AI en Translation, Pages 176-200
Page 177
On March 18, 1948
The Honorable President Yahya Al-Khatib, respected
Directorate of Provisions and Supplies
Ministry of Defense
Baghdad
After greetings,
Reference to your circular regarding your publication of a book about the life of our Master,
His Royal Highness the Great Regent and Crown Prince.
Based on your request, I enclose herewith my statement on this occasion, which includes
my impressions and personal views regarding His Great Highness.
Please accept my respects, with my wishes for your success
and prosperity;
⟦Sassoon⟧
Head of the Community
For preservation
Drafts
14
6
Page 178
The Great Prince Abdul Ilah
A natural, authentic greatness adorned by humility
And humility crowned by dignity and majesty
And tenderness emanating from a great heart
And kindness indicative of noble lineage and lofty, ancient glory
⟦line⟧
This is the image that is imprinted in my imagination whenever I have the honor of standing before him and have been granted a sublime meeting with him.
And this is the impression left in my soul by the personality of the master of the youth of this noble nation, the descendant of the lush
Hashemite family tree, His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Ilah, Regent of the Throne of Iraq and the Great Crown Prince.
⟦line⟧
Whenever I enter his royal thresholds, I feel the awe of kingship haunting me and the prestige of the Sultan surrounding me and taking hold of my soul.
And the hour I am granted the sublime meeting, I greet His Highness while I am captivated by the majesty of the Great Protector of the Throne and the prestige of the beloved Prince
of the country.
But my fear soon returns to calm as I witness the noble hand extending toward me in a handshake and the smile strengthening
my resolve in welcome, and the sublime kindness overwhelming me, and the royal care refreshing my soul and taking over my feelings.
⟦line⟧
This is the Highness of our beloved Prince with his Arab democracy, his Hashemite traits, and his royal advantages.
It is no wonder then that our hearts shine with loyalty and our souls are filled with sincerity for the faithful Protector of the Throne and the vigilant Guardian of the Nation
over its interests, keen on its comfort, shepherd of its affairs, jealous for its unity and the agreement of its word.
And it is no innovation if we see the Iraqi people, to a man, seeking refuge in their beloved Prince whenever calamities darken
and rushing to their faithful Regent whenever conditions reach a crisis, for they always find him meeting the expectations of his loyal people, who are reassured
by his knowledge in conducting affairs, relying on his wisdom in managing matters, confident in His Highness's sincerity and his understanding
of the nation's aspirations and his sympathy for its hopes and rightful demands.
For in the person of our beloved Prince, the zeal of his grandfather Al-Hussein, the Great Savior, and his firmness, and the wisdom
of his father Ali and his democracy, and the diplomacy of his uncle Faisal, our first monarch, and his foresight in managing the affairs of the Kingdom have all gathered.
He is our successful ambassador in foreign lands and our eloquent tongue in political forums. He excels in expressing
our national aspirations. He is proficient in declaring our national hopes. Above all that, he is keen on the Constitution in which
the sovereignty of the nation, the entity of the nation, and the unity of the nation are represented.
And it is one of the blessings of the Creator, Almighty, upon the blessed Iraqi homeland that His Majesty our
young King "Faisal II," the redeemed, has the likes of the faithful Regent raising him on his sublime constitutional democratic principles.
(To be continued)
Page 179
( 2 )
And may He direct his steps with God's help towards the glory worthy of a great Hashemite king and the honor befitting the noble nation
which has shown him sincere obedience and generous loyalty.
And I, as a man of religion and in my capacity as head of the Iraqi Jewish community loyal to this dear homeland
attached to the exalted Hashemite House, conclude my speech by blessing both His Majesty King Faisal
II the redeemed and His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Ilah, the Regent and Great Crown Prince, with the blessing of our
noble prophet Moses, peace be upon him.
"Bless, O Lord, his effort
And accept the work of his hands
Shatter the power of his adversaries (1)
So that those who hate him shall not rise."
