243 . Hole Punch
Perforator . Perforator
Perforator . Perforator
No. 223 . Hole Punch
Perforator . Perforator
Perforator . Perforator
⟦SOE⟧NNECKEN
⟦EF-ES-⟧Clamp binder
Clamp files . Clamp folders . Folders with
spring-clip . Folders
Fastener folder
Flat files . Folders
Binders . Binders
⟦SOE⟧NNECKEN
⟦No.⟧ 86
Blotters . Blotters . Blotters
Blotters . Blotters
No. 1000
Luminous block . Luminous block
Luminous block . Luminous block
No. 10
Book-ends . Book-Supports . Supports for
Books . Book holders . Supports for Books
⟦illegible⟧ I.B. W
Page 5
Index
| Letter
Tomchei Torah Association | B
" Dorshei Torah | C
" Ozei Dalim | D
" Hevra Kadisha | G
Various Associations | H
PQ
Page 11
B
Tomchei Torah Association
Page 12
TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY Tomkhei Torah Society Tomkhei Torah Society
BAGHDAD Baghdad Baghdad
Baghdad, ⟦line⟧ 3/10/938 Baghdad
His Excellency the President of the Honorable Lay Council
After greetings and respect
We have elected one of the members, Sassoon Haron, as president of our society instead of
the previous president, the late Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Laniado, so please note that on your end and send
the checks in his name in the future. Please accept our highest respect.
The President | The Member | The Member | The Member | The Member
⟦signature⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ | ⟦signature⟧
Ezra Cohen | Heskel ⟦...⟧ | ⟦signature⟧
⟦circular stamp⟧
Tomkhei Torah Society
Tomkhei Torah Society
BAGHDAD
Baghdad
2172
6/10/938
Submitted to the Council on 7/10/938
⟦signature⟧
We have reviewed it
20 October 1938
Salman
Accountant
For filing
Page 13
7755
2
29 November 938
The Honorable Mr. Sasson Haron
President of the Tomchei Torah Society, the Respected
Based on the responsibility of the Lay Council according to Article 21 of the Jewish Community Statute
No. 36 of 1931, we request that you provide us as quickly as possible with the details of the income and expenditure account
of the society for the last year and a copy of the ledger budget at the end of the year, including a statement of details
of all sources of income and the type, number, and location of every property belonging to your society, along with the amount
of yield from each of them
Likewise, a detailed statement of the names of the rabbis belonging to this society and the amount of salary
which each of them receives. With regards;
President
Page 14
212
4
12 December 938
The honorable Mr. Sassoon Haron
President of the Tomchei Torah Association, respected
After greetings and respect,
We confirm our letter No. 3155 dated 29 November 938, requesting that you kindly provide the
required answer as quickly as possible to present it to the Council at its next meeting, and stay well;
⟦illegible⟧
Vice President of the Council
Page 15
TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY | TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY | TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY
BAGHDAD | BAGHDAD | BAGHDAD
Baghdad, on 16 / 12 / 38 Baghdad
Number 68
His Excellency the Honorable President of the Lay Council
Baghdad
After greetings and respect.
In response to your letter dated the 29th of last month and the 12th of this month,
We state that the accounts belonging to the society are not yet complete, and upon their completion
the requested details will be submitted immediately and without delay. Please accept our highest respect.
President of the Tomkhe Tora Society
Sassoon Haron
⟦illegible⟧
To be attached to the file while awaiting the response
⟦12/18⟧
Page 16
2167
8 January 939
6
The Respected Mr. Sassoon Haron
President of the Tomchei Torah Society, Honorable
In reference to your letter No. 68 dated 12/16/938
You must have finished rounding the accounts by now and we are awaiting the arrival of the information
required in the next few days;
⟦illegible⟧
Vice President
Page 17
TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY
BAGHDAD
Tomkhe Tora Society
Baghdad
Tomkhe Tora Society
Baghdad
Number: 69
Baghdad,: 11 / 1 / 939
To the Honorable President of the Lay Council in Baghdad
Greetings and respect,
With reference to your esteemed letter dated November 29, 1938, numbered
3155, enclosed you will find the copy of the accounts requested from us as per sheets No. 1 to No. 5, and from
that it will be clear to your Excellency that the annual deficit of this society amounts to 10.750 Dinars, and that
is excluding the accumulated claims of the rabbis and employees for 200.750 Dinars until Kislev of the year 5699.
With much respect.
