Correspondence regarding Jews being Harassed by Iraqi Government; Studying Abroad in London; Requests for Finical Assistance; Income Tax Reports
View interactive document pageThis item includes documents detailing internal administrative matters of the Baghdadi Jewish community such as employment actions, resignations, letters of recommendation, property management, and decisions of the organization. There are also requests for financial assistance and other personal matters, letters from members of the Baghdadi Jewish community to the Jewish Lay Council about increasingly harsh treatment by the government, and reports of individuals being arbitrarily arrested and imprisoned. Other documents include correspondence to the British government to organize a Passover Seder for Jewish soldiers, scholarships to study in British schools, Baghdadi Jews abrogating their citizenship and emigrating abroad, the collection of donations for Palestinian refugees and wounded soldiers, lists of members of the Baghdadi Jewish community in detention facilities, and financial documents such as income tax reports and receipts.
Rashid Club - Baghdad PHONE NO. 3544 Rashid Club - Baghdad 6487 Telephone: <del>3544</del> 2/1/50 Baghdad To the Honorable Secretary of the Presidency of the Jewish Community Greetings, In view of the lack of a quorum on 1/28/50, please approve the holding of a general meeting of the General Assembly for this club on Monday, 2/20/50, and with thanks. Club Secretary ⟦Signature⟧ Not approved Postpone ⟦the study⟧ until a time that ends with the attendance ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ 2/2 (22)
(22) His Excellency the Director of Police of Baghdad Brigade After greetings and respect I submit to your Excellency that the members of the Jewish community residing in Mandali District have recently begun to encounter great difficulties in their movements outside the district and in returning to Mandali District as well. It is no secret to your Excellency that most of them are persons whose business forces them to travel outside the district, especially to Baghdad, to attend to their necessary affairs; however, when they finish these tasks, it is very difficult for them to return to their permanent residence, which is Mandali District, and often it is completely impossible for them to return due to what they encounter of difficulties. The drivers of Mandali cars refuse to transport them in their vehicles under the pretext that the Diyala Bridge police in Baqubah arrest the driver and detain him with his car to Baghdad with its passengers again, and sometimes the police demand certificates of non- objection, yet it is impossible for us to obtain them when we approach the police departments. Therefore, I have come with this petition of mine, imploring your justice to take the necessary measures to lift these restrictions from us, noting that a large group of the people of Mandali are now forced to remain in Baghdad and have no one to support them or support their families in Mandali District. Hoping that this plea of ours receives your Excellency's attention, please accept, sir, the highest expressions of gratitude and respect; Gurji Ibrahim Al-Sayegh From the people of Mandali For filing and miscellaneous Baghdad 22 / 1 / 950
Presidency of the Israelite Community T / 952 / 95 1 / 2 / 95 (29) ⟦illegible⟧ Edward Saleh Presidency of the Israelite Community Baghdad Chevra Kadisha Saleh Yaqub Number - T / 1205 / 95 Date - 5 / 2 / 95 Referred originally to the Spiritual Council - Acting Head of the Community To provide an opinion on this matter - Head of the Lay Council
(20) The Spiritual Council of the Jewish Community Baghdad, may God protect it The Israeli Spiritual Council in Baghdad Presidency of the Jewish Community Number: 162 Date: 11/2/1950 Presidency of the Jewish Community Incoming Number 950/961/T On 7/2/1950 His Excellency the President of the Lay Council, the Respected Reference to the margin of the petition number T/950/1205 dated 5/2/1950 We inform you that the plaintiff Simha Yusuf has obtained a judgment for alimony against her husband Saleh Shaul in the amount of three dinars per month. The alimony remains even if the husband has changed his religion. As for what concerns assisting this wife, this is a matter for your respected council. The petition is returned to you herewith, please accept our respect Salman Hooki Aboudi The President For discussion ⟦illegible signature⟧
(71) Baghdad on 16 / 3 / 1950 His Excellency the Director of Baghdad District Police, Respected After greetings and respect I request that you allow me to present the following to your Excellency :- I am from the city of Amarah and my business required me to come to Baghdad. After finishing my business, I decided to return to my city, but when I checked the car garages that transport passengers to Amarah, they refused to transport me with my family on the pretext that they are prohibited from transporting us by the police for fear of the car being seized on the road and returned to Baghdad. We have spent about three weeks in Baghdad and we are waiting and our business is stalled. I wish to present to your Excellency that there are about ten people with me stuck in Baghdad for this reason, and they have no one to support them or support their families in Amarah. Therefore, I have come with this petition to seek mercy from your Excellency to take the appropriate measures and issue the necessary orders to allow us to return to our place of work in Amarah and not to be harassed on the road. Please, your Excellency, accept my utmost thanks and respect ; Youssef Munshi From the people of Amarah (Barber) For filing / Travels