May God take this dear homeland by the hand to the heights of glory, prosperity, and happiness. And may God preserve for this
noble nation its unity and the consensus of its word, for He is the All-Hearing, the All-Answering.
Rabbi Sassoon Khadhuri
Head of the Jewish Community
⟦line⟧
( 1 ) The Torah, Deuteronomy 33:11
Page 180
The Great Prince Abdul Ilah
An authentic natural greatness adorned by humility
And a humility crowned by dignity and majesty
And a tenderness emanating from a patient heart
And a kindness that encompasses noble lineage and lofty, ancient glory
⟦line⟧
This is the image that is imprinted in my imagination whenever I have the honor of appearing before him and enjoying his lofty meeting.
And this is the impression left in my soul by the personality of the master of the youth of this noble nation, the descendant of the inheriting
Hashemite family, His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Ilah, the Regent to the Throne of Iraq and the Great Crown Prince.
⟦line⟧
Whenever I enter the Royal Thresholds, I feel the awe of the King haunting me and the prestige of the Sultan surrounding me and possessing my soul.
And the hour I enjoy the lofty meeting, I feel calm while I am captivated by the majesty of the Great Protector of the Throne and the prestige of the beloved Prince
of the country.
But my alarm soon subsides as I witness the noble hand extending toward me in a handshake and the smile growing
welcomingly strong, and the lofty kindness overwhelms me, and the royal care refreshes my soul and takes hold of my feelings.
⟦line⟧
This is our beloved Prince with his explicit democracy, his Hashemite temperament, and his royal advantages.
So it is no wonder if our hearts shine with loyalty and our souls are blessed with sincerity for the honest Protector of the Throne and the watchful guardian of the nation,
overseeing its interests, keen on its comfort, the shepherd of its affairs, zealous for its armies and the perfection of their competence.
And it is no wonder if we see the Iraqi people as a whole seek refuge in their beloved Prince whenever calamities darken,
and flee to their honest Regent whenever conditions become critical, for they always find him meeting the expectations of his loyal people, and they are reassured
by his knowledge in managing affairs, anchored to his wisdom in conducting matters, confident in His Highness's sincerity and devotion
to the nation's aspirations and his sympathy for its hopes and rightful demands.
For there have gathered in the person of our beloved Prince the ardor of his grandfather Hussein, the Great Savior, and his smoothness, and the wisdom of
his father Ali and his democracy, and the diplomacy of his uncle Faisal, our first worker, and his foresight in managing the affairs of the Kingdom.
For he is our successful ambassador in foreign countries and our eloquent tongue in political forums. He expresses well
our national aspirations. And he excels in declaring our patriotic hopes. He is, above all, keen on the constitution in which
the sovereignty of the nation, the entity of the nation, and the unity of the nation are represented.
And it is one of the blessings of the Creator, Almighty, upon the blessed Iraqi homeland that His Majesty our
young King, the redeemed Faisal II, has such an honest Regent who raises him on his lofty constitutional democratic principles.
(To be continued)
Page 181
( 2 )
And directs his steps with the help of God toward the new glory with a great past kingdom and the pride worthy of the noble nation
which has devoted to him its obedience and bestowed upon him its loyalty.
And as a man of religion and in my capacity as head of the Iraqi Israelite community loyal to this dear homeland
optimistic about the high Hashemite House, I conclude my speech by blessing both His Majesty King Faisal
II the Redeemed and His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Ilah, the Regent of the Great Throne, with the blessing of our
noble Prophet Moses, peace be upon him.
Bless, O God, their efforts
And accept the work of their hands
Crush the power of their opponents (1)
So that those who hate them shall not rise
May God take the hand of this dear homeland to the heights of pride, prosperity, and serenity. And may God sustain for this
noble nation its unity and the consensus of its word; He is the All-Hearing, the Responder.
