AI en Translation, Pages 101-125
Page 101
Shmuel Neighborhood - Mosul
21 / 2 / 1949
My Great Master, His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khedouri, the Most Respected
Head of the Jewish Community
After greetings and offering due respect. We concluded the community elections yesterday under the supervision of
His Excellency the Vice President of the Courts in Mosul, Mr. Muslih al-Din Bey Saleh, and the General Council was formed
from the best sons of the community from whom we hope for service to the community and the organization of its affairs, especially
the issue of ritual slaughter, which is one of the most important problems existing within the community in Mosul, as is not hidden
from your Eminence. After a few days, we will proceed with the rest of the elections according to Articles 6, 11
and 12, 14 of the Jewish Community Law No. 77 of 1931 and the first article of the regulation.
On this occasion, I present that when I had the honor of visiting your Eminence, I explained that these
recent elections usually take place here under the supervision of the Provincial Governorate, where
the position of the District Governor is usually delegated on its behalf, according to instructions issued by the Ministry of
Interior. Therefore, I submit to your Eminence a copy of the letter from the Provincial Governorate which includes the appointment of
the District Governor of Mosul to supervise these elections for your kind review.
⟦Fakhoury⟧ His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon and the attending members offer their sincere greetings to your position
and we extend our further respect to the honorable Eminences of the Rabbinate on your side
In conclusion, please accept the highest respects, my exalted master
Sincerely,
⟦signature⟧
Note: Since I am emboldened by your kindness, I had
requested your Eminence to kindly assist me in promoting the letter
which I had presented to your Eminence to His Excellency the Director of Intelligence
of the Sidewalk Schedule, so I hope to receive the result of your efforts in the near future.
As for the wheat, the bearer will explain to your Eminence what is necessary because I am still the servant son
and I have not failed to implement your orders, but this year there is no good wheat.
May you remain in respect, my master
Page 102
Copy of a letter from the Governor of Mosul Province
Iraqi Government
Governorate of Mosul Province - Correspondence
Number 5426
Date 20 / 2 / 1945
Subject: Elections of the Israelite Community in Mosul
To the District Officer of Mosul District
Based on the completion of the elections for the General Council of the Israelite Community in Mosul and in accordance
with the instructions of the Ministry of Justice, we have assigned you to represent us in supervising the conduct of the
other elections set forth below according to the community's law and regulations.
1- Election of the Head of the Community in the manner and conditions stipulated in the community's law and regulations
2- Election of the Lay Council according to Articles 6 and 11 of the community law and Article 1 of the regulations
3- Election of the Chief Rabbi according to Articles 2, 7, and 11 of the aforementioned law
4- Election of the Religious Court body according to Paragraph 2 of Article 15 of the same law
We request that you take the necessary steps to apply the aforementioned articles under your supervision and inform us of the result
(Signature)
Governor of Mosul Province
Copy to
The Presidency of the Israelite Community in Mosul
Reference to its letter No. 200 / 151 on 25 / 9 / 945 for information and necessary action.
True copy
⟦illegible⟧
20 / 2 / 1945
Page 103
(Copy of the Mosul Liwa Governorate letter)
Mosul Liwa Governorate
Editing Office
Number 4/24/5274
Date April 28, 1949
To the Honorable Haham Bashi of the Council
I refer to the report dated 4/18/1949 organized by the General Council of the Mosaic Community
in Mosul. Since the orders of the Ministry of Interior require that the invitation of the General
Council for the purpose of Article (11) of the Community Bylaws and the election of the Community Presidency, the Lay
Council, the President of the Court, and the Court Body be under our supervision, we cannot
take the submitted report into consideration, especially since we noticed in it that
the Council was formed of 20 members including the President, while the number should be excluding the President.
Therefore, in accordance with the Ministry's instructions, we have delegated on our behalf Muhammad Said Bey, the Qaimaqam of Mosul,
to supervise the aforementioned election processes, and it was necessary to inform you of this. Sincerely.
Signature
Governor of Mosul Liwa
Copy to:
Qaimaqam of Mosul
With a copy of the Ministry of Interior letter No. 19/A/16
dated 2/2/1949 and keeping the special papers to take the necessary action.