⟦illegible signature⟧
President of the Tomkhe Tora Society
Sassoon Haroon
Tomkhe Tora Society
Baghdad - 1911
Tomkhe Tora Society
Baghdad - 1911
TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY, BAGHDAD
Page 19
TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY Tomkhe Tora Society Tomkhe Tora Society
BAGHDAD Baghdad Baghdad
( 3 )
Baghdad, ⟦line⟧ Baghdad 11 / 1 / 939
Fils Dinars Fils Dinars
168 3131 512 3030 Previous
Fils Dinars Fils Dinars
464 148
Previous Debts
716 Abdul Rahman Al-Zahawi
500 262 Hakham Daoud Hakham Yaqub
750 200 Salaries of Rabbis and employees until the end of
Kislev year 5699
20 ... Sterling
8 346 Shortfall in demand from the Lay Council accumulated from
the past
⟦line⟧
168 3131 / 512 3030 810 / 137 / 966 / 463
16 ... Al-Hajj Muhammad bin Abd rent shortfall
7 ... Abdul Amir bin Majid
25 ... Dr. Muhammad Sabri rent shortfall
78 750 The Lay Council monthly until the end of
December year 1938
6 ... Sassoon Moshi Ghazal rent shortfall
28 ... Kazem bin Hamza rent shortfall
9 ... Abdullah bin Nu'man rent shortfall
15 750 The Alliance
⟦line⟧
10 3 / 363 / 966 / 463
168 3494 / 478 / 3494
Tomkhe Tora Society - Baghdad
Year 5664
Tomkhe Tora Society
Baghdad - 1344
TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY. BAGHDAD
Page 20
TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY
BAGHDAD
Tomkhe Torah Society
Baghdad
( 4 )
Tomkhe Torah Association
Baghdad
Baghdad, 11/1/939 Baghdad
Annual budget statement for the Tomkhe Torah Association
Salaries | Dinar | Fils | Dinar | Fils
Hakham Ya'qub Shaul ⟦editor⟧ | | | 5 | 250
Hakham Yusuf Salih | | | 5 | 250
Hakham Harun Salih | | | 5 | 250
Hakham Salman Munir | | | 4 | 875
Hakham Salih Yusuf Hayyim | | | 4 | 500
Hakham Yusuf Hayyim, teacher of Ezra | | | 4 | 500
Hakham Ishaq Eliyahu | | | 3 | 375
Ibrahim Ezra, property supervisor and revenue collector | | | 5 | 250
38.250 x 12 459 ⟦line⟧
Vergo (Property Tax) on private and shared properties 28 ⟦line⟧
Annual insurance on private and shared properties 3 ⟦line⟧
Entitlement of Abd al-Rahman al-Zahawi and a second partner 2 ⟦line⟧
Estimated maintenance at ten percent of revenues 25 ⟦line⟧
Publication expenses with clerk fees 3 ⟦line⟧
520/000
Deducting Revenues
Dinar Fils
Subscription and gratuities 20 ⟦line⟧
Gusmani allocations for one year 89 ⟦line⟧
Alliance Allocations
Dinar Fils
Original allocations 63 ⟦line⟧
Deducting what was cut from it by the director of the Alliance School
For expenses 15 750
47 250
250 / 520 / 000 256 previous No. ( 5 )
⟦Issued with certificate 7/8⟧
Page 21
TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY
BAGHDAD BAGHDAD BAGHDAD
( 5 )
Baghdad, ⟦line⟧ Baghdad 11 / 1 / 935
| | Fils | Dinar | Fils | Dinar
Private property fees | Before it | 356 | 350 | 520 | ...
1000 / 35 Rent for the Musafirkhana in Al-Maydan No. 48 from 2/3 | | | | |
50 Factory <del>Length</del> Soda in Al-Maydan No. 50 / 2/3 | ... | | | |
17 Shop in Al-Maydan No. 52 / 2/3 | ... | | | |
24 Shop in Al-Maydan No. 54 / 2/3 | ... | | | |
42 Shop Bab Al-Agha No. 134 / 3 | ... | | | |
12 Shop Bab Al-Agha No. 52 / 12 | ... | 180 | ... | |
Joint property fees | | |
Fils | Dinar | |
... | 18 | Shop fees in Al-Maydan 14 / 2/3 |
| 17 | Shop fees in Al-Maydan 16 / 2/3 |
| 16 | " " " 18 / 2/3 |
| 18 | " " " 20 / 2/3 |
| 18 / | " " " 22 / 2/3 |
| 16 | " " " 24 / 2/3 |
... | 103 | ⟦line⟧ |
... | 30 | Deduct entitlement of Rashid Al-Zahawi's house |
| ⟦line⟧ | |
| 73 | ... | 509 250
| | ⟦line⟧ | ⟦line⟧
| | | 10 / 750
TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY - BAGHDAD
Of the Committee
TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY
BAGHDAD - 1344
1926
TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY, BAGHDAD
Page 22
12
2177
16 January 939
The honorable Mr. Sassoon Haron
President of the Tomchei Torah Society, Respected
Greetings,
With reference to your letter No. 69 dated 11/1/939
We thank you very much for the information you sent us regarding your society's accounts, and it appeared
to us to clarify the following points from you, hoping that you will kindly provide the answer to them: -
1) You did not indicate on the copy of the printed ledger budget of your society on pages 2 and 3
the date it was extracted from the ledger.