Rabbi Sassoon Khidhouri
Head of the Israelite Community
( 1 ) Torah, Book of Deuteronomy 33 - 11
Page 182
The Great Prince Abd al-Ilah
A natural and authentic greatness adorned by humility
And a humility crowned by dignity and majesty
And a tenderness emanating from a great heart
And a kindness that reflects ⟦on⟧ authentic nobility, and a lofty, ancient glory
This is the image that is imprinted in my imagination whenever I have the honor of standing before him, and have been granted
his sublime meeting.
And this is the impression left in my soul by the personality of the leader of the youth of this
noble family, the descendant of the lush Hashemite tree, His Royal Highness
Prince Abd al-Ilah, Regent of the Throne of Iraq and the Great Crown Prince.
Whenever I entered his royal thresholds, I felt the awe of royalty haunting me, and the prestige of the Sultan
surrounding me and taking hold of my senses.
And the hour I am granted the sublime meeting, I feel a strength while I am <del>standing before him</del> captivated
by the majesty of the Great Protector of the Throne, and the prestige of the beloved Prince of the country.
But my alarm soon returns to me, as I watch the noble hand reach out toward me
⟦shaking hands⟧, and the <del>Diwani</del> ⟦paternal⟧ smile strengthens me in welcome, and the sublime kindness
overwhelms me, and the royal care refreshes my soul, and takes over my feelings.
Handshake
Paternal
⟦line⟧
This is our beloved Prince with his Arab democracy, and his Hashemite qualities,
and his royal advantages.
So it is no wonder if our hearts are imbued with loyalty, and our souls are filled with sincerity,
Page 183
The faithful protector of the throne, and the guardian of the nation who stays awake for its interests, keen on its stability,
The shepherd of its affairs, jealous for its unity and the unification of its word.
And it is no wonder if we see the Iraqi people as a whole, taking refuge in their beloved Prince
whenever calamities darken, and fleeing to their faithful Regent whenever conditions reach a crisis. For he is
always meeting the good expectations of his loyal people, who are reassured by his knowledge in conducting matters, relying
on his wisdom in managing affairs, confident in His Highness's sincerity and his dedication to the nation's aspirations
and his sympathy for its hopes and its rightful demands.
For there have gathered in the person of His Highness our beloved Prince the prestige of his grandfather Al-Hussein, the Great Savior,
and his firmness; and the wisdom of his father Ali and his democracy; and the diplomacy of his uncle Faisal, our first
worker, and his foresight in managing the affairs of the Kingdom <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> <del>⟦illegible⟧</del>.
He is our successful ambassador in foreign countries, and our eloquent tongue in political
forums, excelling at expressing our national aspirations, and proficient in stating our patriotic
hopes; and above all that, he is keen on the Constitution in which the
sovereignty of the nation, the entity of the nation, and the unity of the nation are represented.
And it is one of the blessings of the Creator, Almighty and Sublime, upon the blessed Iraqi homeland, that
His Majesty our young King, the redeemed Faisal II, should have such a <del>this</del> ⟦Highness⟧ the faithful Regent,
raising him on his lofty constitutional democratic principles, and guiding his steps
with the help of God toward the new glory of a great Hashemite reign, and the dignity worthy of the
generous nation that has offered him sincere obedience and abundant loyalty.
And I, as a religious man, and in my capacity as head of the Iraqi Jewish community
loyal to this dear homeland, which is attached to the lofty Hashemite House, conclude
these words of mine by blessing both His Majesty King Faisal II the redeemed
and His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Ilah, the Regent and the Great Crown Prince.
Page 184
3
By the blessing of our Noble Prophet Moses, peace be upon him:
"Bless, O Lord, his effort
And accept the work of his hands
Break the power of his ⟦enemies⟧ adversaries
So that no standing remains for those who hate him (1)
Glory
The Minister to the heights of happiness, luxury, and prosperity
The Redeemed
May God guide this nation to achieve its national goals which it aspires to
For its nationalist aspirations which it aspires to, and may God sustain for this noble nation its unity
And the harmony of its word, for He is the All-Hearing, the Responder.
