Description
These are documents from the Baghdadi Jewish Community. They contain correspondence regarding marriages, divorces, civil disputes; the birthday celebrations of the Iraqi king, responses to inquires about the treatment of Iraqi Jews under Iraq’s citizenship laws, the history of Jews in Iraq, and the provision of Jewish artifacts to the Iraqi Museum. There are receipts for furniture stores and other vendors, invoices; budget allocations, deficits, and planning for various community organizations and institutions; ritual slaughtering administration, names of butchers with the numbers of animals slaughtered, names of community organization members, ledgers of payments for goods or fees, building plans, provisions for school children, concerns over hospital food distribution, blanket distribution to the poor, receptions, meetings, shipment orders, import and export of goods, the care of orphans, and a census on the number of synagogues in Baghdad in 1945 (40). There are copies of a printed text titled “Appeal to Save the Children.” Letters include: the President of the Jewish Community to the Controller of Foodstuffs in Baghdad thanking the Controller for the allotment of sugar and tea for the students at the Rahel Shamoon School; addressing complaints at the Meir Elias Hospital in Baghdad; purchasing blankets for the poor via the Poor Welfare Society; sending money rather than clothes from an importer in New York City to the poor in Baghdad since clothing costs have gone up.
AI en Translation, Pages 151-175
Page 151
Special Form No. 1
Amanat al-Asima (Capital Municipality)
Paving Notice
Number:
Baghdad: Date: 193
To:
Residing in the neighborhood of:
We inform you that the Capital Municipality Council has decided to pave the road adjacent to the property numbered ⟦...⟧ which is under your disposal
And as you are - according to the organized inspection - obligated to pay the expenses for paving ⟦...⟧ your occupancy
square
Which is ( ) Dinars and ( ) Fils according to the clarifications written below, we warn you to pay to the fund of
the Municipality half of the total of these expenses within fifteen days from the date of this notification, provided that the remaining half
is collected from you at any time after completion of the work, the remaining amount after final calculations are made, otherwise we will be forced to collect the amounts from you
pursuant to the provisions of the State Tax Collection Law
⟦illegible⟧
Mayor of the Capital
Clarifications:
The area for which the property owner is responsible
Length | Average Width | Area Responsible For | Price | Fils | Dinar
Length Average Width Area Responsible For Price Fils Dinar
⟦...⟧ X ⟦...⟧ = ⟦...⟧
Note: See the legal articles on the back of this paper
individually
774
1/47
Page 152
January 23, 1945
His Excellency, the virtuous professor and generous friend
Dr. Wasfi Muhammad Ali, Respected
Egypt
After greetings and much respect
I received with indescribable pleasure your kind letter dated 1/10/1945
Which includes your vivid feelings and good wishes for me and my friends, and I
do not know how to thank you for these kind sentiments of yours, and all I can do is
to ask the Almighty Creator to bless you and keep you distinguished under His care
While we regret your departure, we hope you are comfortable
in Cairo, enjoying health and happiness, wishing to meet you in goodness. Friends
send you their most fragrant greetings along with my sincere wishes.
Please accept my respect. 4
Sincerely
Sassoon
Head of the Community
<del>Student Affairs</del>
Miscellaneous
Article Three - If it is decided after the date this law comes into force to pave the sidewalks of streets paved before the mentioned date, then
the cost of paving shall be borne by the owners of the properties located on them, each in proportion to the length of his property located on those sidewalks.
Article Two of the Amendment to the Street Paving Law No. 83 of 1926 No. (48) of 1936
- Article Four is repealed and replaced by the following:-
A - Every owner of a property located on a street or sidewalk decided to be paved is obligated to pay (25) percent of the total cost of paving
that street or sidewalk, provided that what he pays is in proportion to the length of his property on that street or sidewalk, and provided that it is not less
than the cost of paving one meter in width when the road width is two meters or more, and it shall not exceed in squares a quarter of the width
of the main street leading to it. However, if the road width is less than two meters, the property owner pays (50) percent of the total
paving cost in proportion to the length of his property on that street or sidewalk.
B - If the lower floor of the property belongs to one person and the upper floor belongs to another person, the two persons shall share the paving costs indicated
in paragraph (A) of this article, each in proportion to the length of his floor on the street or sidewalk.
C - If the street is private, its paving shall be at the expense of the owners of the properties that have the right of way in it, provided that it is distributed among them
in the manner set forth in Article 1326 of the Majalla.
