Correspondence among Jewish Community Committees – Financial Matters, Salaries, Budgets
View interactive document pageThis is archival material from the Baghdadi Jewish Community that contains correspondence between various Jewish community groups and government offices. Topics include: increases in monthly salaries, the allocation of money to various Jewish community offices, religious ceremonies, plans for vacant lots, travel for medical treatment and rest, kosher meat, ledgers with the amount of meat purchased in 1949 (for meat tax), correspondence from the Mayor of Baghdad regarding trash removal, financial summaries, budgets, salary reports, newspaper clipping, employee raises, purchased goods, women’s ritual purity laws, correspondence with individual rabbis, girls’ school, applications for permits, and an index of registered judges' names. There are also correspondence and flyers in Judeo-Arabic; the Judeo-Arabic flyers are from the Tomkhe Torah Society.
16 April 942 His Eminence, the President of the Spiritual Council, Respected Reference to your letter No. 1094 dated 7 April 942 Enclosed is the list of accounts submitted to us by the accountant in response to your letter to compare them with the figures that you have urgently and inform us of the point of discrepancy. On behalf of the President of the Council ⟦illegible⟧
Presidency of the Jewish Community
in Baghdad
Telephone No. { 3531 President
5452 Secretary
Urgent
His Excellency the President of the Lay Council, respected
After greetings and respect
I have received a secret and very important letter from His Excellency the Minister of Justice under No. 4/1/19/1
dated today, with a copy of it to the Religious Court, in which His Excellency requests the dismissal of Ezra Mukammal
from his clerical position in the court and the appointment of a Jewish lawyer to attend the sessions of the
aforementioned court to guide it regarding legal matters and procedures of litigation. And since
the appointment of employees is within the powers of the Lay Council itself according to paragraph 3 of Article
7 of the Community Law, and as paragraph 7 of Article 15 of the aforementioned law
gave the Council the right to appoint a lawyer to the court, the President of the Religious Court
requested of me today to mediate with the Lay Council to implement His Excellency's wish
and appoint a lawyer and a clerk for the Religious Court.
To me
⟦illegible⟧
President of the Community
The Israeli Lay Council In Baghdad Number 2452 Date 22 August 944 His Excellency the President of the Israeli Community in Baghdad, Respected After greetings and respect Reference to your letter numbered 7848 dated 23 July 944 The Lay Council decided in its meeting held on 10 August 944 1) Appointing Mr. Naeem Rabie as a lawyer for the Israeli Religious Court according to paragraph 7 of Article 15 of the Community Law with a monthly salary of thirty dinars starting from the first of August 944. As for the duties of the aforementioned, they shall be under probation as follows: - 1) Managing the affairs of the mentioned court and organizing its records, papers, communications and announcements in a manner that secures the public interest. 2) Guiding the Religious Court regarding legal matters and procedures of litigation 3) Attendance during the court sessions to look into lawsuits and participate in its deliberations without having judicial authority. 4) The lawyer's attendance shall be full-time within official working hours daily except for Saturdays. 5) He shall be responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Minister of Justice's orders as stated in his letter numbered 4/1/191 dated 23 July 944. 2) Terminating the services of the Religious Court clerk Mr. Ezra Mukammal starting from the end of July 944 3) Appointing Mr. Heskel Qattan as a clerk for the Religious Court with a monthly salary of eight dinars to be received starting from the first of August 944. 4) Allocating three dinars monthly to the person named Bikhor Israel to be received starting from the first of August 944 in exchange for his performance of the duty of process server for the Ohavei Shalom Committee. 5) Allocating two dinars monthly to the court employee named Ishaq Hakham Salem for his supervision of the writing of the mentioned committee, to be received starting from the first of August 944. President of the Lay Council ⟦signature⟧ ⟦handwritten: Reviewed⟧ A copy of it to His Eminence the President of the Israeli Religious Court in Baghdad The lawyer Mr. Naeem Rabie. To the accountant of the Lay Council to act accordingly
The Jewish Lay Council in Baghdad Number ⟦452⟧ Date August 13, 944 His Eminence the President of the Jewish Religious Court in Baghdad, Respected We request that you provide us with the following information as quickly as possible. 1) The total number of lawsuits filed in your court in each of the last three years ending at the end of Elul Hebrew 5704, the number of lawsuits settled, and the number of lawsuits that were not settled in each of those years. 2) The number of divorce certificates issued by your court in each of the years mentioned. 3) The number of (Chalitzah) ceremonies performed by your court in each of the three years. Yours truly ⟦signature⟧ President of the Lay Council A copy of it to His Excellency the President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad, Respected For information
The Jewish Lay Council Baghdad Number 2450 Date 13 August 944 His Eminence the President of the Jewish Religious Court of Cassation The Respected We request you to inform us as soon as possible of the number of cassation lawsuits filed with your court in each of the last three years ending at the end of September 5704 as follows:- 1) The number of appealed lawsuits from the cases of the Jewish Religious Court in Baghdad and the number of those upheld and those overturned in each of the three mentioned years. 2) The number of lawsuits received from Mosul and those upheld and those overturned in each of the three years. 3) The same information regarding lawsuits received from Basra and from the rest of the regions of Iraq. ⟦signature⟧ President of the Lay Council A copy of it to His Excellency the President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad, the Respected For information.
