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.
5 / 22 662 on the second of April 6 Honorable President of the Community Committee Greetings and respect We have sent herewith a copy of our letter addressed to the Income Tax Directorate regarding the tax on liberal professions, and we wish him the utmost respect and appreciation Sincerely, Bar Association - 2 -
2281 18 February 934 To Rabbi David Yehuda Somikh Reference to your letter dated 6 September 933 The Lay Council approved on 17 January 934 the registration of your name with the rabbis of the Mesirut and the transfer of <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> your salary to their budget. ⟦signature⟧ President of the Lay Council A copy of it to Rabbi Michael Jeremiah for information " " " " The Accountant to act accordingly ⟦illegible stamp⟧
Presidency of the Jewish Community Presidency of the Jewish Community - Baghdad PRESIDENT OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY - BAGHDAD Baghdad Number :: 2527 NO:: Date :: 28 December 4 / 49 DATE:: Subject: Rabbi Daoud Yehuda Somikh SUBJECT: His Excellency the President of the Lay Council, respected After greetings and respect We refer to your esteemed council the petition of Rabbi Daoud Yehuda Somikh with the private papers for consideration as the case belongs to your council, Louay ⟦illegible signature⟧ President of the Community Attached - three papers 252 Presidency of the Lay Council Number 1166 Date 4 / 1 / 49 Test Number 7
2982 16 February 934 18 His Eminence Rabbi Michael Premsa, Respectfully Enclosed you will find a certified copy of the salary schedule for the rabbis of Ha-Yishuv for the year 33 - 934 as decided by the Physical Council and approved by the General Council on January 11, 934. ⟦signature⟧ The Secretary A copy of it to the Accountant \ 2 \
Salary table for the Yeshivoth Rabbis for the year 33 - 934 As decided by the Lay Council and approved by the General Council on January 11, 934 Dinar | Fils Hakham Shimon Mordechai | 5 | 175 " Heskel Ezra David Bechor | 4 | 875 " Salem Isaac Baruch | 3 | 525 " Sassoon Ezra Isaac | 6 | ⟦line⟧ " Michael Jeremiah | 3 | 975 " Joseph Ambar | 3 | 975 Heskel Ezra Shalom | 2 | 025 Hakham Eliyahu Abraham | 3 | 038 " Ezra Mordechai | 3 | 975 Jacob Hakham Moshe Shamash | 2 | 025 Hakham Heskel Saleh | 1 | 350 " Heskel Hoki | 1 | 350 " Moshe Hakham Heskel | 5 | 250 " Nissim Khedhouri | 3 | 750 456/653 = x 12 | 54 | 288 934 According to the letter from the Lay Council Department dated August 18, 934 That ⟦...⟧ the salary of David Bechor is transferred from the retirees To the Yeshivoth administration, therefore the salary must be added As follows :- Dinar Fils Original total salaries 50 288 Salary of David Bechor 4 875 55 / 163 ⟦illegible⟧ These are the salaries of ⟦...⟧ 121
Baghdad 24 May 1924 To the Honorable President of the Lay Council After greetings and respect; It is not hidden from you that for approximately seven years I have held the position of President of the Spiritual Court, as well as the position of Acting Hakham Bashi, Deputy Hakham Bashi, and the position of President of the Spiritual Council previously and recently. During this period, I received a salary for these positions ranging between 2,600 and 6,000 rupees. I accepted this salary, which is half the salary of my predecessors, solely to manage my living and those who depend on me, without thinking of greed. On the occasion of my holding these aforementioned high positions, I incurred huge expenses. To this date, I still cannot withdraw from them for reasons you appreciate. Upon the formation of the religious councils according to the new community law, I became without a position. The Lay Council that was elected before you at the time allocated me a pension of only six dinars. When I was notified of it, I requested a reconsideration of this meager pension, explained my severe distress, and pleaded that they increase this pension by an amount so that I could manage my affairs, but their answer was that they could not do so due to the deficit of the community fund. Since I am an old, tired man and have no helper but the Creator, Almighty and Sublime, who knows my condition, and I am still burdened by debt and suffering in management. Therefore, I have come pleading to your esteemed council to reconsider the matter of my salary. And to designate for me an amount with which I can live and support my children. With greatest respect to your presence. ⟦signature⟧ Administration of the Lay Council - Baghdad: Number: 255 C Date: 27 / 5 / 924 File Number: ⟦illegible⟧
2582 19 June 934 His Eminence Rabbi Abraham Aslan Yehuda, the respected Reference to your letter dated 24 May 934 Our council considered your request in its session held on 18 June 934 And in view of our financial constraints - which your Eminence undoubtedly knows of - it regrets its inability to grant your request; ⟦Yehuda Joseph⟧ The President ⟦22⟧