We request attention to note paragraph (2) regarding the issue of estimating
the fee for the head of the electoral committee.
True copy
⟦illegible⟧
5/2/1949
Page 104
⟦Department Copy⟧
828
11/26/1948
The Honorable Mr. Yahya Shmuel Tahani, Respectfully
Secretary of the Israelite Community
Mosul
Greetings and respect,
I hope that you and the members of the honorable community are well. Furthermore,
I have received your letter dated 11/12/1948, and your thanked efforts
regarding the conclusion of the Kosher meat slaughter issue had a deep impact on me. I hope you succeed,
with the help of His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon and their Eminences the Rabbis in your area,
in resolving this issue immediately after the conclusion of the General Council elections
in your area.
Please convey my greetings to His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon, and please
accept my respect, praying to the Almighty Lord to guide your steps toward all that is
for the good of the community.
Sincerely,
⟦Sassoon⟧
Head of the Community
⟦illegible signature⟧
11/28
For filing
Religious Communities ⟦illegible⟧
Page 105
Presidency of the Jewish Community
in Amara
Presidency of the Jewish Community in Amara
Number (16)
Date 8/5/1949
⟦JEWISH COMMUNITY AMARA⟧
Subject: - Medical treatment for a poor person
To His Eminence the President of the Jewish Community - Baghdad - Respected.
After greetings and respect.
We hereby confirm that Yaqub Saqil Abda, a resident of the
Al-Qadiriya neighborhood in the Amara Governorate, is very poor. And since he
is ill, he is unable to pay the necessary expenses for his treatment
and medical care. Therefore, we request your Eminence to kindly refer him
to the competent authority for free medical treatment, and the matter is yours, sir.
⟦signature⟧
Acting President of the Jewish
Community in Amara
Entry
Outgoing Incoming
⟦10 / 5 / 49⟧
Page 106
Mosul
12/4/1949
Presidency of the Israelite Community
No. 672
Date 22/4/1949
My Lord the Chief Rabbi, His Excellency the respected Rabbi Sassoon Khedhouri
President of the Israelite Community, Baghdad
After greetings and much respect, I take the opportunity of the arrival of the blessed holiday
to offer your Excellency my sincerest congratulations and purest blessings, wishing you
health, happiness, and a long life in your dear and precious life.
Sir, I had previously informed your Excellency of the conclusion of the election
of the General Council, which took place under the supervision of His Excellency the Vice President of the Court of
Appeals of Mosul, and now I have come to inform you that there has also been
elections for the Presidency of the Community and the Rabbinate, and His Eminence Rabbi
Salmon Batirha won, and as for the presidency of the Lay Council, I
(your petitioner) won it, and the Lay Council was formed of the gentlemen
Habbi Saleh Haroun, Hayu Haroun Hayu, Habibi Lozi, and Shlomo Abboud
And I have accepted the responsibility of this arduous task in compliance
with your Excellency's desire and insistence regarding the issue of the slaughtering
⟦line⟧
Page 107
2 and regulating them according to the rules. And indeed, we have begun our many tasks in this
difficult stage, keeping before our eyes the guidance of their Eminences Rabbi Salman
and Rabbi Daoud. We hope to bring you news in the near future regarding the conclusion of the affairs
of the slaughterers according to the rules. In conclusion, I offer my utmost thanks and great
gratitude for the assistance you have shown to ⟦the late⟧ daughter of His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon, the head of the community.
May the Great Lord preserve you and grant you success in every good deed. Respectfully yours, sir,
Sincerely,
⟦illegible⟧
Yahya Shmuel - Mosul
⟦24/2⟧
Page 109
Department Copy
961
4/29/1949
The Honorable Mr. Yahya Shmuel, Respectfully
President of the Lay Council - Mosul
Greetings and respect,
Furthermore, I was very pleased to learn of your victory in the presidency of the
Lay Council of the Israelite community in Mosul. On this occasion, I offer
my heartfelt congratulations with my wishes to your presence for success and prosperity, wishing the community
happiness and well-being during the term of your council. The news of your interest in the issue of
sheep slaughter (Kosher) was received with total satisfaction by me and by their Eminences the Rabbis
in Baghdad. We are awaiting the results of your blessed efforts in this regard.