The Jewish Lay Council In Baghdad Number 2477 Date March 16, 1945 His Eminence the President of the Jewish Religious Court in Baghdad The Respected On the occasion of the issuance of the Lay Council's decision taken on 3/13/1945 According to which it has become prohibited for the President and members of the Religious Court to collect for themselves any fees such as those they were accustomed to collecting on divorce papers, Khalisa, certificates, strengthening, divisions, release of recommended debt, and delivery of divorce papers arriving from abroad and the like. It is also prohibited for court employees to collect any fees in any form whatsoever. As for what is required to obtain a divorce paper in terms of expenditure, it shall be paid from the court's own fund temporarily until court fees are organized, provided that what is paid for this purpose does not exceed one hundred fils for each divorce paper. Ibrahim ⟦...⟧ President of the Lay Council A copy of it with a copy of the decision - To His Excellency the President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad. To the Presidency of the Spiritual Council in Baghdad. To the Accountant to act accordingly.
The Jewish Lay Council In Baghdad Number 2477 Date 16 March 945 His Eminence the President of the Jewish Religious Court in Baghdad The Respected Enclosed is a copy of the Lay Council's decision taken on 12/3/1945 According to which it has become prohibited for the President and members of the Religious Court to collect for themselves any fees such as those they were accustomed to collecting on divorce certificates, sales, testimonies, strengthening, inheritance division, manumission of the Mosaic religion, and delivery of divorce certificates arriving from abroad and the like. It is also prohibited for the court employees to collect any fees in any form whatsoever. As for the expenses required for each divorce certificate, they shall be paid from the court's own fund temporarily until the court fees are organized, provided that what is paid for this purpose does not exceed six hundred fils for each divorce certificate. ⟦signature⟧ President of the Lay Council A copy of it with a copy of the decision - To His Excellency the President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad To the Presidency of the Spiritual Council in Baghdad To the Accountant to act accordingly ⟦line⟧
It has become clear to the Council that the President and members of the Israeli Religious Court in Baghdad have been accustomed since ancient times to taking for themselves special fees from the litigants and fees for divorce, jewelry, and others. These fees have become, by de facto, part of their income upon which they depend to manage their livelihood. While the collection of fees in this manner, besides not being based on a legal basis, causes dissatisfaction among the members of the community in general and the interested parties in particular, which has caused many rumors that do not suit the reputation of the court. Since the Council considers it one of its primary duties to work to improve the reputation of the judgment and remove the causes of complaint, and to facilitate the study of the possibility of imposing systematic fees for the courts paid by the interested parties not to the persons of the judges but to the court treasury itself, it has been decided to strictly prohibit the judges of the Israeli Religious Court in Baghdad and its employees from collecting any fees from the litigants under any name and in any form whatsoever. Since this decision will deprive the members of the aforementioned court of income they relied on and were accustomed to collecting, and since all members of the Spiritual Council, according to Article 15 of the Community Law, can be elected from time to time as members of the court so that it can be determined that this decision will affect all members of the Spiritual Council equally, the Council has found it fair to compensate them for this income by paying additional allowances under the name of (Fees Allowances) amounting to seven and a quarter Dinars per month to be paid to each of the President and members of the Spiritual Council starting from the first of April 945 ⟦President of the Spiritual Council⟧ ⟦illegible signature⟧