Article 5 - If the Secretariat Council of the Capital decides to pave a street or construct a sidewalk on it, the Engineering Department in the Secretariat
of the Capital shall survey this street and estimate the expenses incurred by property owners pursuant to Article Four of this paving
or construction of the sidewalk separately. The Secretariat of the Capital shall then notify them to pay the first installment, which is half of what property owners
owe, within fifteen days from the date of notification, provided that the second installment of the estimated expenses is paid after completion
of the paving.
Article 6 - Every person has the right to object to the estimated area of his property and to the share of expenses required to be paid by him. This
objection is made by submitting a written petition to the Mayor of the Capital within eight days from the date of notification of the aforementioned warning.
The Secretariat Council shall consider the objection and decide on it finally.
Article 12 - If the obligated person refuses to pay his share of the expenses under this law, the Secretariat of the Capital may recover
what is owed by him in accordance with the provisions of the Law for the Collection of State Fees.
Page 153
Number / 2152
Date 12 / 6 / 1945
Baghdad Provincial Governorate
Correspondence Section
To :- The Honorable Judge of the Sunni Sharia Court
" " The Honorable Judge of the Ja'fari Sharia Court
" " His Beatitude the Patriarch of the Chaldean Community, Respectfully
" " His Eminence the Head of the Jewish Community, Respectfully
" " His Eminence the Bishop of the Syrian Catholics, Respectfully
" " " Armenian Catholics, Respectfully
" " " Orthodox, Respectfully
Subject / Nomination of half of the members of the Baghdad Province Administrative Council
In view of the expiration of the term for half of the members of the Baghdad Province Administrative Council, we request your presence at the office of this Governorate
at (10) o'clock in the morning on Wednesday, 14 / 6 / 1945, to nominate the necessary members
in accordance with the content of Article (52) of the Law of Administration of Provinces for the year 1927.
On behalf of the Governor of Baghdad
⟦signature⟧
A copy to :-
Director of Revenues of Baghdad Province.
Director of Land Registry (Tapu) of Baghdad Province.
Director of Correspondence of Baghdad Province. For the same purpose.
Officer ⟦...⟧
From Har
From Al-Mukhtar
Page 156
GIRL'S SEWING CHARITABLE SOCIETY
BAGHDAD
ESTABLISHED
1929
Girl's Sewing Charitable Society
Baghdad
Location: ⟦line⟧
Established in 1929
Number ⟦line⟧
Date ⟦line⟧
List of smock distributions to schools
Number of smocks distributed | School name
35 | Al-Kan
37 | Silas Khedouri (Consolation of the Blind)
39 | Laura Khedouri
17 | National Intermediate School
40 | Laura Khedouri Atelier
40 | Noam
104 | Sewing Charitable Society
32 | Through Mr. Reuben Yehuda Zilouf
304 | Total
⟦signature⟧
Page 157
GOURJI R. ISAAC
GENERAL MERCHANT & TAILOR
OPPOSIT HAMRA CINEMA
BAGHDAD
IRAQ
Baghdad 194
Baghdad, February 12, 1948
His Holiness, the Head of the Israelite Community, the Distinguished Chief Rabbi Sassoon Khedouri,
May God prolong your life and sustain your advancement
42
Sir - The family of Gourji R. Isaac conveys to your high Holiness the finest
and noblest thanks and the deepest and most beautiful sincerity on the occasion of your presence to offer condolences for the passing of our late
brother Salim Isaac; we thus appreciate your overflowing feelings and lofty, intense,
and complete emotions,
May God grant you this fertile soul and this great heart that beats
with mercy and tenderness; we pray to God - glory be to Him - that He does not show you any misfortune, and may you remain a treasure
for this community and a pride for generations,
Sincerely,
Gourji R. Isaac
Khan al-Damirji - Baghdad
Miscellaneous
Page 158
Presidency of the Jewish Community
in Baghdad
Telephone No. { 3531 President
5452 Secretary
Number: 8144
Date: 2nd March 945
Subject: ⟦line⟧
Excellency President and Members of the Respected Lay Council
After greetings and respect
The provisional referral of the Gabelle commitment will take place at
five-thirty on the evening of Sunday, 4th March 945, and the final
referral at five-thirty on the evening of Sunday, 11th March
945. We hope you will take note of this and kindly attend the Community
Administration at the times mentioned above to decide on the referral.
⟦illegible⟧
President of the Community
Sassoon
Page 159
The Iraqi Government
Directorate General of Local Products Number 4257
Distribution Department Date 6 / 3 / 1945
Presidency of the Jewish Community in Baghdad
Subject / - Blankets
Your letter dated 14 / 12 / 1944.