<del>Long live the homeland</del>
<del>Long live the King</del>
<del>Long live the Regent</del>
Rabbi Sassoon Khadhuri
Head of the Israelite Community
(1) Torah, Deuteronomy 33 : 11
Page 185
Mutasarrifate of Baghdad Liwa ⟦line⟧
Correspondence
Number ⟦line⟧
Date 8 / 3 / 1948
To:-
The Honorable Judge of the Sunni Sharia Court
The Honorable Judge of the Jaafari Sharia Court "
His Beatitude the Patriarch of the Chaldean Community, Respectfully
His Eminence the Head of the Jewish Community "
His Eminence the Bishop of the Syriac Catholics "
His Eminence the Bishop of the Armenian Catholics "
His Eminence the Bishop of the Armenian Orthodox "
Headship of the Jewish Community
Baghdad ⟦line⟧
Special Number 286
Date 11 / 3 / 1948
Subject - Election of half of the members of the Board of Administration
Baghdad Liwa ⟦line⟧
In view of the wording of Article (47) of the Administrative Law for Liwas No. (16) of 1945, we request
your presence at the Diwan of this Mutasarrifate at ten o'clock in the morning on Monday
corresponding to 15 / 3 / 1948 to count the number of votes obtained by the candidates
for membership of the council referred to above.
Mutasarrif of Baghdad Liwa
For filing
⟦Notes⟧
A copy thereof to:-
Land Registry Directorate of Baghdad Liwa
Revenue Directorate of Baghdad Liwa } For the same purpose
Chief of Correspondence of the Liwa
Kh. Al-Bayati
Page 188
To His Excellency and Sovereignty Rabbi Sassoon
Khedhouri, the Respected
After kissing your noble hands
First, I congratulate you on the happy holiday and ask God that
it returns to you every year while you are well, along with all
our brothers, the Children of Israel. Amen, O Lord, Amen.
My Lord, before this I submitted a letter to Your Excellency and presented
my condition to Your Excellency and requested, first from God and second
from Your Excellency, to extend a hand of assistance with whatever your
generous hand may grant.
Until now, I have not seen any reply of any kind.
My Lord, generosity is from God and not from the servant of God.
Your Excellency may not know, so if God does not want to
⟦have mercy⟧ on us, there is no objection to God's command. Therefore, I beg for
the return of the ⟦photograph⟧ only. In closing, I kiss your
generous hand, my respected Lord.
It seems to me that the grievance is true and the necessary assistance should be carried out mostly.
His faithful servant
Ali ⟦...⟧
7/3/84
For inspection
⟦...⟧ na
The Administration
⟦illegible⟧
I would also like to beg for an answer either by mail or with one of your servants
My respected Master 2/21/48
I have the honor to present to your Excellency a copy of the children's stories
After viewing, I beg you to return them to us, my respected Master
The address of your loyal servant
⟦Aboud⟧
Baghdad, Al-Mahdiya quarter, house number 72 / 84 Ali Bey
⟦illegible⟧
Page 189
Presidency of the Jewish Community
Baghdad
Special No. 264
Date 27/2/1947
His Excellency the Honorable Prime Minister
Respected.