2224 30 August 934 His Eminence Rabbi Michael Jeremiah, the respected It has become clear to the Spiritual and Lay Councils in the joint session held on 28 August 934 that the chicken slaughterers have begun to manipulate the chicken slaughter fees. Their manipulation, besides causing the community financial harm, on the other hand, damages the reputation of the slaughterers among the public and consequently damages the reputation of the clergy in general. Accordingly, it was decided to suspend the pension of the retiree Nissim Moshe, the father of the chicken slaughterer named Moshe, until a decisive measure is taken. And it is possible, after an investigation by a specialized committee so that the Spiritual Council can be certain that this slaughterer is sincere, that it will be decided to withdraw his religious license; ⟦illegible signature⟧ President of the Lay Council A copy of it to the accountant for information
His Excellency the President of the Hasbi Council in Khorramshahr After greetings I inform your Excellency that the person named Daoud Swaih from Al-Bashawat passed away on February 7, 925. Therefore, I request to be informed of what should be done - and remain with respect Current and not to be given 2/20/925 12:500 PM Rabbi ⟦Negashi⟧ 2/25/925 Administration of the Hasbi Council - Baghdad Number 2688 Date 2/25/925 File Number ⟦K⟧ His salary was cut from March 925 C 2/25/925 May God preserve him
Baghdad May 12, 1935 ⟦illegible⟧ To the presence of the Honorable President of the Lay Council I submit to your Excellency that the petitioner is the family of the late Daoud Yehuda Somikh, who passed away two months ago, and I wish to keep his name until the completion of his year, according to the customs of the rest of the needy, which fulfills the duties of his year for him. May the Creator not show you any harm. The matter is yours, and may you remain in respect. The family of the late servant Daoud Somikh 2722 24 / 2 / 935 Very much approved 24 / 2 / 29 ⟦illegible⟧ 2.285 To be kept 2 / 750 6 750 ⟦line⟧ 40 / 500
Administration of the Lay Council - Baghdad Number 22 Date 24 / 1 / 1946 File Number ⟦line⟧ Baghdad 24 / 1 / 946 His Excellency the President of the Lay Council, Respected After greetings and respect His Eminence Rabbi Ezra Bechor Virgi answered the call of his Lord this morning. Please give your instructions regarding his salary which he receives from the Yeshivot. And may you remain [in peace]. The Accountant His Excellency the President For your kind review To be filed ⟦illegible⟧ The Council decided to cut the salary Starting from 1 February 946 ⟦signature⟧ 2/2 Rabbi of the Yeshivot
42 17 / 2 / 1947 File Number To the Honorable Israeli Spiritual Council in Baghdad Greetings and much respect. It is not hidden from your honorable selves that I have previously submitted to you and mentioned my situation, asking you to assist me as one of the Hakhamim of Baghdad and to allocate a monthly salary for me. Likewise, it is not hidden from you that I mentioned to you, perhaps you would ask about the reason that delayed me until this time; it is the misery of my situation during this difficult time. I received a verbal response from some members of the honorable Council that it is not possible for you to allocate a salary for a new Hakham at the present time. Since Hakham Ezra Yaqub, may God have mercy on him, has passed away at the present time and his position has become vacant, I have come to request your assistance, that you accept my request and fulfill your honorable promise and assign me a monthly salary to take the place of the deceased. This, and with much respect to you. Sincerely, Dawud Hakham Yaqub Hakham Yaqub Barakhil Day 11 February 1947 Hakham Yaqub
80 Baghdad 10 April 946 Council Administration ⟦...⟧ - Baghdad Number 62 Date 11/4/46 ⟦...⟧ His Excellency the President of the Respectable Lay Council After greetings and respect I had submitted to your esteemed council a petition dated 25/9/45 in which I appealed to the council to grant me an amount of 200 Dinars to enable me to travel to Palestine for medical treatment, on the condition that I do not demand any salary from the council for the rest of my life. Your esteemed council was kind enough to decide in its session held on 4/10/945 to grant me 100 Dinars only, to be calculated against the salaries I receive, and that no amount shall be paid to me until the one hundred Dinars are settled. The council stipulated at the time that this amount would not be given to me until I present my passport stamped with a travel visa to Palestine. The prevailing conditions at that time prevented the completion of my passport formalities. Now, since I will obtain an entry visa to Palestine in the near future, I have come appealing to your esteemed council to reconsider the aforementioned decision and make the gratuity 200 Dinars and waive my rights to all my salaries due until my death, because traveling at the present time involves heavy expenses, and medical treatment costs also cost a lot at the present time. You know that I am an elderly man and I have no son to assist me. Therefore, I hope your esteemed council will look upon this request of mine with eyes of mercy and kindness, and the matter is yours. Rabbi Ibrahim Aslan ⟦thumbprint⟧
