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 201-225
Page 203
Ministry of Supply
General Directorate of Imported Funds
"Chemical Materials Control"
Number / 16659
Date 12 / 5 / 1945
⟦602 M 2/34⟧
PAPER
Mr. Abboudi Ezra Menashi - Riwaq
Subject - Paper
Department Copy
Please supply Mr. Moshe Ishaq Abboudi with seven reams (7 reams) of
cut paper, provided that you collect the price at the rate of (1.326 Dinars) per ream
One Dinar and three hundred and twenty-six Fils only.
⟦illegible⟧
Controller of Chemical Materials
(General Directorate of Imported Funds)
A copy to:-
Head of the Jewish Community in Baghdad - with reference to your marginal note dated 20 / 4 / 45
Mr. Moshe Ishaq Abboudi - please inform us of the number of copies printed.
And provide us with a copy of the calendar.
⟦Miscellaneous⟧
A / 10 / 5
Ministry of Supply
General Imported Goods Directorate
"Chemical Materials Controller"
No. / 16245
Date / 5 / 5 / 1945
60/1/37
PAPER
Mr. Aboodi Ezra Munshi - Riwaq
Subject - Paper ⟦line⟧
Please supply Mr. Yousif Hayem Munshi with seven reams (7 reams) of paper
cut size, provided that you collect the price at a rate of (1.326 Dinars) per ream, one dinar
and three hundred and twenty-six fils only.
⟦George ...⟧
Chemical Materials Controller
(General Imported Goods Directorate)
Copy to " -
Mr. Yousif Hayem Munshi - Please inform us of the number of copies actually printed and please
provide us with a copy of it.
Presidency of the Israelite Community in Baghdad - for information.
Munshi
On behalf of /
Page 204
Iraqi Government
Ministry of Supply
Directorate General of Imported Materials
Textiles Division (B)
Number: 86728
Date: 22 / 5
Subject:
To -
Presidency of the Jewish Community
With reference to your letter dated 10 / 5 / 1945.
Please contact the Directorate General of Local Products for the purpose of supplying you with locally manufactured raw materials.
⟦illegible⟧
Acting Director General of Imported Materials
Salih / 12
Miscellaneous
Page 205
May 14, 945
The Honorable Mr. Siddiq Yaqub, Respected
Manager of Alexandria Railway Station
After greetings and respect,
I would be extremely grateful if you would honor us by visiting Baghdad
to settle the matter of the house belonging to Mrs. Asma Al-Naqib.
With my thanks in advance.
Please accept my highest respect;
Sincerely,
Sassoon
Head of the Community
Miscellaneous
Page 206
24 May 945
Management of the esteemed Al-Nidaa Newspaper
After greetings
I request you to send the issues of your newspaper belonging to the Presidency of the Jewish
Community to the Meir Elias Hospital in Al-Alwiyah starting from the date of
your receipt of this letter, and I thank you in advance and may you remain;
⟦illegible⟧
On behalf of the President of the Community
Executor
Page 207
The National School:
Baghdad:
Telephone Number: 4468
Number:
Date: June 1, 1945
Subject:
To His Eminence, the Great Prelate, Rabbi Sassoon Khadhuri, may his blessings continue,
President of the Jewish Community
After offering due greetings and respect.
I have the great honor and excessive pleasure to present to Your Eminence my book "The Journey
of Benjamin" to be a souvenir of reverence and respect for you from its author, and a humble gift from
a person who appreciates in Your Eminence the encouragement and kindness you have shown him on many occasions, and
especially on this occasion. For you were, O Eminent Rabbi, always following
the progress of the book during its printing, and you were praying for my success in finishing and completing it, and
your paternal blessings and divine prayers made me forget the troubles and hardships, bolstered my resolve, and made me
feel that there is a noble heart overseeing my work and a great soul blessing my effort.
Your Eminence undoubtedly appreciates the moral value of such a book for
the honorable community that is honored by your leadership. This acclaim that the book received is
directed towards the entire community, as I am one of its young sons and loyal servants. All my hope
is that God will grant me success in another effort thanks to your care, blessings, and encouragement, and that help
is always as good as your expectations.