Laws have protected the rights of craftsmen and professionals to practice their professions
as long as those professions are legitimate and necessary. We are a group whose lot is to practice the profession of cattle breeding
for the purpose of distributing milk, which the majority of the capital feeds upon. The poor among us have taken their homes or courtyards ⟦s⟧
as dwellings for living and placed the cows in them, after we arranged those houses in a way that meets the conditions
of health according to what we received from the health authority. However, the Municipality has noticed that it wants to evacuate the cows from
the capital, meaning moving our cows outside the capital. This is a matter that does not align with the public interest, as milk
is the important substance used by an individual every morning. Once it ⟦...⟧ from ⟦...⟧ within his
reach. Moving the cows outside the capital means depriving the residents of consuming milk, as it becomes difficult
for the individual to obtain milk and endure the long distance. This is on one hand; on the other hand, if the
Municipality's order is executed and we move the cows outside the capital, the cost of transporting milk from outside to inside the capital will rise,
and this allows room for cattle owners to manipulate the milk on one hand and the rise in ⟦...⟧ on the
other. All of this harms the public interest. If the Municipality observes our current situation and our desire to
provide comfort for the people, and since our locations, as we previously presented, are organized and meet health conditions,
and we are keen not to cause any situation that causes inconvenience to residents or leads to the spread of odors
and other reasons, thanks to our continuous efforts to apply health conditions. Even more
harmful is that some of us who own one or two cows find it difficult to move outside the capital
as they do not own what secures housing for them outside the capital. In view of the above, the matter of moving us from our locations
to outside the capital, on one hand, necessitates our limitation and harm, and on the other hand, harms the public interest.
Since the Mayoralty of the capital has taken its order as a means to continuously drag us to court and try us, there are those
who have been sentenced four times, and the rest have mostly been sentenced three times under the same article for which they were
initially brought before the judge. The Municipality did not notice our poverty, our financial situation, and our being a group
deserving of pity and compassion. Therefore, we submit this our plea, with our families and children behind us, pleading
for your order to be issued to the Municipality to disregard what it intended. It has the right to monitor us to implement our regulations
regarding the public interest. We await your Excellency's order.
Cattle Owners in the Capital
Copy to:-
His Excellency the Honorable Minister of Social Affairs
For information and necessary action.
To the Honorable Chief of the Jewish Community in Baghdad
Respected, to mediate with the competent authorities -
to assist our plea.
40 Fils
2/2
Page 192
His Excellency the Honorable President
Rabbi Mr. Sassoon Khedouri ⟦Honorable⟧
7284
⟦illegible⟧
With kindness and respect
I proceed to kiss your pure hands with my respect
As well as it is a great honor for me in your presence that you are from a good family
Everywhere, indeed throughout all of Iraq, your noble name and good deeds exist
I am Mr. Hindi from the people of Basra, who was sentenced to one
year for car parts, and today I am going to Basra by train
I hope for your noble kindness today to assist me with something for the train fare
Make it a charity for everyone, as you are among those who have mercy and compassion for
all the poor, and the matter is yours
The Petitioner
The Bearer of this Letter
Your faithful servant
Hindi
To be filed
Miscellaneous
Page 193
An appeal from His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khadduri, President of
the Jewish Community in Baghdad
On the occasion of the recent painful events, I call upon the honorable members of the community to shorten the celebrations on the occasion of
the Festival of Purim and to refrain from gathering and holding music parties, in mourning for the souls of the nation's martyrs.
For preservation
Miscellaneous
P.
Rabbi Sassoon Khadduri
President of the Jewish Community
⟦Presidency of the Jewish Community⟧
⟦In Baghdad⟧
Page 195
Baghdad on 4/20/48
Department Copy
4/7/1948
Khedouri and Ezra Mirlawee Company Limited
Baghdad
After greetings
Please kindly supply us with a safe for keeping files, fixed size
for the purpose of using it in the department, with the request
to submit the invoice for its cost.
This, and please accept thanks and respect;
⟦James D. Khedouri⟧
Head of the Community
Mr. President
1) Please facilitate
this letter from your side
or the safe will be shipped
⟦illegible⟧
The Council
A
⟦illegible⟧
Page 196
File no. 811.11
JDN/b.
THE FOREIGN SERVICE
OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Presidency of the Jewish Community
No. 409
Date 4/6/948
AMERICAN EMBASSY
Baghdad, Iraq, April 3, 1948.