24 May 946 His Eminence Rabbi Ibrahim Aslan, the respected The Council has reviewed your petition dated 10 April 946 regarding the request for a gratuity on the occasion of your travel outside Iraq for medical treatment and decided after deliberation to uphold its previous decision taken in this regard, the content of which is to grant you a loan in the amount of one hundred dinars against your pension salaries which you receive from the community fund, provided that the payment of your salaries be suspended until the Council recovers this loan amount, and provided that the amount is not paid to you unless you present to the President of the Council your passport endorsed for departure. ⟦signature⟧ The President ⟦illegible⟧ 5/24
Baghdad, December 22, 1946 To the presence of His Excellency the President of the Lay Council of the Israelite Community The Respected One After greetings. It is no secret to you that I have been raised since the days of my youth in the rabbinical order, and until now I have no profession to live by except for my participation in the Yeshiva and giving religious fatwas to those who seek them from the members of the community, both internally and externally. Today I am the head of a large family and my salary is very small, not exceeding three dinars and seven hundred and fifty fils per month, even though I was and still am dedicated my time to teaching and religious fatwas, to the point that I can no longer manage the affairs of my living in these difficult times. Therefore, I have come with this letter of mine, appealing to your esteemed council to reconsider my clear capabilities and adjust my salary in proportion to my services and the prevailing living conditions. And the Almighty Lord does not waste the reward of everyone with justice and fairness. Please accept my utmost respect. The one praying for you ⟦Yitzhak Nissim⟧ ⟦S.T.⟧ M
His Excellency the President of the Honorable Jewish Lay Council Baghdad After greetings, I have previously submitted a request to your Excellency regarding my entitlement to a salary, similar to the rabbis of the synagogues, and it is possible to inquire about the validity of my claim from the Jewish Spiritual Council. Until now, I have not received an answer. Based on the current difficult circumstances and the high cost of living which is overwhelming, I have come with this request of mine, hoping your Excellency will kindly reconsider my case and allocate a salary for me along with the synagogue rabbis. With highest gratitude and respect to your Excellency. 10 / 5 / 1948 Daoud Hayyim The Synagogue For filing Witnessed The Secretary Please inquire from the synagogue custodians verbally if the petitioner attends the synagogue
Administration of the Lay Council - Baghdad Number 21 Date 8 / 10 / 948 File Number Baghdad, October 8, 1948 His Excellency the Respected President of the Israeli Lay Council Greetings and respect. And after. You have no doubt heard the news of the death of my late father, Rabbi Yosef Hayyim. His death came as a severe blow to me, as I am currently a teacher at the Shamash School with a monthly salary of only seven dinars, while I am the head of a family consisting of twelve members, including six daughters and four sons, whose affairs my late father used to take care of. My family has now become threatened by poverty and starvation after the death of my father and the loss of this resource upon which we relied after God Almighty. Therefore, I have come with this petitioning Your Excellency to look upon our case with an eye of kindness and mercy, and to help this family which has been afflicted by the loss of the most precious thing it possessed in existence, and to order the processing of my father's salary as a "pension" in appreciation from you for the miserable situation that now threatens us and for the services rendered by my late father to the community, and I am honored that I have grown up in the field of education for a period exceeding twenty years and I will serve it as long as I live. Your Excellency This is my case which I have presented to you briefly, out of my confidence that your esteemed council has worked and always works to serve the community and reward the workers among its sons with the best reward. May God grant you success in helping our family which has begun to pin its hope in life on your mercy after the mercy of the Creator Almighty. Finally, please accept, Your Excellency, the assurance of my highest respect; Sincerely, Ibrahim Hayyim Rabbi Yosef Teacher Ibrahim Hayyim A copy of it to His Excellency the Respected Rabbi Sassoon Khidhouri Head of the Jewish Community in Baghdad To be placed before the Council