It has become clear to the Council that the President and the two members of the Israeli Religious Court in Baghdad have been accustomed since ancient times to take for themselves special fees from the litigants such as divorce and engagement fees and others. These fees have in fact become part of their income upon which they rely to manage their livelihood. While the collection of fees in this manner, besides not being based on a legal basis, causes dissatisfaction among the members of the community in general and the interested parties in particular, which causes much gossip that is not appropriate for the reputation of the Court. Since the Council considers it one of its primary duties to work to improve the reputation of the judges and remove the causes of complaint, and has undertaken to study the possibility of imposing systematic fees for the courts paid by the interested parties not to the persons of the judges but to the treasury of the Court itself, it has decided to strictly prohibit the judges of the Israeli Religious Court in Baghdad and its employees from collecting any fees from the litigants under any name and in any form whatsoever. Since this decision will deprive the members of the aforementioned Court of income they relied upon and were accustomed to collecting, and since all members of the Spiritual Council according to Article 15 of the Community Law can be elected from time to time as members of the Court, such that it can be determined that this decision will affect all members of the Spiritual Council equally, the Council has found it fair to compensate them for this income by paying additional allowances under the name of (Fees Allowances) amounting to seven and a quarter Dinars per month to be paid to each of the President and members of the Spiritual Council starting from the first of April 945 ⟦illegible⟧
The Israeli Lay Council Baghdad Number ⟦1997⟧ Date July 9, 1945 His Eminence Rabbi Salman Hoki Aboudi, Respectfully The Honorable Lawyer Mr. Heskel Murad, Respectfully The Honorable Lawyer Mr. Sion Sharia Giji, Respectfully After greetings. Further to our letter number 3480 dated April 18, 1945 I would be very pleased if you would kindly expedite the submission of your proposals regarding the fees intended to be imposed on lawsuits of the Israeli religious courts. It is important for me to clarify here that the delay in imposing these fees incurs the community's fund many expenses that it pays at the present time, if it does not deprive it of revenues that it is not in a position to dispense with. While I am aware of your many preoccupations, I ask you to consider this matter as an urgent one. May God always grant you success in what is good. Please accept my respects. ⟦signature⟧ ⟦Karim⟧ President of the Lay Council
The Jewish Lay Council In Baghdad Number 248 Date 18 April 945 His Eminence Rabbi Salman Hoki Abboudi, the respected The Honorable Lawyer Mr. Heskel Yaqoub Murad, the respected The Honorable Lawyer Mr. Sion Shohet Gege, the respected The Council decided in its meeting held on 13 March 945 to study the possibility of imposing statutory fees on lawsuits filed in the Jewish religious courts in Baghdad Accordingly, I have appointed you as a committee to draft a detailed proposal in this regard to be submitted to the esteemed General Council. I thank you in advance and hope to receive your report at the earliest possible opportunity. Respectfully yours, President of the Lay Council ⟦illegible⟧
The Spiritual Council of the Jewish Community Baghdad, May God Protect It The Israeli Spiritual Council in Baghdad Number: ⟦1054⟧ Date: 27 / 1 / 1949 Mu'tadal Raham L. Ezra L. Naftali L. Shimon Honorable L. Qamayj After greetings and inquiring about your honorable well-being, we inform you that the letter we received from your respected self dated August 2, 1948, which included your request for the disbursement of an amount of one Dinar monthly to you from the date of August 15, 1948 (until 7) from Ramadan L. Menachem L. Ezekiel No. (26) Tishrei 948, and that is for the rent of the synagogue in which you pray and which is known to Hakhamim Khadouri. We inform you of our explanation on the petition you submitted to the respected Spiritual Council, approving your above request, and we have disbursed to you (4) from Ramadan to (15) from Ramadan L. Menachem L. Ezekiel mentioned. And this, and peace be upon you and the mercy of God and His blessings ⟦signature⟧ Yitzhak Hayyim S.T. We request from your Excellency Raham L. Naftali the respected to deliver this letter 67
Baghdad on July 15 ⟦...⟧ 15 / 7 His Excellency the President of the Respectable Lay Council After greetings It is not hidden from your Excellency that throughout my tenure as President of the Israeli Religious Court in Baghdad for nearly twenty years, I have not received any leave. In view of my urgent need for recreation and rest and my wife's need for treatment abroad, I request your Excellency to take the necessary steps to grant me a leave of no less than one month to enable me to travel outside Iraq during the summer season and accompany my wife and some members of my young family with one of my adult daughters to care for them and supervise them. While waiting for the approval to grant me the requested leave, please accept my utmost thanks and respect. ⟦Shlomo Hugi Aboudi⟧ ⟦Salman Hugi Aboudi⟧ Rabbi Salman Hugi Aboudi President of the Israeli Religious Court in Baghdad Copy to = To His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khedouri, President of the Israeli Community in Baghdad - for information. Approved ⟦...⟧ To be filed ⟦...⟧
