AI en Translation, Pages 76-100
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this overspending, so Mr. Meir Basri, Vice President of the Lay Council, answered him that the Lay Council is concerned
with this matter, as he mentioned that the Lay Council noticed that traditions have been followed to request the ratification of amounts
spent in excess of the budget after receiving the auditors' report, and in view of what the Lay Council noticed that
this matter does not lead to the desired result as the overspending is presented to the General Council after approximately two years
for ratification, the Lay Council decided this year to present the amounts spent in excess of the budget to the
General Council for ratification directly to avoid delay. Then Mr. Ishaq Mukammal followed him, supporting the competence
and experience of the auditors for the past year, and requested the Council to record thanks and appreciation to the members of the audit committee.
Then the President put the nomination of Messrs. Daoud Shaul Tweig, Daoud Yusuf Hakham Saleh, and Shamoun Sion Swairi
to a vote, and it was accepted.
Then the President presented the resignation of Mr. Saleh Daoud Saleh from the membership of the General Council and explained
the memorandum, so he instructed the secretary to read it, and after it was read, His Eminence Hakham Salman Hoki Aboudi proposed rejecting
the resignation, and he was supported in that by Messrs. Anwar Zilkha and Abdullah Shina. Then the President put this proposal to a vote
and it was accepted. Then the meeting was adjourned.
⟦illegible⟧
Head of the Community
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Those present at the meeting of 1949/9/15
1 - Rabbi Sassoon Khedhouri
2 - Ibrahim Khedhouri
3 - Anwar Zalkha
4 - Heskel Shohet
5 - Sassoon Bashi
6 - Salman Debi ⟦line⟧
7 - Gurji Methalon
8 - Meer Basri
9 - Yaqub Balbul
10 - Yusuf Dawood Ishaq
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Page 78
Attendees of the third meeting
20 / 9 / 1949
⟦line⟧
1 - Rabbi Sassoon Khedhouri
2 - Isaac Sassoon Mukammal
3 - Asher Hai
4 - Lawyer Anwar Zilkha
5 - Heskel Shohet
6 - Rabbi David Ezra Musfi
7 - Rabbi David Shaul Shamash
8 - Rabbi Sassoon Ezra Isaac
9 - Sassoon Abboudi Basri
10 - Rabbi Salman Hoki Abboudi
11 - Lawyer Salman Sion Shahna
12 - Salman Ezra Salman Shahrabani
13 - Selim Zmir Obadia
14 - Selim Menachem Qahtan
15 - Saleh Faraj Habib
16 - Abdullah Shaul Obadia
17 - Lawyer Abdullah Sion Shahna
18 - Gurji Yusuf Isaac
19 - Meer Shaul Basri
20 - Naim Isaac Shamash
21 - Yamin Murad
22 - Yaqub Balbul
23 - Yaqub Ezra Abdullah
24 - Rabbi Yehoshua Moshe Heskel
25 - Rabbi Yusuf Eliyahu Rabie
26 - Yusuf David Isaac
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1115
7 / 10 / 949
⟦Department Copy⟧
The honorable Mr. Saleh Daoud Saleh, Respected
Member of the respected Israeli General Council
After greetings and respect
With reference to your letter dated 22 / 3 / 1949 .
The General Council decided in its session held on September 25
1949 to reject your resignation from the membership of the mentioned council. I hope for your agreement to
withdraw your resignation and continue membership in the mentioned council, and I have a firm hope
that you will not refuse this request of mine .
Please accept the highest respect
⟦illegible⟧
8 / 10
Sincerely
⟦Sasson⟧
Head of the Community
For filing
Proof
Page 80
Heskel Shwait
Baghdad
October 17, 1948
To the Honorable President of the General Council of the Israelite Community in Baghdad
Greetings and respect. I submit that based on the approaching end of the term of the current
Lay Council and the upcoming commencement by your esteemed Council of the new elections for the
aforementioned Council, I consider the period of my membership to have ended and therefore request the acceptance of my withdrawal
from this membership. I take this opportunity to record my sincere thanks
to your Excellency and the members of the Lay Council for the spirit
of cooperation, understanding, and kindness I encountered from your side during the period in which I practiced
my membership. In conclusion, please accept my highest respects.