Mr. Naji 1- Mr. Ibrahim Tawfiq should be contacted to inquire from him about the endowments of the ⟦Masouda⟧ school, and please inform me of the result. ⟦signature⟧ 2/21 5214 Delivered I contacted Mr. Ibrahim Tawfiq regarding that, and he informed me that since he took over the management of the ⟦Rachel Shahmoon⟧ school, he used to receive from this endowment about two dinars annually, and since the year 1929 it has stopped, and he does not know the reasons. He believes that it is advisable to clarify that from the director of the Alice Dawood Salwa school, perhaps he has collected the accumulated amounts since the year 1929 until now. ⟦signature⟧ 2/22 Mr. Salwa should be contacted, the director of the Alice school, and explain to him that ⟦...⟧ what is the fate of this endowment? It must ⟦...⟧ ⟦signature⟧ 2/22 7252
SALIH ZAKI RAOUF (22) Salih Zaki Raouf A'DHAMIA — BAGHDAD (Iraq). Adhamiya — Baghdad (Iraq) Telph. 262 SHIMAL Telephone — 262 North ✳ Date: 22 / 7 / 1948 His Eminence, the respected Head of the Jewish Community After respects, The bearer of this, Tono Shamil, is an elderly, sick, and poor man to the point of destitution, and hearts pity him and humanitarian situations weep for him. Therefore, I hope he will be included in your Eminence's kindness, so that you may provide him a way for relief and to lift the pains of need and poverty from him in his current painful state. From God you shall have reward and from man great thanks. Salih Zaki Submitting it Re-write to the Mr. President Please refer that Mr. Salih Zaki that he has helped him ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ 7/22
Summary of reported assaults to the Presidency of the Community Location | Date | Informant | Case Summary Obaid | 12/2/50 | Bani Murad - by mail | Joseph Tabra apartment (protection money) by bullets twice, a letter issued regarding it and what he wrote ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ protection money department leads to insults and beating Abu al-Saif | 2/12 | Sabih Shihayyim and Wali Samuel Sabih | One of the Jews appoints Sabri on his behalf, an attack by a number of soldiers on a house near Super Suba and the daughters' sons with the whipping of swords and they fled to the roofs and were pursued by the soldiers and rescued by one of the lawyers (H) the transfer of a part of his family, the Muslims, a corpse official employees whose task is to imprison a Jew for leaving Iraq for another case with the intent of assault and slapping for the purpose of collecting money Abu al-Saif and the Torah | 2/14 | Fattouh Sion <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> and his brother Hanin | sending one of the Muslims as a corpse in a taxi car an attack by an armed person with his pistol, the first after his return from detention and their going to the house of the second to send him and an attack by a group he had seen one of the Christians in the street and informed the police and he was arrested with the soldiers Karrada Police Street | 2/14 | Fouad Haroun Saleh and Anwar Tawfiq | an attack by eight youths on them while they were strolling in the evening and beating them (with ropes and punches) Jadid Hassan Pasha | 2/16 | Edward Naji - by post | beating and insult by some soldiers and robbing the greeting of another Ramadi | 2/14 | Naeem Haqqi Hazoum | several individual assaults. Kermani going to the council upon his death by the passing of asking him for goods on credit and the refusal of the Jew Zubaid and his attack on him with beating and insult by cursing and the confiscation of Muslim passersby and his obtaining a medical report for a period of ten days Kirkuk | 2/14 | Haroun Eliyahu - Muhammad al-Baghdadi and his wife | the people of Kirkuk are prohibited from leaving or returning to it except with a guarantee many pledges, an attack on a Jewish family in ⟦...⟧ and they fled one of them also on his behalf and the harassment of Muslim Jews and the street and declared the corpse of Jewish persons and the detention of Jews and the assault on Muslims
(2) Location | Date | Informant | Case Summary Kirkuk | 14/2/50 | A group of Jews | An assault by a group of Muslims led by a person named Asaad on the Jewish quarter and the beating of a Jewish person named Meir Shalom Al-Mali and his son with hands and sticks, taking him to the hospital and filing a lawsuit against the Jews. Meeting with the Governor by a group of Jews. The Police Director claims that he is concerned with protection. An attack on a dyer, beating him and admitting him to the hospital. Al-Suwaira | 19/2/50 | Deputy of Al-Suwaira Bakir Yarsib | Kidnapping and loss of a telephone valued at 5/500 Dinars. Informed the police station. Mosul | 20/2/50 | Matta Yusuf | An attack by school students and ruffians on those conducting funerals and burying the dead in Mosul, pelting them with stones and forcing them this time to leave the funeral outside the city for 16 hours for fear of assaults.