458 7 / 10 / 945 His Eminence the President of the Spiritual Council, Respected Reference to your letter numbered 1502 dated July 27, 5705 The Lay Council decided in its meeting held on October 4, 945 to disburse a fixed monthly allowance ⟦amounting to⟧ four dinars to His Eminence Rabbi Moshe Abraham, the additional member of the Religious Court to be received starting from the first of August 945. President ⟦line⟧ ⟦signature⟧ ⟦Ruhi⟧ A copy of it to the accountant to act accordingly;
Spiritual Committee of the Jewish Community Baghdad, may God protect it The Israelite Spiritual Council in Baghdad Number: 104 Date: 27 ⟦Tishrei⟧ 705 Balanced gold for Ezra for Naftali for Simcha Honorable Committee Your honor from your teacher balanced for H. Yosef Cohen may his light shine for Ezra for Naftali From before Ezra for Naftali for Simcha and if you have copies of it and do not give him the money and likewise we received for Amrag (15) individual (2) of the oil for Mariash for Yitzhak and also (26) one 921 and delivered to your honor for Moshe individual Kaddad Ezra for Naftali likewise 27/ Elul as debtors balanced A. H. Six teachers balanced from it and do not give him the money worth for H. Yitzhak B. H. And so individual (4) from for Amrag (15) from the oil for Mariash for Yitzhak from it and we delivered them Moed for Pethahiah The young Raphael Yitzhak Hayyim May his end be good Description Also the gold money for Mariash for Yitzhak for Moshe and do not give them
Baghdad on July 15, 951 His Excellency the President of the Lay Council, the Respected After greetings, It is not hidden from Your Excellency that throughout my tenure as President of the Israeli Religious Court in Baghdad for nearly twenty years, I have not received any leave. In view of my urgent need for recreation and rest and my wife's need for treatment abroad, I request Your Excellency to take the necessary steps to grant me a leave of no less than two months to enable me to travel outside Iraq during the summer season and accompany my wife and some members of my young family with one of my older daughters to care for them and supervise them. Pending approval to grant me the requested leave, please accept my utmost thanks and respect. ⟦Shlomo Hugi Aboudi⟧ ⟦8 Tammuz 5711⟧ Rabbi Salman Hugi Aboudi President of the Israeli Religious Court in Baghdad A copy of it - To His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khedhouri, President of the Israeli Community in Baghdad - for information.
The Spiritual Committee of the Holy Community Baghdad, May God Protect It The Israeli Spiritual Council in Baghdad Presidency of the Israeli Community Baghdad Number ⟦98⟧ Date 2 / 1 / 1945 Number: 2 Date: 1945/1/2 To the Honorable Material Committee of our community, may God preserve them Dear Sirs, In our meeting from Wednesday, Beshalach, 24th of Shevat 5705, it was decided to request from your honor to allocate a sum of ⟦...⟧ Dinars per month as a salary for Rabbi ⟦...⟧ starting from 15/8/945 and also to allocate a sum of ⟦...⟧ Dinars per month for Rabbi ⟦...⟧ starting from 1/1/945 and also (15) Dinars for Mr. ⟦...⟧ And likewise to allocate a sum of ⟦...⟧ Dinars per month for ⟦...⟧ We request your honor to approve the aforementioned decisions With great respect The Secretary ⟦...⟧ We hereby inform you that we have decided to raise the salary of the beadle ⟦...⟧ starting from 1/1/945 With great respect President of the Committee Sassoon Kadoorie Copied to the protocol book page ⟦...⟧ By Ezra The Spiritual Council
The Jewish Lay Council Baghdad Number 2489 Date June 6, 945 His Excellency the President of the Jewish Community, Respected After greetings and respect Based on the minutes dated March 16, 945, received from the people of Hillah referred to our council by your Excellency regarding the request to appoint a committee to manage the community's affairs there from the nominated gentlemen therein, and since Hillah is one of the provinces belonging to the region of Baghdad according to the regulation of the appendix to the Jewish Community Regulation No. 48 of the year 932, and the management of the affairs of the community of this province is among the duties of the Council, and since the Council cannot exercise the management of those duties itself directly, it has decided, based on the powers vested in it in Article 25 of the Community Regulation, to appoint a sub-committee from the people of Hillah for this purpose. We request your Excellency to kindly present the matter to the esteemed General Council to obtain preliminary approval for the formation of this committee in accordance with the aforementioned Article 25, and with respect to your Excellency. ⟦signature⟧ President of the Lay Council ⟦illegible⟧