2) In our letter No. 3155 dated 29 November 938, we requested the details of the account
of the revenues and expenditures of the society for the last year, while your respected society sent us on
pages 4 and 5 the annual budget statement; we therefore request you now to kindly send the accounts
we requested, provided they include the revenues and expenditures of your society actually
realized for the last fiscal year, meaning the year ending at the end of March 938 (if
your fiscal year starts on the first of April of each year) and at the end of September 938 (if
your fiscal year starts on the first of October of each year).
3) We noticed that the sources of your society's revenues mentioned in the annual budget are four: the first
source is subscriptions and donations, the second is the allocations of the Physical Council, the third is
the Alliance allocations, and the fourth is the revenues of the properties, while we found in examining the ledger budget
that only two of these four sources are recorded in the ledger in two chapters, namely the chapter
of subscription revenues and the chapter of property revenues; as for the allocations of the Physical Council and the allocations
of the Alliance, we did not find a chapter for them in the ledger budget, and we did not know how these
revenues—namely the Council and Alliance allocations—were recorded in your ledger, so we hope you will enlighten us about that.
Since your account ledgers are now present, please take the details from them and send them
to us quickly.
Please accept our thanks in advance.
Vice President
Page 23
TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY Tomkhe Tora Society Tomkhe Tora Society
BAGHDAD Baghdad Baghdad
Baghdad on January 26, 39 Baghdad,
No. ⟦line⟧
12
To the honorable and distinguished President of the venerable Lay Council, Baghdad, respected
After greetings and respect
What is presented in reference to your letter numbered 2127 and dated 1/16/39, we inform your Excellency
First, the account previously submitted to your Excellency on the 11th of the current month contained up to the end of the month of Kislev, year 5699 Hebrew
corresponding to December 22, year 938.
Second, we have at the first possible opportunity submitted to your Excellency the account of income and expenses for this society from December 30
year 937 to the end of December year 1938, i.e., an account for one year as you requested, and may you remain in respect
President of the Tomkhe Tora Society
Sassoon Haron
⟦signature⟧
⟦circular stamp: TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY BAGHDAD ...⟧
Page 24
TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY
BAGHDAD
Tomkhe Torah Society
Baghdad
Tomkhe Torah Society
Baghdad
Baghdad: 14 February 1939, Baghdad
Number: 72
To the Virtuous President of the Honorable Lay Council, Baghdad, Respected
Subject
Based on the request of the Vice President of your honorable council, Mr. Meir Hakham Moshe Dangour, enclosed
you will find the income and expense account for the Tomkhe Torah Society from 30 December
year 937 to the end of 30 December year 938. Please present that before you, and remain with respect.
President of the Tomkhe Torah Society
Sassoon Haron Baghdad
Tomkhe Torah Society
Baghdad - 1911
TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY - BAGHDAD
14
In the register
Page 25
Tomkhe Tora Society
Baghdad
חברת תומכי תורה
بגדאד
TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY
BAGHDAD
15
Baghdad 14 February year 1939 Baghdad, ( 3 ) Number
Statement of receipts and expenses of the Tomkhe Tora Society from 30 December year 937
to the end of December year 1938.
Dinar Fils
50 143 Balance in the box on 30 December year 937
33 446 Subscription from book 500 number 33 to book 51 number 64
173 250 From the allocations of the Physical Council
57 750 From the allocations of the Alliance
Receipts from the rent of 6 shops No. 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 located in Al-Midan
and joint
Dinar Fils
16 ... From the rent of Abdul Amir's shop No. 18 / 3 / 2
18 ... From Abdullah bin Numan No. 20 / 3 / 2
⟦From the rent of shop No. 22 / 3 / 2⟧
Dinar Fils
3 500 From Muhammad Haji Hasim and Abdullah bin Numan
12 ... From Abdullah bin Numan and Majid bin Ismail
15 500 ...
14 ... From Al-Haj Muhammad bin Abd No. 24 / 3 / 2
17 500 From Ahmed Muhammad Rusliya No. 14 / 3 / 2
12 ... From Abbousi bin Hussein No. 16 / 3 / 2
⟦line⟧ ⟦line⟧
93 ... ...
Receipts from the rent of private properties and their appurtenances in Al-Midan quarter
Dinar Fils
45 ... From the rent of the guest house No. 48 S / 3 / 2
45 ... From the rent of the soda factory No. 50 / 3 / 2
16 250 From the rent of Sassoon Moshi Azzal No. 52 / 3 / 2
20 ... From the rent of Kadhim bin Hamza No. 54 / 3 / 2
⟦line⟧ ⟦line⟧
126 250 ...
42 ... From the rent of shop No. 134 / 3 in Souq Al-Sarai on Khedhouri Shaul Shasha
From the rent of shop No. 52 / 12 Bab Al-Agha
Dinar Fils
3 ... From Shaker bin Ibrahim No.
12 ... From Gurji Yehuda
⟦line⟧ ⟦line⟧
15 ... 250 183