I pledge to prevent any person from having lunch in the synagogue if they are not authorized in writing by the head of the community in Baghdad, and I acknowledge that I personally bear responsibility for violating these instructions and his signature, I have signed below. Baghdad on 20 / 2 / 950 Name | Synagogue | Signature 1- Akram Baruch | Al-Alwiyah Synagogue | 2- Saleh Moshi | Meir Tweig Synagogue | Saleh Moshi 3- Abboudi Khalil Allah | " Farha | 4- Daoud Suissa | " Al-Almani | 5- Shmuel Shaul | " Rebecca | Shmuel Shaul 6- Shmuel Khadouri | " Al-Sadriya | Shmuel Khadouri 7- Abdullah Shamikh | " Masouda Shetoub | ⟦Abdullah⟧ 8- Menashe Saleh | " Menashe Cohen | Menashe Saleh 9- Yaqub Daoud | " Beit Shashua | 10- Salim Hayou | " Rebecca | 11- Gurji Sahood | " Meir Tweig | Gurji Sahood ⟦illegible⟧
(2) Name | Kunya/Nickname | Signature 12 - Salim Khadouri | Munshi Saleh | Basim Khadouri 13 - Yusuf Meir Shammash | Rachel Shamoun | 6301 M ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦...⟧ 14 - Akram Meir Shammash | Habiba Al-Kabira | 15 - Luay Yaqub Jabbouri | Munshi | 16 - Salim Ezra | Nuzha Munshi | 17 - Aslan Bashir | Edith Yehuda | ⟦...⟧ 12/9/19 18 - Midhat Sion | Badr Raphael | 19 - Saleh Meir Shammash | Agnes Nuzha | Saleh Meir Shammash 20 - Daoud Bashir | Habiba Azzam | Daoud Bashir 21 - Ezra Bashir | Halawa Ne'ma | Daoud Bashir 22 - Samira Daoud Shammash | Sabri | 23 - Samira Ezra | Dahan | Samira Dahan 24 - Khadouri Jubeir | Sabiha | 12/19
(2) Name | Surname | Signature 25 - Saleh Sabah Shamash | Daoud | ⟦illegible⟧ 26 - Heskel Ezra | Mandalawi | 27 - Heskel Youssef | Ezra Al-Pasha and his heirs | ⟦illegible⟧ 28 - Saleh Shalom | Ibn Shalom | On their behalf ⟦illegible⟧ 29 - Sion Murad | Bin Twayq | 30 - Akram Heskel | Al-Obaidi | ⟦illegible⟧ 31 - Saif Lori | Hakham Sion | 32 - Sassoon Heskel | Yaqub Meir | ⟦illegible⟧ 33 - Haron Menashi Shamash | Sheikh Akram | 34 - Benjamin Yaqub | Salat Rifka | 35 - Youssef Halba | Salat Shabi | Ihsan ⟦illegible⟧ 36 - Menashi Shabi | Shamash | ⟦illegible⟧ 37 - Menashi Shamash | Ezra Daoud | ⟦illegible⟧
(2) Name | Reason | Signature 28 - Yaqub Moshi | Zilka House | 29 - Sitara Cohen | Menashi Cohen | 40 - Hama | Kani Shaul | X 41 | Kani Sofer | X 42 Daughter of Eliyahu Abada | Menashi Zubaida | Sadiq Ali ⟦...⟧ 29/10/50 43 | Karrada | 44 | Ghawi |
(5) Name | Lineage | Balance Akram Hazqeel | Salat Sweid | ⟦illegible stamp⟧ Ibrahim Rafael Shamash | Salat Shaul |
Administration of the Lay Council - Baghdad Number C / 484 / 950 Date 11 / 2 / 950 File Number ⟦line⟧ Al-Rafidain Club Baghdad Baghdad on 27 / 2 / 1950 His Excellency the Respected President of the Lay Council Greetings: I request permission for the General Assembly of this club to meet in the building of the Presidency of the Community on Monday evening, 24 / 2 / 950, at five-thirty. In the event that a quorum is not reached, the meeting shall be postponed until Monday, 13 / 3 / 950 at the same time. Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest respect. Sincerely, ⟦signature⟧ Abd al-Katib
⟦Department Copy⟧ T 50/1207 3/6/1950 The Honorable Honorary Secretary of the Al-Rafidain Club Greetings, With reference to your letter dated 2/27/1950. We have no objection to holding the General Assembly meeting of your club at the headquarters of the Community Presidency at five-thirty in the evening on Tuesday, 3/14/1950. Please accept our respects; Acting Head of the Community President of the Lay Council ⟦The⟧ ⟦...⟧ A / 5 / 3