The Distribution of In-Kind Goods Committee considered in its meeting held on 18 / 2 / 1945 the request
received in your above letter, and in view of the government departments' severe need for blankets
it found no scope to fulfill that, unfortunately.
⟦illegible⟧
Director General of Local Products
Seen by His Eminence the Rabbi
Miscellaneous
M.
Page 160
His Excellency the Director of General Equipment and Supplies, Respectfully
Returned to the Al-Musawi Endowments
Located in the district of
Square area
<del>That no shops located in Jadid Hassan Pasha, Al-Rashid Street</del> ⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧ have become exposed to danger and are in definitive need of construction and for the agreement map please
⟦illegible⟧ on the issuance of the building permit again and since the establishment of Muhammad Suleiman ⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧ by conducting an inspection of it and giving the appropriate decision to grant a demolition and reconstruction permit
<del>Construction ⟦illegible⟧</del> 10
Yours truly,
Head of the Jewish Community in Baghdad
⟦illegible⟧
Page 161
8126
11 March 945
His Excellency the General Director of Engineering Equipment
Respectfully
After greetings
The shops numbered 294 / 2 and 294 / 3 and
294 / 4 and 294 / 5 and 294 / 6 located in the neighborhood of
Jadid Hassan Pasha, Al-Zahawi Street, belonging to the Schools Endowments
have become exposed to danger and according to the building permit and the map attached
to my petition, I have decided to demolish them and rebuild them again, and since they are constructed
with iron and steel beams, I have come with this requesting the order to perform the inspection
upon them and to grant the permit for demolition and reconstruction.
⟦Sassoon⟧
Head of the Community
Miscellaneous
Page 162
Presidency of the Israelite Community
Salary | High Cost of Living | Additional High Cost of Living
Dinar Fils | Dinar Fils | Dinar Fils
50.000 | 5.000 | 1.250 | His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khedouri
21 | 5 | 1.250 | Mr. Shalom Darwish
14 | 4 | 1 | Mr. Yusuf Lawi
14 | 4 | 1 | " " Al-Harmanshi
10 | 4 | 1 | " " Tawfiq Yusuf
5 | 1 | 500 | The Doorman Muhammad
4.500 | 1 | 500 | The Usher Salman Shaul
4.500 | 1 | 500 | " " Shaul Yaqub
4.500 | 1 | 500 | " " Ibrahim Yusuf
4.500 | 1 | 500 | " " Nassim Munshi
132.000 | 27.000 | 8.000
Presidency of the Community 96
⟦illegible⟧ 850
⟦illegible⟧ 174
⟦illegible⟧ 74
⟦illegible⟧ 45
⟦illegible⟧ 26
⟦illegible⟧ 74
Total
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
⟦red diagonal marking⟧
Page 163
Spiritual Council
Salary | Cost of Living | Additional Cost of Living
Fils | Dinar | Fils | Dinar | Fils | Dinar |
750 | 18 | 5 | 000 | 250 | 1 | Rabbi Benjamin Rabbi Moshe
- | 15 | 4 | 500 | 1 | 000 | Salman Hooki Abboudi "
750 | 12 | 4 | 000 | 1 | 000 | Joshua Hashish "
750 | 12 | 4 | 000 | 1 | 000 | Raphael " "
750 | 12 | 4 | 000 | 1 | 000 | Elijah " "
750 | 12 | 4 | 000 | 1 | 000 | Saul Isaac "
750 | 12 | 4 | 000 | 1 | 000 | David Saul "
775 | 10 | 3 | 000 | Taken from the slaughterhouse | | David Masfi "
- | 4 | 750 | 0 | From the synagogues | | Joseph Rabia "
- | 20 | 5 | 500 | 250 | 1 | Mr. Naim Rabia, Slaughterhouse Inspector
- | 8 | 2 | 500 | 1 | 000 | Mansour Dan "
220 | 7 | 1 | 000 | 500 | 0 | Attendant Koji Sasson
700 | 2 | 1 | 000 | 500 | 0 | Salman Mordechai "
250 | 1 | 1 | 000 | 500 | 0 | Isaac Munir
250 | 2 | 1 | 000 | 500 | 0 | Raphael Hashkali
750 | 1 | 1 | 000 | 500 | 0 | Joseph Khleif
- | 3 | - | - | 500 | 0 | Attendant of the Sasson Endowments Committee
| | 47 | 250 | 12 | 500 | 1
Page 164
The Slaughterhouse
Name | Additional Cost of Living (Dinar / Fils) | Cost of Living (Dinar / Fils) | Salary (Dinar / Fils)