Sincerely
⟦Signature⟧
The Council reviewed and decided <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> to reject the resignation
due to ⟦the end of the term⟧ of the current Council
and requests continuation until the election of the new Council
11/2
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284
11/16/1949
⟦Department Copy⟧
The Honorable Mr. Heskel Shohet, Respected
After greetings,
The Council has reviewed your letter addressed to His Excellency the President of
the General Council dated October 27, 1949, and it has decided
unanimously to reject your resignation from the membership of the Lay Council, with a request to you
to continue your membership until a new Lay Council is elected.
Please accept our respects;
Sincerely,
⟦illegible⟧
Vice President
Copy to -
His Excellency the Head of the Community
A
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Rabbi ⟦Sassoon Khedouri⟧
Head of the Israelite Community in Baghdad
Baghdad, November 20, 1949
Honorable Member of the General Council,
After greetings and respect,
The term of the current Lay Council ended on October 30, 1949.
Therefore, I invite you to kindly attend the headquarters of the community presidency at four-thirty
in the afternoon on Sunday, November 27, 1949, to hold an extraordinary meeting
for the purpose of electing a president and a new Lay Council.
Please accept our highest regards.
Head of the Community
Page 83
Rabbi Sasson Khedouri
President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad
Baghdad, November 20, 1949
Honorable Member of the General Council
After greetings and respect
The current term of the Lay Council ended on October 30, 1949
Therefore, I invite you to kindly attend the headquarters of the Community Presidency at four-thirty
in the afternoon on Sunday, November 27, 1949, to hold an extraordinary meeting
for the purpose of electing a President and a new Lay Council.
Please accept our highest respect.
⟦illegible⟧
President of the Community
⟦illegible⟧
Page 84
Presidency of the Jewish Community
in Baghdad
Telephone No. { 3531 President
5452 Secretary
Number: ⟦line⟧
Subject: ⟦line⟧
Date: 27 / 11 / 1949
To the Honorable Member of the General Council
After greetings and respect
Due to the receipt of a letter from His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khedhouri requesting
to submit his resignation to the esteemed General Council, I kindly ask you to attend
to the headquarters of the Presidency of the Jewish Community at four-thirty P.M.
on the afternoon of Sunday, November 27, 1949, to hold
an extraordinary meeting for the purpose of considering the aforementioned resignation.
Please accept our highest respect,
⟦signature⟧
On behalf of the President of the Community
President of the Lay Council
⟦stamp: faded purple oval stamp over signature⟧
12
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Attendees at the (Extraordinary) Meeting
held on November 27 ⟦line⟧ 1949
22 - Shamoun Sion Sofer | 1 - Ibrahim Saleh Al-Kabir
23 - Saleh Shaul Basri | 2 - Ishaq Sassoon Mukammal
24 - Saleh Shlomo Abdullah | 3 - Asher Hay
25 - Saleh Faraj Hayyim | 4 - Eliyahu Hayyim Tawfiq
26 - Lawyer Sion Shougha Jahji | 5 - Lawyer Anwar Zilkha
27 - Lawyer Abboudi Sabti | 6 - Lawyer Anwar Shaul
28 - Abdullah Shaul Ovedia | 7 - Lawyer Anwar Yantoub
29 - Lawyer Abdullah Sion Shena | 8 - Lawyer Hesqel Yaqub Murad
30 - Gurji Yaqub Mallon | 9 - Daoud Hesqel Shammash
31 - Moshi Hakham Nassim | 10 - Daoud Salman Yehuda
32 - Menashi Shaul Shashua | 11 - Rabbi Daoud Ezra Masfi
33 - Meir Shaul Basri | 12 - Rabbi Daoud Shaul Shammash
34 - Naim Ishaq Shammash | 13 - Reuben Yehuda Zelouf
35 - Yamin Murad | 14 - Lawyer Sassoon Bibars Rashti
36 - Yaqub Balbol | 15 - Sassoon Sion Abed
37 - Yaqub Ezra Abdullah | 16 - Rabbi Sassoon Ezra Ishayek
38 - Rabbi Yehoshua Moshi Hesqel | 17 - Sassoon Abboudi Yishi
39 - Rabbi Yusuf Eliyahu Rabbih | 18 - Rabbi Salman Hoki Abboudi
40 - Yusuf Daoud Ishaq | 19 - Lawyer Salman Saleh Al-Kabir
41 - Yusuf Naaman | 20 - Salman Ezra Salman Shahrabani
| 21 - Salim Menachem Qahtan
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
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Page 86
Secretary
Presidency of the Jewish Community
in Baghdad
Baghdad ⟦...⟧
⟦To the respected Mr. Ibrahim Al-Kabir⟧
Greetings and respect
⟦...⟧ we send to you herewith the draft of ⟦...⟧ the Lay Council
⟦...⟧ recently held ⟦...⟧ looking into ⟦...⟧ as per the wish of Mr.