(27) THE FOREIGN SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA File no. 211 JBB/b. ADDRESS OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS TO: AMERICAN EMBASSY Baghdad, Iraq, March 1, 1950. President Jewish Community, Baghdad, Iraq. Dear Sir: The Embassy has been asked to ascertain the dates of birth in Baghdad of the following persons: Edward Mathalon Reuven Mathalon Chelomo Mathalon Jacub Mathalon It is understood that these persons formerly resided at No. 30, Battaween. Any assistance you may be able to render in providing the in- formation asked, will be appreciated. Very truly yours, ⟦Jack B. Button⟧ Jack B. Button American Vice Consul
1350/50. 5th April 50. The American Vice Consul, AMERICAN EMBASSY, B A G H D A D. Dear Sir, Reference your letter dated March 1st, 1950, concerning the date of birth of Edward Mathalon, Reuven Mathalon, Chelomo Mathalon and Jacub Mathalon. We regret to inform you that in spite of the investigations carried out in this respect, we could not ascertain the dates of birth of the above-mentioned persons. Yours faithfully, ⟦signature⟧ Ofg. PRESIDENT, JEWISH COMMUNITY BAGHDAD. PRESIDENT, JEWISH LAY COUNCIL, BAGHDAD.
To the Honorable President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad Greetings and respect To the dear one: If you are asking about the matter of Shaul Tuba Khan, there are 28 poor families located there And if you could see our condition during the holiday days, even for flour We handed over our clothes, we are very poor and many Of us worked during the holiday and ate chickpeas And God will forgive us given our harsh circumstances And our unemployment, and everything our hands possessed we sold For the sake of living. And we who live in the hell of poverty and disease Hope for a reduction in the Khan's rent, and to you much thanks Number of families Ibrahim Benjamin Shaul, Ibrahim Musa, Jawla Shaul, Naeem Salem, Ezra Yusuf, Elia Yusuf
(40) Fourth 1- Suad Saleh Shasha 2- Baruch Masoud Baruch 3- Hadon Levy 4- Akram Saleh Shasha Fourth 1- Mushtaq Salman 2- Seva Hezekiah 3- Obadiah Ghani 4- Munshi Isaac Convicted 1- Saif Naseh 2- Salim Naseh 1- Anwar Ibrahim Saleh 2- Ibrahim Munshi Munshi 3- ⟦Ezra⟧ Akram Shasha 4- Zion Aram the Younger 5- Tawfiq Akram Munshi 6- Fouad Nassim 7- Niazi Halloum 8- Munshi Seva 9- Latif Munshi 10- Akram Seva 11- Shafiq Habib Acquittal 1- Latif Salam 2- Seva Akram 3- Fouad Munshi 4- Akram Sabri 5- Renee the Younger 6- Emile Isaac Acquittal Haroun Mordechai The Plaintiff Mordechai Yousef Yousef Daniel Rahmin Nahoum Mordechai Elias Saleh Rahmin Nahoum Rahmin Labi'a Yousef Ephraim Baruch Moshe Ibrahim Rahmin Daniel Ibrahim Jonah Yael Yousef Toba Shalul Yousef Isaac Ibrahim Yousef Samuel Daniel
1- The case of Jakoli Yaqoub Al-Haddad: sentenced to three years under Article 289 A A letter arrived from the niece of Jakoli Yaqoub Al-Haddad to her mother (i.e., Jakoli's sister) Al-Haddad) informing her that God had opened a way for her with the phrase (I will come to you) Upon investigating the mother of the aforementioned girl at the Criminal Investigation Directorate, they found that The uncle (of the mentioned girl) Jakoli had traveled abroad, then the mentioned Jakoli appeared before the Martial Council and objected that he was not the person mentioned in the letter, but rather Rashid his cousin, and he claimed that he had a son who returned from abroad and that