Department Copy 198/8 7 / 11 / 1948 Respected Mr. Ibrahim Hayim Hakham Yusuf Ambar The Council has reviewed your petition dated 8 / 10 / 1948 and I regret to inform you that the Council has decided to reject your request to allocate the pension that was received by your late father to you; however, the Council decided to grant you ten Dinars for the expenses of the religious ceremonies held on the occasion of your late father's passing. Enclosed you will find a check on the Ottoman Bank for the mentioned amount to your order. Please acknowledge receipt ⟦line⟧ ⟦signature⟧ Vice President For filing 17 / 11 ⟦signature⟧ 14
12/12/950 11/12/950 To the Honorable President of the Lay Council of the Jewish Community in Baghdad Presented to your Excellency: The petitioner has been a cleric for thirty years in the Zilka Midrash and also teaches Talmud Torah. Until now, I have no profession or income other than a partial salary that does not satisfy my hunger, and you are aware of the terrible current inflation for everyone, and specifically the high cost of living and housing rents, as I am a family man and fallen into great distress regarding my livelihood. Since there are now three vacant salaries, which are the salary of the late Yusuf Hakham Ezra Cohen, the salary of the late Hakham Michael, and the salary of the late wife of Eliyahu Hakham Moshe Shehati, accordingly, I have knocked on the door of your esteemed council so that you may look upon my circumstances with kindness, mercy, and compassion to save me from my distress and to allocate a salary for me that will save me from my hardship, so that I do not remain for the rest of my time wandering, but rather live happily with your esteemed council. May you remain in respect, my masters. 21 Rabi' al-Thani 950 Your servant Haqeel Ezra Ibrahim Dori ⟦illegible⟧ A. Dori Honorable Vice President, I see that the petitioner is among the needy Mullahs who receive aid from the community, not in his capacity as a Hakham, but in his capacity as a needy person (of weak means). Below is the text of the information available to us about him: His age is 60 years and he receives a salary of twelve dinars, to which is added cost-of-living allowances in the amount of 1.250 dinars per month, noting that the last increase in his salary was in the amount of one dinar on 4/10/949. To be postponed until 12/9 ⟦illegible⟧ 9/12/50 Investigation about him 11/9
The following are the names of the members of the Tomchei Torah Committee :- President Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Shaul Laniado Secretary Heskel Effendi Salman Munir Darzi Treasurer Benjamin " Hakham Ezra Cohen Members : Ibrahim " Abboudi Khedhouri Abboudi " Munir Sbeiti Yosef " Hakham Isaac Saleh " Faraj Hayyim Number 22 / 5 / 1949 ⟦A copy of it to the respected accountant of the community⟧
89 / JS / 29 28 May 1929 Regarding the submission of the accounts of the Tomchei Torah Committee Chairman of the Tomchei Torah Committee Further to our letter No. 143 / JS / 29 confirmed by No. 168 / JS / 29 dated 15 May 929 The Council, in its session held on 26 May 1929, decided to delay the allocations of your committee if it does not hasten to submit its accounts before the end of the month ⟦illegible⟧ Vice President of the Lay Council A copy of it to the department accountant for information Tomchei Torah
Issue No. 2807 Dated July 5, 1949 From the esteemed Al-Iraq newspaper The Tomchei Torah file Regarding the disputes In the Israelite community To the respected owner of the esteemed Al-Iraq newspaper. Please publish the following word, and thank you. The dispute has increased, the rift has widened, and the Israelite community has split into two large, completely different factions; some are cheering for a winner, some are encouraging a loser, some are laughing with joy at the misery of malice, and some are weeping and complaining about what will befall the community as a result of these personal goals and self-interests. I am not able to say anything about the ambiguous result that will emerge from these strange disputes of their kind, which have begun to play honorary roles thanks to their instigators. However, I have come with a proposal that I think everyone who has seen the facts of these disturbances and the real reasons that led to them will acknowledge its merit and demand its implementation. The proposal calls for the cancellation of the (Tomchei Torah) allocations completely, as long as it has been proven to everyone that they are useless, provided that these allocations are earmarked to send at least one or two young men each year from the graduates of the Israelite schools abroad to specialize in matters of true religion in religious institutes dedicated to that. If those in charge do what we have stated, then not a few years will pass before we have obtained a group of rabbis fit for refinement, with thinking brains and conscious minds, who know their interests, rights, and duties, so they do not follow a rugged path, nor do they violate honor out of malice in their souls, nor will they be a deaf instrument in the hands of their movers, and the venerable Lay Council will have performed great services that will remain recorded for it in the hearts of the community members forever. I do not think that is far-fetched for those who have proven their sincere intentions and noble purposes. A Zealous Israelite