⟦...⟧ Vice President of the Council ⟦...⟧ to speak ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ regarding it in a general manner ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ in a specific manner.
Please accept my apologies for the delay. Please accept
highest respect
Sincere
⟦...⟧
My dear Salim
I return to you the draft of the minutes, and I have made slight amendments to it
Sincere
⟦...⟧
For filing
Elections
Page 87
The First Session
Minutes of the Secular Council meeting held on 11/27/1949
Based on the invitation of His Eminence the Head of the Community – Rabbi Sassoon Khedhouri – to hold a meeting of this council
for the purpose of electing a new President of the Secular Council at four-thirty in the evening of Sunday,
November 27, 1949, and in view of the end of the term of the current Secular Council on October 30, 1949.
And in view of the receipt of three letters from His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khedhouri dated 20, 22, and 27
November 1949, in which he requests to submit his resignation from the General Council, the respected Mr. Tawfiq,
President of the Secular Council (according to the provisions of the second paragraph of Article Six of the Law of the Jewish
Community No. 77 of 1931), has called the General Council to hold a meeting at the Community House at four
and a half post-meridiem on Sunday, November 27, 1949, for the purpose of
considering the aforementioned resignation.
At the appointed time, twenty-one members of the General Council were present, whose names are
recorded elsewhere in this register. Since a quorum was reached, the respected Mr. Tawfiq,
President of the Secular Council, opened the session with a welcoming speech under his chairmanship and directed the secretary to read the minutes
of the previous session. They were read, and he then asked if anyone had an objection to their content, and no
objection was raised. Then, he placed the first item of the agenda up for discussion, which is the election of a new President
for the Secular Council. Mr. Mir Basri, Vice President of the Secular Council, put forward a proposal
to postpone the election of a new President of the Secular Council <del>because of</del> ⟦illegible⟧ until the reading
of the (current) clarification. The President put this proposal to a vote and it was accepted.
The President moved to the second item of the agenda, which is the consideration of the letters of resignation of
His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khedhouri from the leadership of the community, copies of which are recorded below –
Copy of the letter dated 11/20/1949
Excellency the President of the respected Secular Council
Greetings,
Due to the decline in my health for some time, I have begun to feel unable to carry out my duties.
Therefore, I hope you will submit my resignation to the General Council, and I thank you.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Sassoon Khedhouri
Head of the Jewish Community in Baghdad
Copy of the letter dated 11/22/1949
His Excellency the respected Minister of Justice
Greetings and respect,
Due to the decline in my health for some time, I have begun to feel unable to perform
Page 88
(2)
due to my patriotism, therefore I hope for the acceptance of my resignation.
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest respect.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Sassoon Khadhuri
President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad
Copy to:
His Excellency, the President of the Jewish Spiritual Council <del>in Baghdad</del>, Respectfully
Copy of the letter dated 11/27/1949
His Excellency, the President of the Spiritual Council, Respectfully
Greetings and respect,
Further to my letter dated 11/20/49 in which I requested you to present my resignation
to the honorable General Council, and further to my letter dated 11/27/1949 addressed to His Excellency the Minister of
Justice, Respectfully, and a copy of it to you, in which I insisted on the acceptance of my resignation from the presidency of
the community.