Please accept my respect, with the request to convey greetings
and blessings to His Eminence Rabbi Solomon. May you remain well.
Sincerely,
Sassoon
Head of the Community
A/A
⟦Files are kept in the cabinet⟧
5/1
Page 110
Invited - 16
Absent - 4
Apologized - 3
Promised to attend - 9
16
Absent in Basra
1- Victor Kaye
2- Daoud Jouri
3- Abboudi Khadouri
4- Ephraim Masfi Ephraim
Apologized
1- Salman Daniel
2- Rashid Al-Tabaqchali Brothers
3- Salman Eliahou Zilkha
7229 Shop
9440 Residence
The rest promised to attend
1- Sassoon Abed
2- Yaqub Ezra Amara
3- Agha Baba Moallem Moshi
4- Eliahou Fattal (5471) Egypt
5- Salman Babi Cohen
6- Khadouri Darwish
7- <del>Salman Qattan</del> Egypt
8- Ezra Khadouri
9- <del>Munshi Kahila</del> Egypt
For preservation, the community in Iraq
4/12
Page 111
I want
Urgent
Audit of the Mosaic Community
412
Time 20 / 4 / 949
Presidency of the Israelite Community
To the Honorable President of the Mosaic Community
After respect. What is presented to your Excellency, we come with this letter of ours to your presence
appealing for kindness and consideration regarding the structure of this case which we are forced
to bring to attention, which is:
We are a group of Jews of one of the synagogues, we have a teacher and slaughterer, who is Ibrahim
Shaul Nassib, and we have an agreement with him for this year with a monthly salary of
fifteen dinars, and the agreement between us ended at the end of the month of
last March, and he continues in his position after repetition and the agreement together for days
and two days ago he informed us that the agreement has ended and he wants to leave us
and resign for another party, and this exchange from him affects the group
and we cannot be left without a slaughterer, so the matter needs thought
regarding the Rabbi in his position; in your Excellency, we seek the necessary mercy for him
an alternative position he completes, we ask for our help by assisting one shift for the slaughterer
until the assistance is separated from him, and for the rest, another shift to continue
until separation and profit for the synagogues, and we find his presence continued in managing the profession
and by trying now with him to take action, God agrees with one of the spring pools
continuing in the synagogues, he does not leave his new position in the synagogue
and what is not hidden from your position is that our conduct regarding his rank in the world is for the sake of
unification, and that his work is because the group consists of young and old
among them is the Eid without a knife, rather it is the lack of impact and benefit to prove
and demonstrate his humanitarian mission, therefore this letter of ours is for your Excellency's knowledge
your kindness and consideration of this case by engaging your humanitarian policy
Page 112
And the rest is in your hands, for you are the desire for the survival of this ⟦humanity⟧ for our youth
after the end of this period to obtain a teacher. As we are aware of the situation
where it has become necessary for us to obtain a teacher in the ⟦country⟧ and in this
short period, knowing our shortage and our children's lack of ⟦recitation⟧ days without meat
nor chicken. This matter is entrusted to your excellency, and please accept our highest respect
On behalf of the Jewish community of Samawah
Salim Shaul | Shimon Moussa | Baruch Isaac Al-Sayegh
⟦signature⟧ | ⟦signature⟧ | ⟦signature⟧
Shalom Shaul | Shimon Moshe | Baruch Yitzhak
Page 113
Teacher Abraham Shaul
c/o Mr. Barikh Isaac Samawa
Continue the slaughter of kosher sheep until further notice
Rabbi Sassoon Khedhouri
⟦illegible⟧
4/28
Khedhouri
Rabbi Sassoon Khedhouri
President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad
Page 114
Teacher Ibrahim Shaul
Via Mr. Baruch Isaac
Excellency
Please continue the slaughtering of sheep until the end of the month of Nisan
Rabbi Sassoon Khedouri
Rabbi Sassoon Khedouri
President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad
⟦handwritten signature⟧
⟦handwritten signature⟧
Page 115
1020
1949/6/29
Department Copy
The Honorable Mr. Baruch Isaac Al-Sayegh, Respectfully
Samawah
After greetings and respect,
Mr. Abraham Shaul, your former teacher, has approached me requesting
mediation with you for the purpose of giving him his salary, which he claims he has not yet received from the
community group in Samawah for the period of his recent employment with you.