President of Jewish Community,
Baghdad, Iraq.
Sir:
It would be appreciated if you could supply the Embassy with
any information concerning the birth of Isaac Silas in Baghdad,
February 1903.
His parents were Silas Isaac Silas and Tophaha (last name un-
known) who were at that time residents of Baghdad.
Very truly yours,
James D. Newton
James D. Newton
American Vice Consul
⟦illegible⟧
Mr. President
Kindly instruct those concerned to inform us
regarding the validity of the birth of Isaac Silas
in February of the year 1903, noting
that his parents are
Silas Isaac Silas and Tophaha
who were residing
in Baghdad
Ibrahim Asim 7-4
Page 198
Laura Kadoorie Club
Baghdad
Telephone Number 6097
Baghdad 16 / 6 / 1948 ⟦line⟧
His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Kadoorie
President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad, Respectfully
Greetings and respect
I am pleased to enclose herewith the amount of fifteen dinars, the value of (15) tickets
for the Royal Sports Club party to entertain our brave soldiers in Palestine on the evening of 8 Sha'ban
1367, distributed to the members of this club.
Please order to inform us of the receipt. Please accept my utmost respect
⟦Munir Daoud⟧
Honorary Secretary
For filing
Donations
Page 199
Number of (copies)
100
For preservation
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
1 - Q - What is the situation of Jews in Iraq.
A - Laws and regulations do not distinguish between all Iraqis, but since the rise of the Nazi movement in Germany
we began to feel that the application of those laws was not always in that same spirit. We believe that the reason
for this is Nazi propaganda in Iraq, and we believe that Nazi propaganda is the cause of the difficult days
and troubles we faced. As for the present time, the community is relatively comfortable.
2 - Q - What is your opinion on the issue of Palestine.
A - As a religious man, I pray to the Creator that understanding prevails and that peace reigns in this sacred
spot.
3 - Q - The issue is not one of prayer, and we hope you suggest a solution to this dilemma.
A - In my capacity as a religious man, far removed from politics, and head of a community whose functions are defined by law,
I am unable to provide any opinion on this subject.
4 - Q - Are Jews equal in paying taxes with other Iraqis?
A - Yes.
5 - Q - Are the doors of schools, colleges, and jobs open to Jews like others?
A - Yes, but the government has a general policy covering all minorities, which is the policy of a percentage for each community.
6 - Q - Are there restrictions on Jewish trade or on buying land?
A - No.
7 - Do you practice your worship rituals freely?
A - Yes, with total freedom.
8 - Q - Are there restrictions on Jews traveling abroad?
A - Yes, there are special restrictions on Jews. For those whose travel abroad requires, for example, passing
through Palestine, they are required to pay a security deposit of five thousand dinars, even if the travel is for
health reasons and the traveler is poor. Passport processing for a Jew is complicated in general.
9 - Q - Is it permissible for you to teach the Hebrew language in your schools?
A - We are allowed to teach religion only in the Hebrew language in the Holy Bible and prayer books.
10 - Q - What is the total number of Jews in Iraq?
A - There are no official records that can be relied upon in this matter, but I can conclude based
on my personal information and contacts with statesmen that the number of Jews in Iraq ranges between
125 and 130 thousand people.
Page 200
No specific verses appeared in the Torah stating that God loves those who love the Children of Israel and hates
those who hate them. Rather, Israeli traditions state that the blessings mentioned in the Book with which
God blessed our early ancestors are assumed to pass to their children if they behave well and follow
God's commandments.
Among these is what appeared in the Book of Genesis 12: 2-3:
"And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing."
"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
And it appeared in the Book of Genesis 27: 29
"Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let
thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee."
And it appeared in the Book of Exodus 23: 22
"If you obey my commandments and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary
unto thine adversaries."
And there are many verses with this meaning in various chapters of the Holy Bible.
⟦line⟧
14 /