Hakham Daoud Masfi | 1 / - | 1 / - | 6 / 975
Eliyahu Ibrahim | 1 / - | 2 / 750 | 7 / 500
Yaqub Masfi | 1 / - | 2 / 500 | 5 / 625
Youssef Rabia (Receives salary from the Spiritual Council) | 1 / - | 1 / 500 | 4 / -
Youssef Dori | - / 500 | 2 / - | 3 / 250
Haroun Dori | - / 500 | 2 / - | 3 / 500
Saleh Naqqash | - / 500 | 2 / - | 3 / 250
Shaul ⟦Shehitah⟧ | (1) | 2 / 500 | 5 / 475
Moussa Elias | - / 500 | 2 / - | 4 / 575
Nassim Al-Basha | - / 500 | 2 / - | 4 / -
Hakham Sassoon Hakham Salman | - / 500 | 1 / 750 | 3 / 500
Ezra Marwan | - / 500 | 2 / - | 3 / 675
Youssef Hakham Nassim | - / 500 | 2 / - | 3 / 375
Isaac Murad | - / 500 | 2 / - | 3 / 375
Youssef Habib Masfi | - / 500 | 2 / - | 3 / 500
Salim Cohen | - / 500 | 2 / - | 3 / 500
Isaac Shasha | - / 500 | 2 / - | 3 / 500
Ezra Makman | - / 500 | 1 / 750 | 3 / 500
Salim Hakham Eliyahu | - / 500 | 2 / 500 | 2 / 500
Dahi Makman | - / 500 | 2 / - | 3 / 500
Isaac Marwan | - / 500 | 2 / - | 3 / 500
Ezra Tabbakh | - / 500 | 2 / 025 | 2 / 250
Youssef Tabbakh | - / 500 | 1 / 687 | 1 / 687
Salman Shaul | - / 500 | 1 / - | 1 / -
14 / 500
Page 168
30 April 945
His Excellency the Chief of Royal Ceremonies, the Respected
Baghdad
After greetings and respect,
I received with joy the invitation card to attend the
reception ceremony which will be held at the prosperous Rihab Palace on the occasion of
the birthday of His Majesty the Beloved King next Wednesday
evening, and I am pleased to inform Your Excellency that I will have the honor
of attending this brilliant ceremony.
Please accept my respect;
From the faithful,
⟦Sassoon⟧
Head of the Community
Miscellaneous
Page 169
Abraham Haim & Sons Co., Ltd.
ABRAHAM HAIM & SON, LTD. BAGHDAD THE 24th July 1945.
ORDER NO.: 1
GIVEN BY: Mr. the President of the Jewish Community, Baghdad.
To: Messrs. Filot International Corporation, New York.
Dear Sir
We beg to confirm having this day ordered from you the undermentioned goods, at the following terms and conditions :—
STAMPING & TICKETING: As usual,
PACKING: Packed in export cases.
PATTERNS: Shipment patterns to be sent on shipment of the goods, by air.
INSURANCE: The goods to be insured against all risks including that of war to consignee's warehouse at Baghdad with a majoration of 10% over invoice value.
SHIPMENT: As soon as possible.
PAYMENT: By irrevocable confirmed documentary credit.
MARKS: P. J. C. BAGHDAD.
REMARKS: Amount: £800 approximately.
Nett weight: 7000 kls approx. Gross weight: 7300 approx.
QUANTITY | WIDTH | LENGTH | DESCRIPTION | PRICE
1000 | | | Manifold paper clear copy F300 Ex Bulletin dated 14.10.1944 all white 22"x34" (34 grams) / 500 sheets. | /3.55
4000 7000 | | | Exercise book paper sheets Quality as per sample enclosed or very next to it. In reams of 500 sheets, each sheet measuring approximately 31/32 cm. in width folded in two to make 4 pages each 19½/20 cm. in length with a red stripe on top line of each sheet. Approximate weight 60/gr. for square metre. | /1.40
F.O.B. NEW YORK
⟦illegible signature⟧
Miscellaneous
Page 170
⟦...⟧ Al-Muhibbi ⟦...⟧
The committee?
So please form Al-Muhibbi as a member?
Page 171
Directorate
of Antiquities
General
Telegraphic Address — Antiquities
Number: ⟦1817⟧
Date: 7 / 24 / 1945
Subject:
To His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khadduri, the Respected
President of the Israelite Community in Baghdad
My dear Rabbi,
I would like to take the opportunity of your meeting with some of our staff to remind you
of our need for an ancient manuscript copy of the Book of Esther (Megillah), and that is
to be displayed with the ancient manuscripts in the Museum of Arab Antiquities. I would also
like to convey my thanks to you for the assistance you provide us in this regard.