So please be so kind as to look into this matter and provide all possible assistance.
Please accept our respects;
Sincerely,
Head of the Community
Filed
Samawah Community
711
14
Page 116
Samawah 8 / 7 / 942
Baghdad
To the honorable Head of the Israelite Community, respected
After greetings and much respect, we were honored by your letter numbered ⟦1000⟧ and dated ⟦42/6/29⟧
In which you task us to mediate regarding the case of the request of the Sabua teacher, Ibrahim Shaul, as he has
a remaining claim with some of the group. My dear, I was absent during this period and today
I arrived in Samawah and reviewed your letter. I have no knowledge of his claim, only according to
what is understood, Teacher Ibrahim submitted an opening regarding his claim to Khawaja Sassoon Moshe, one of
the members of the Jews of Samawah. The aforementioned Sassoon is not in town at
the moment. However, upon his arrival, by the will of God ⟦Exalted⟧, we will investigate and look at the list
⟦...⟧ and inform you in detail. But your Excellency must know that every teacher who left
Samawah has no remaining claim with any single person. This is due to Ibrahim, firstly, because of his conduct
with the group not being in a good moral manner, and secondly, his departure was sudden as
the group was relying on your telegram which you gave to him during his departure from here,
which reached him through the group, and he did not show it to the group, though it was through me. He
received it without my knowledge and traveled on Sunday night and Saturday evening, and no one
in the group knew who was owed or had money to pay him. If he claims
anything from anyone, nothing will be found. So, my dear, rest assured that upon Sassoon Moshe's arrival to our side,
we will immediately look into the case in detail, investigate, and inform you. We are at your service.
With much respect, sir,
Sincerely,
Byron Isaac
⟦Disobedience⟧
To be kept
Communities in Rusafa
49
⟦...⟧
Page 117
On 13 / 7 / 1949
⟦illegible⟧
His Eminence Rabbi Heskel Hoki Abboudi, the respected
Chief Rabbi of Basra
After greetings and respect
I hope you are well. Enclosed herewith are the summons issued by
the Jewish Community Court in Baghdad, requesting you to kindly take the necessary action regarding them
and to compel the defendant, Khedhouri bin Murad Yadkar, to appear in Baghdad on
the date appointed for the hearing. If this is not possible for you, please ⟦inform me so I may seek⟧ the assistance
of the Governor to provide help in this matter.
Please accept my highest respect,
Sincerely,
⟦Sassoon⟧
Head of the Community
For filing
Al-Qadisiyah and Basra
14
3
Page 118
The Chief Rabbi of the Community
Basra - Iraq
21/7/49
Chief of the Rabbis
in Basra
Presidency of the ⟦Rabbinate⟧ ⟦...⟧
Number 742
Date 8/2/1949
To the Honorable President of the Mosaic Community in Baghdad
After greetings and respect,
We wish to inform you that the person named ⟦Khedhouri⟧ Shaul Yadkar
has appeared before us in Basra and requested us to refer to the Religious Court of the Community
Mosaic in Baghdad, and we have instructed him to submit a petition of claim by his hand
He wishes to litigate and see the case in court, despite being notified according to
the procedures, and therefore we inform you of the matter to take what is necessary in ⟦his right⟧
Please accept our thanks and respect.
Sincerely yours
The President
For filing
To be registered - records of other communities
8/9
Page 119
The Lay Council of the Israelite Community
Mosul
The Lay Council of the Israelite Community
Mosul
Number: 6
Date: 17 / 8 / 1949
Presidency of the Israelite Community
Number 759
Date 22 / 8 / 1949
From Mosul
N 21
To His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khedhouri, the respected
President of the Israelite Community in Iraq
Greetings and respect. Since the new Lay Council was formed in its current session, it found that
the Kosher slaughter in Mosul had deteriorated to the point that nothing remained of it but the name only
due to the control of the old contractor named Wanis over it and his conduct according to his will and whims
to the extent that he had refused to pay the salaries that had been allocated to the Israelite religious slaughterers
who had despaired of the treatment of the aforementioned Wanis and became without salaries, and their financial
condition became deplorable. This is on one hand. On the other hand, the aforementioned slaughterers
were not applying the required religious conditions in Kosher slaughter, as they were slaughtering
without a (Shohet and Bodek) inspector, and contrary to religious teachings. In addition to the religious
violation, Kosher meat was decreasing as a result, as it was restricted to a portion of
the butchers, and price manipulation occurred, and the entire community was harmed by that.