the husband of the girl, his niece, was coming to return, and accordingly all of these were detained and sentenced to three years of hard labor, and they are: 1- Jakoli Yaqoub 2- Rajul Yaqoub 3- Tony Yaqoub 4- Ezra Yaqoub 5- Allah Yaqoub 2- The case of Salim Swaih - a senior employee in the port, sentenced to five years under Article 289 A He was accused of participating in inciting ships to carry out demonstrations as a result of a certain budget But he presented prominent physical evidence that he was outside Basra when the demonstrations took place mentioned, however, the court did not listen to his defense and sentenced him to five years in prison Knowing that police surveillance is under Article 289 A And each of <del>Salim Swaih</del> was sentenced in an attributed case because he was found to have property in Palestine. 3- The case of Yusuf Swaih and his father Salim Swaih, sentenced to two years based on what the signs witnessed that they participated in the Kadhimiya demonstration on 8/17/1948, even though the simplest proof of it is a claim by Mr. Ahmed Hafez and Tariq Ghaib Al-Saadi ⟦...⟧ 4- The case of Yusuf Swaih and his father Salim Swaih, sentenced to two years based on what the signs witnessed According to a statement by Khalid mentioned to the Criminal Investigations that they live in ⟦...⟧ And they were left without presenting documents to the court 4- The case of Elias Al-Kuwaiti, sentenced to three years Because of the words (exclusion and injustice) written by him on papers from the newspaper (Ittihad al-Shaab)
(1) Name of the convicted person - Salim Sassoon Sion Khabat in the Port Department (2) Legal Article - The first paragraph of the first article No. 51 of 1938 (3) Judgment - Imprisonment for a period of five years with supervision for a period of three years (4) Investigation Report a - That he is a pure Zionist and a first-degree danger b - Considering that he was leading demonstrations that were held in Basra in the month of April 1948 (While he was residing in Baghdad during the period from 2/22/947 until 5/2/948 enjoying his leave in Baghdad 948) c - He was accused of laughing at the Mujahideen during their travel in April ⟦948⟧ d - He was accused of negotiating with Muhammad al-Sadr and another person from the Party National Democratic and the Port Workers Union in his house in Maqal in the month of April 1948 (While he left his aforementioned house ⟦from⟧ the month of September 947) e - He was accused of having relatives in Palestine with whom he corresponds f - He was accused of having lost land that he sold in Palestine in ⟦Haifa⟧ in the year 1941 (While the court withdrew the order for its purchase in the year 1944 contrary to the truth)
- They lied about receiving money from Adas and distributing it to the protesters at a rate of 1/500 dinars per day, along with distributing packs of cigarettes to them. Note This case was fabricated against him by the Jews. (1) Anwar Mukhlis, Assistant Director of the General Port at that time (2) Acting Director of the Port Police The defendant cites as witnesses to clarify his good conduct and behavior: By (1) His Excellency Mr. Amin Khalis, Governor of Diwaniyah (2) Mr. Muzaffar Ahmed, Mayor of the Capital The persons sentenced with him, who are port employees: 1- Ishaq Sadqa (x) Latif Sadqa } for a period of one year Saleh Sadqa Maurice Yamin Ibrahim Ishaq } for a period of 2 years Ezekiel Atieh Naji Menachem (1) (2) (3)