Please accept our greetings and best wishes.
⟦illegible⟧
⟦Naji al-Asil⟧
Director General
Page 172
Girl's Sewing Charitable Society
Baghdad
Established in 1929
Location: Under the Takya 133/101
Telephone Number 3146
GIRL'S SEWING CHARITABLE SOCIETY
BAGHDAD
ESTABLISHED
1929
Number: 134
Date: 20 / 3 / 45
There are about 400 female students in the society
Among them are 70 orphans, and all of them are from
the poor class
No tuition fees are collected from the students;
rather, they are provided with
cash gratuities and clothing on
some occasions
Students are given lessons in :-
1 - Sewing and embroidery
2 - Artistic cutting
3 - Reading, writing and arithmetic
4 - General information
5 - Education and refinement
6 - Health and hygiene
His Excellency, the respected Chairman of the Jewish Schools Committee
Greetings
Based on the secretary's request, we attach herewith a table showing the approximate cost of the dresses
winter and summer ones made in our society for double orphans, whose prices were donated by the benefactor
Mr. Murad Jouri, accompanied by the necessary remarks. The Private Intermediate School
for Girls has paid us the full price.
And based on the secretary's request, we are currently preparing summer dresses for a second time
for all orphans from the same fabrics and at the same price. We will submit the list to your presence
upon completion of the preparation, which will be done before the date of the blessed Passover feast.
Please accept the highest expressions of respect.
⟦illegible⟧
Honorary President
A copy of it -
To the generous benefactor, Mr. Murad Jouri, for information
Miscellaneous
The society sews women's clothing, engraving and embroidery, and has a special branch for sewing
men's suits, and it also continues to accept contracts for various types of sewing
Page 173
Cost of winter suits for 26 orphans
| Fils Dinars
Parda fabric (65) price 1/250 | 81/250
Raw cloth | 10/500
Dopit parda (30) price 200 fils (ration price) | 6/000
Sleeve lining parda (25) price 120 fils (ration price) | 3/000
Qanuja | 3/900
Worker's wage (750 fils per suit) | 19/500
Threads and buttons | 2/850
Labor surplus | 3/000
| 130/000
Cost of suits for girls (jacket with skirt) for 9 orphans
| Fils Dinars
Parda wool fabric (58) price 600 | 34/800
Dopit lining parda (18) price 200 fils (ration price) | 3/600
Undergarments | 1/500
Threads, sundries, and sewing wages | 5/100
| 45/000
⟦Cost of winter suits⟧
⟦for 26 orphans⟧
Cost of summer suits for 26 orphans
| Fils Dinars
National wool fabric parda (75) price 850 | 63/750
Raw cloth | 14/000
Worker's wage (600) per suit | 16/900
Threads and buttons | 2/850
Surplus for the association | 6/500
| 104/000
Cost of summer skirts for 9 orphans
| Fils Dinars
National wool fabric parda (27) price 850 | 22/950
Undergarments | 3/800
Threads, sundries, and sewing wages | 10/250
| 37/000
Page 174
Notebook 436 Stationeries 7 ⟦illegible⟧ closed
Received in Rupees | Statement
18\056 | 10056 number (53) knee soap
08\000 | Wolf
3\000 | (Nosta) per message 006 number (06) Chiron soap
6\000 | Nosta per message 021 number (56) closed knee soap
6\003 | Hybrid
21\005 | (Knee base 057) knee in it
6\008 | Hybrid knee wolf
6\000 | Its head is ⟦illegible⟧
160\000 |
Telephone 43 (⟦illegible⟧, and network) Telephones 7 number closed
Received in Rupees | Statement
36\008 | 003 number (85) Shalma knee soap
6\003 | (Nosta) per message 006 number (81) Chiron knee soap
1\005 | Wolf
5\001 | A few knee in it with hybrid knee telephones
43\000 |
Notebook 436 knees 7 number closed
Received in Rupees | Statement
63\057 | 058 number (57) Shalma knee soap
31\000 | Wolf
31\003 | Knee base (052) knee in it
6\008 | Hybrid knee wolf
2\005 | ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧
103\000 |
Telephone 43 knees telephones closed
66\053 | 058 number (76) Shalma knee soap
6\008 | Wolf
01\056 | A few knee in it with hybrid knee telephones
36\000 |
Page 175
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
131
The Answer
The inspector did not find the name of Naima Cohen or a
file in his records. Please indicate the date of the engagement
and the name of the inspector.
Head of the Community