For these reasons and others, the Council had begun to address the affairs of slaughter, and that
was after the aforementioned slaughterers showed their readiness to cooperate with the Council to get rid of
these abnormal conditions. Indeed, they contracted with the Council according to documents certified by the Notary Public
of Mosul to work under its command for a period of one year with monthly salaries of seventeen
dinars to the master slaughterer Moshi Moallem Eliyahu, thirteen dinars to the master slaughterer Moshi Moallem Khedhouri,
twelve dinars to the master slaughterer Zakai Zebulun, and six dinars to the slaughterer Yusuf Moallem Moshi Moallem Eliyahu.
To be continued /
Page 120
The Physical Council of the Israelite Community
The Physical Council of the Israelite Community
Mosul
Mosul
Office
Number: Follow-up to Number 6
Date: 17 / 8 / 1949
And under appropriate conditions that require the aforementioned slaughterers to go together at night to the slaughterhouse and perform
the Kosher slaughter (Shechita and Bedika) and all other religious rules they are bound by.
And they shall not perform any smuggled slaughter at all, and the prescribed fees for Kosher must be collected,
amounting to three hundred fils per cow, forty fils per head of sheep, and twenty fils
per lamb. On this basis, the Council began publishing advertisements
in local newspapers announcing its collection of the prescribed fees on animals taken as Kosher
and handing them over to its agent. However, the butchers had refused to pay these fees at last
for a few days and did not present the animals ⟦to the class⟧ under the pretext that they did not slaughter Kosher. In view of that, the
Council had alerted the community to stand firm against this strike, thereby ensuring the
application of religious rules in slaughtering and the collection of prescribed fees, thus providing Kosher
meat. However, as is not hidden from Your Eminence, the butchers had continued their strike
and sided with the aforementioned and Anis in their refusal to pay the fees prescribed above.
Therefore, the Council was forced to waive the direct collection of fees by its agent and tasked
the aforementioned and Anis (in order to avoid the strike) to cooperate with him to collect the said fees
and hand them over to the Council against organized receipts for that purpose, in exchange for a monthly salary
of fifteen dinars. Work began according to this arrangement since the beginning of May 1949,
and things were proceeding somewhat normally during this period.
However, intrigues began to play their role between the aforementioned slaughterers and Anis,
and the slaughterer, Master Ma'shar Moallem Makhlouf, began his false attacks, saying that he is unable
To be continued /
Page 121
The Lay Council of the Israelite Community
Mosul
The Lay Council of the Israelite Community
Mosul
Number: Continued from Number 6
Date: 17 / 8 / 1949
Going to the slaughterhouse daily, and they cannot refrain from performing the liberated slaughter for some butchers, and that is
out of fear of them and to honor them. Indeed, the aforementioned Musa committed several proven violations in this regard.
The Council had tried to persuade, intimidate, and warn him for this bad behavior, but it did not succeed with him,
as he finally showed his readiness to cooperate with the aforementioned Danis and with Majid Salim to overturn
this situation, and he was able to persuade the rest of his fellow slaughterers as well, so they followed him in his ill-fated plan.
They organized the report dated 24 / 6 / 1949, signed by all the aforementioned slaughterers,
and they presented it to the Council, requesting their resignation from working for the Council, as they
had agreed with the aforementioned Danis on certain conditions favorable to them, and they actually began
collecting the prescribed fees themselves, with the assistance of Danis and his company, and by dividing those
fees among themselves. They returned to their old habit of going to the slaughterhouse individually,
each one on his own on his specific night without an inspector, and they began tampering with the slaughtering
and the rights of the Council. The Lay Council was forced to leave them to their own devices for the following
reasons: (1) Due to the lack of other slaughterers to compete with the current slaughterers,
(2) Due to the lack of a clean slaughterhouse for the community where the Council could centralize the affairs
of slaughtering and control it independently, and rid the community of the butchers' control over it,
and (3) Because the community's treasury is empty of funds with which it could address the situation.