JEWISH SCHOOLS COMMITTEE JEWISH SCHOOLS COMMITTEE BAGHDAD BAGHDAD ⟦line⟧ ⟦line⟧ Number: 54 No.: Baghdad on: 1 — 8 — 1929 Baghdad,: 19 To the Honorable Vice President of the Lay Council Greetings and respect, Further to our letter numbered ⟦2⟧ and dated 5/26/1929 We send you herewith a letter addressed to you from Taufiq Nura dated 1/24/29 and referred to us by you. With highest respect. Administration of the Lay Council - Baghdad Number 75 / D / 929 Date 1 / 8 / 929 File Number ⟦line⟧ Ezra Menachem And ⟦line⟧ The President Requirements 1 To the Accountant 8/1/29 Nabi To the Committee file
Tomkhe Tora Society | Tomkhe Tora Society | TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY Baghdad | Baghdad | BAGHDAD Baghdad, 24 January 1929, Baghdad To the Honorable President of the Lay Council. Greetings and peace: - Before us is your letter dated January 8, 1929, in which you requested us to inform you of the amounts of development that the society obtained during the past year and the budget for this year, and to provide you with these points we say: - The purpose of establishing this society was to eliminate the chaos existing among the rabbis of the community and this committee took it upon itself, having no goal other than preparing a selection of superior religious scholars, not only in their religious knowledge but in all means of social or literary life, and our society has achieved results that call us to be reassured that the future will be the greatest guarantor for bringing our idea into action. However, there is a matter we would like to convey to you, the summary of which is that the deficit that occurred in our society was a reason for the delay of our regular progress, and I further inform you, O noble President, that the amount of this deficit is nearly two thousand rupees, as will become clear to you from reviewing the attached budget. We hope that you will give this point a listening ear and extra attention due to the seriousness of its subject and the importance of its status, as we also ask you to assist this society, which has spared no effort in the service of the community and the refinement of its rabbis, and here we would like to take your hand to show you the reforms that were introduced this year and the year before in matters of teaching and administration. The number of our students is twelve, divided into two sections; the first section consists of eight students, while the other consists of four out of a total of ten selected by the society from the communal schools for its second class. However, six of them have left the lessons, and we are diligent and persistent in completing this shortage from the school students and finding students to take the place of the departing pupils so that we can thereby complete the second class, and we will then have two classes: - The first class: The first class consists, as we mentioned, of eight students who have reached a high level in religious sciences and have studied since the founding of the society and obtained an ample share of languages and sciences; they studied the English, Arabic, and Hebrew languages and religious sciences, and today, thanks to that, they have become capable of carrying the title of Rabbi with all merit and worthiness, just as ⟦that⟧ their widespread benefit will appear to the community in the near future.
TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY Tomkhe Tora Society Tomkhe Tora Society BAGHDAD Baghdad Baghdad Baghdad, 24 January 1929 Baghdad, The Second Grade: The society has taken interest and will continue to take interest in this grade. Its members have studied a sufficient amount of religious sciences and the English, Arabic, and Hebrew languages. Furthermore, the society has decided to teach all its students some sciences, and indeed it has initiated teaching them mathematics and has succeeded in this endeavor as well. Conclusion: The committee is proceeding with its upright plan with steady steps, and it is always diligent in elevating the status of the title of Hakham, and that is pride enough for it and sufficient. President of the Tomkhe Tora Society Hakham Shlomo Moshe Laniado ⟦Shlomo Moshe Laniado⟧ TOMKHE TORA SOCIETY BAGHDAD Tomkhe Tora Society Baghdad Tomkhe Tora Society Baghdad 1347