Out of concern for the interest of the community, I have seen it as my duty to repeat this request of mine to present my resignation
⟦...⟧ to the esteemed General Council with my hope for its acceptance at the earliest opportunity, and to set your directions and invite the General
Council for this purpose as quickly as possible.
In conclusion, I hope you accept my highest respect and I pray to the Almighty to direct the efforts
and the community, and may the Creator, Exalted be He, grant you success in all that is for the good and happiness of the community.
Sincerely,
(Signature) ....
⟦line⟧
Then the President instructed the Secretary to read the resignation letters, and they were read. Then he proceeded with the deliberation
for the sake of speaking, so Mr. Naim Zilkha, Vice President of the Spiritual Council, spoke and submitted a proposal to endorse
the resignation while submitting a petition to His Excellency the Minister of Justice to accept it, and he read the draft of the telegram that
Rabbi Sassoon Khadhuri suggests and presented it for the benefit of the community. Then His Excellency
Salman Merka Aboudi spoke and requested the reading of the annexed article of the community law regarding the acceptance of
the resignation of the head of the community, so Article Four of the community law was read, then followed by Mr.
Ezra Y. Isaac, who mentioned that there is no explicit article in the law authorizing the General Council
Page 92
Presidency of the Jewish Community
in Baghdad
Telephone No. { 3531 President
{ 5452 Secretary
No. ⟦line⟧ 1191 ⟦line⟧ Subject ⟦line⟧
Date: December 1, 1949
Respected Member of the General Council,
After greetings and respect,
Please be so kind as to attend at the headquarters of the Community Presidency at
four-thirty in the afternoon on Sunday, December 4,
1949, to continue the adjourned meeting of the General Council to consider the
remaining item from the agenda of the November 27, 1949 meeting, which is the election of a President
and a new Lay Council.
With our continued respect,
⟦signature⟧
For the President of the Community
President of the Lay Council
⟦circular stamp: Presidency of the Jewish Community in Baghdad ...⟧
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Presidency of the Jewish Community
in Baghdad
Telephone Number { 3531 President
5452 Secretary
Number: 1191
Subject: ⟦line⟧
Date: December 1, 1949
The Honorable Member of the Lay Council
After greetings and respect,
We request your kind attendance at the headquarters of the Community Presidency at
four-thirty in the afternoon of Sunday, December 4,
1949, to participate in the postponed meeting of the Lay Council to see the final
approval of the agenda of the November 27, 1949 meeting and to elect a
new Lay President and Vice-President.
Sincerely yours,
Lay Council
1930
The Jewish Community
⟦illegible⟧
For the Head of the Community
and President of the Lay Council
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Presidency of the Jewish Community
in Baghdad
Telephone No. { 3531 President
5452 Secretary
No.: 1191
Subject: ⟦line⟧
Date: December 1, 1949
To the honorable member of the General Council
After greetings and respect
We kindly request your presence at the Community Headquarters at
four-thirty in the afternoon on Sunday, December 4,
1949, to continue the adjourned meeting of the General Council to review
the remaining items from the agenda of the November 27, 1949 meeting and to elect
a new President and Lay Council.
With our continued respect
⟦illegible signature⟧
On behalf of the Head of the Community
President of the Lay Council
⟦The Lay Council⟧
⟦1930⟧
⟦The Jewish Community⟧
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Presidency of the Jewish Community
in Baghdad
Telephone Number { 3531 President
5452 Secretary
Number: <del>1191</del>
Subject:
Date: 1 December 1949
Honorable Member of the General Council
After greetings and respect
We request your kind presence at the headquarters of the Community Presidency at
four-thirty in the afternoon of Sunday, December 4,
1949, to continue the adjourned meeting of the General Council to look into the
remaining item from the agenda of the November 27, 1949 meeting, which is the election of a president
and a new Secular Council.
Respectfully yours,
⟦signature⟧
On behalf of the Head of the Community
President of the Secular Council
⟦Secular Council⟧
⟦1949⟧
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