Accordingly, we have organized this report and submitted it to your Excellency for your kind information.
To be continued /
Page 122
The Lay Council of the Israelite Community
Mosul
The Lay Council of the Israelite Community
Mosul
T 4
Number: Follow-up to Number 6
Date: 7 / 8 / 1949
And taking the necessary measures and procedures to organize this vital issue.
A copy of it to: -
1- His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khedhouri, the respected President of the Israelite Community in Baghdad
For your kind information and to provide your guidance on the subject, please.
A copy of it to: -
His Excellency the Governor of Mosul Province, the respected, for your kind information, with the explanation that the Lay
Council was unable to collect the prescribed and imposed fees on
the Kosher slaughtering in accordance with the approval of the venerable Ministry of Justice communicated to us
by the letter of the Mosul Province Governorate No. 19102 dated 10 / 18 / 1948.
On behalf of the Rabbi
⟦signature⟧
President of the Lay Council
Page 124
Presidency of the Jewish Community
in Amarah
Presidency of the ⟦Jewish⟧ Community Amarah
No. 27
Date 18 / 8 / 1949
JEWISH COMMUNITY AMARAH
Subject / Deficit in the budget of the Jewish School
Private Primary in Amarah
To
The Honorable President of the Jewish Lay Council
in Baghdad
285
4 / 9 / 949
The Jewish Private Primary School in Amarah was established in the year / 1911 AD
And it is the only school in the Amarah Brigade that teaches the Hebrew religion while applying
the curriculum of the Ministry of Education in other subjects. It is a complete primary school containing eight
classes including two classes for children and includes three hundred male and female students as the children's classes
along with the first and second grades are mixed classes of boys and girls.
This school relies in its budget on the revenues of the Jewish community in Amarah
and on the fees of a small number of students. If a deficit happened to occur in this budget in one
of the years, it used to be covered by donations made by some of the town's wealthy people. The school
since its establishment has managed itself and did not need assistance from other brigades.
As for the ending academic year, which is the year 948 / 949, this school suffered a shortage
in its budget as its teachers are currently demanding four months' salaries which
they have not received until now, and the total monthly salaries are one hundred and fifty dinars. This shortage
in the budget is caused by two things: first, the absence of wealthy people at the present time who would wish
to cover this deficit, and second, the large decrease in tuition fees resulting from the weak conditions
of the students' guardians this year.
Therefore, we have come hoping your highness will kindly look into the matter and extend a helping hand in one
of the possible ways, and by doing so you will have performed a great charitable project in which you ensure the school's continuation
and its perseverance at all times and not closing its doors, which would deprive the children of the Jewish community in
this town of acquiring their knowledge in religion and Hebrew, and the matter is yours in any case.
⟦signature⟧
President of the Jewish Community
in Amarah
200 Dinars
⟦...⟧
Yusuf ⟦...⟧
Page 125
258
11 / 9 / 1949
Department Copy
Budget deficit of the Israeli Private
Primary School in Amarah
Presidency of the Israeli Community
in Amarah
After greetings and respect
The Council has reviewed your letter No. 27 dated 18 / 8 / 1949
regarding the financial hardship suffered by your private primary school, and the Council
appreciates the position of your community and the difficulties it faces financially to manage the affairs
of this school; however, we unfortunately cannot cover the deficit in the budget of the
aforementioned school in its entirety, given that the Council's revenues do not allow for that. The Council has decided
to allocate an extraordinary amount of two hundred dinars to be spent as a grant to your school.
We enclose herewith check No. 829075 dated 9 / 9 / 1949 in the amount of
two hundred dinars drawn on the Ottoman Bank in Baghdad to the order of the Head of the Israeli Community
in Amarah, requesting you to kindly notify us of receipt.
Please accept our respects
Vice President
Attachments
14 Check
⟦illegible signature⟧
9/11