The Religious Court of Justice In Baghdad, may God protect it The Jewish Religious Court in Baghdad JEWISH RELIGIOUS COURT BAGHDAD Telephone Number 3456 Number: ⟦illegible⟧ Number Date: 4 / 10 / 945 ⟦illegible⟧ Date His Excellency the President of the Honorable Jewish Lay Council Baghdad After greetings The Ministry of Justice has recently mandated, through its circular to the sectarian courts in Iraq, the necessity of writing all correspondence and trial records in the Arabic language only. Since there is only one clerk in our court who performs the tasks of recording trials, copying correspondence, and writing notifications ⟦line⟧ it has become necessary to add a second clerk to the court to facilitate its performance of its duties and work in a regular manner. Therefore, I hope that the necessary measures will be taken to decide on the appointment of an additional employee to the court as quickly as possible, given the approaching reopening of the court after the end of its summer vacation and the necessity of recording and writing correspondence and reviews in the Arabic language instead of the Hebrew language in implementation of the order of the Ministry of Justice referred to above. Please accept the highest respect; ⟦signature⟧ Supervisor of the Religious Jewish Court Baghdad ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦Save? The file to⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ At the request of His Excellency the President ⟦signature⟧ 11/2 The Religious Court ⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧ 221 Written Correspondence 23 November 945 25 His Eminence the President of the Spiritual Council, Respected His Eminence the President of the Israeli Rabbinate, Respected Please conduct all inquiries regarding salaries, leaves, and all personnel matters with the Lay Council in writing in the future. ⟦illegible⟧ November The President Copies / To His Excellency the President For signature, please ⟦illegible⟧ 11/22 ⟦The Spiritual Council⟧
The Spiritual Committee of the Jewish Community Baghdad, May God Protect It The Israelite Spiritual Council in Baghdad Administration of the Lay Council - Baghdad Number 20 Date 21 / 12 / 1945 File Number Number: 2 Date: ⟦illegible⟧ In the Name of God For good luck and life May his Rock protect him To the honorable Treasurer of the Spiritual Committee, may his Rock and Redeemer protect him Peace and Blessing Your Excellency the President For your kind review ⟦signature⟧
11 February 946 Appointment of an additional member His Eminence, the President of the respected Israelite Spiritual Council Reference to your letter numbered 1602 and dated 17 / 12 / 945 The Council reviewed your above-mentioned letter in its meeting held on 4 / 2 / 946 And it was decided after deliberation to approve the appointment of His Eminence Rabbi Saleh Yusuf Hayyim as an additional member With a salary of four dinars per month, provided that this appointment is for a period of seven months only from the date of his appointment. ⟦Ibrahim⟧ The President ⟦...⟧ 2/21 Copy to His Eminence Rabbi Saleh Yusuf Hayyim To the accountant to act accordingly 7547 64 The Spiritual Council
The Jewish Religious Court in Baghdad No. 502 Date 21 / ⟦10⟧ / 947 His Excellency the President of the Jewish Lay Council, respected Baghdad Through His Eminence Rabbi Salman Sassoon Khadouri, respected President of the Jewish Religious Court in Baghdad After greetings and respect I was appointed as a clerk in the Jewish Religious Court as of 1 / 8 / 947 with a salary of eight dinars per month. A year and five months have passed and I am still at my current salary, which is not consistent with my efforts, in addition to the increase in my work as a result of implementing the Arabic language instead of the Hebrew language, as the writing of the trial minutes, the writing of notifications, the copying of papers, and other tasks have been left to me alone. Therefore, I ask for your Excellency's kindness in increasing my salary in view of the economic situation in this crisis, especially for someone like me who is obligated to support many individuals - and please accept my utmost respect and thanks to your Excellency, and may you remain well. The Petitioner Heskel Ibrahim Wahba The Lay Council Incoming ⟦...⟧ Number ⟦...⟧ Date ⟦...⟧ A copy of it To His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khadouri, respected President of the Jewish Community - Baghdad