While I hope Your Eminence will deign to accept my gift, I pray to God to preserve you
as an asset to your homeland and your community. Please, O Eminent Rabbi, accept my abundant respect
From the sincere
⟦Majid⟧
Losses
Page 208
To the Honorable and Distinguished Mr. Ezra Haddad, Respectfully
My Dear,
I received with indescribable pleasure a copy of the book "The Travels of Benjamin" which you gifted to me along with your
kind letter dated June 1, 1945. While I thank you for your
precious gift and for the kind sentiments contained in your letter, I say:
The translation of books that search into the history of the Jews in general and the history of the Jews of the East in
particular into the Arabic language is a noble service of great significance, especially in these circumstances in which
we are most in need of revealing the truth of our history and traditions to our brothers and cousins,
the honorable Arabs, with whom we have lived for long eras in brotherhood and harmony and with whom we shared prosperity and adversity
alike.
Your commendable volunteering to translate "The Travels of Benjamin" into the Arabic language in such a
clear style, and your great efforts to provide it with a precious introduction and to comment on its margins with
accurate additional notes and to include valuable research at the end, and the coordination of its indexes which we have rarely seen the likes of in the books
issued by the Iraqi press, added to that the beauty of the layout and the mastery of printing; all of this,
by the truth of faith, is worthy of limitless appreciation and admiration:
The history of the Jews in Iraq is still waiting for someone, especially from the Jews of Iraq,
to step forward to research it with true scientific research and publish it to the public. I hope that you will remain at the forefront of
the pioneers of the depths of this eventful history and that you gain the honor of precedence in this field.
I congratulate you on your good production and wish you continued success and for your valuable book the popularity and appreciation it deserves.
Sincerely,
⟦Sassoon⟧
President of the Community
Miscellaneous
Page 209
8255
3 June 945
⟦Granting a permit to hold a party⟧
⟦Dancing ball at the Laura Kadoorie Club⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
His Excellency the Mayor of the Capital, respected
We request you to grant us the permit to hold a dancing ball at the Laura Kadoorie Club
at nine o'clock on the evening of Saturday, June 23, 945, the proceeds of which
will be allocated for the benefit of the orphans of the Jewish community in Baghdad.
As for the tickets, their number will be 300 tickets, of which 250 are valued at one
Dinar for a gentleman and a lady, and 500 at the value of a quarter Dinar for each additional lady, with the request
to kindly exempt this charitable party from stamp duty, and I thank you.
⟦signature⟧
Head of the Community
Miscellaneous
Page 211
Committee
Aid for Orphans of the 1941 Incidents
Baghdad
Number
Date 3 / 6 / 1945
His Excellency the respected Head of the Jewish Community
Greetings,
This committee decided in its session held this morning to hold a Western dance party at the
Laura Kadoorie Club on Saturday evening, June 23, 1945, the proceeds of which will be allocated for the benefit of the orphans of the
June 1941 incidents. The price for a single ticket for a gentleman and a lady will be one dinar, and a quarter dinar for each additional
lady. As for the number of tickets of the first type, it is 250 tickets, and the number of the second type is 50 tickets.
I hope your Excellency will be so kind as to obtain the permit from the competent authorities.
With much respect to your Excellency,
⟦illegible⟧
Secretary
Page 212
⟦...⟧
You shall not be held
liable for anything
⟦signature⟧
Lawyer Cohen Levi visited me
And handed me a copy of this matter
This is while you ⟦...⟧
The subject
⟦signature⟧
I took with me a copy of
The law of the ⟦...⟧ sect
In comparison with the Law of the Sharia
Courts ⟦...⟧
In ⟦...⟧
In ⟦...⟧
Page 214
(2)
By applying the basic personal law of that community after inquiring about these issues to be resolved
from the spiritual scholars of that community -
We also note that the phrasing of these two items ⟦aforementioned⟧ above came in an absolute form and did not indicate the necessity of following
Sunni Sharia rules when resolving these personal matters - which in this case makes
the decision of the aforementioned Court of Cassation in the custody case contrary to the aforementioned statement in its entirety
considering that it is not based on an established Sharia rule and does not agree with the basic Sharia provisions and conditions specific
to the Israelite Sharia that must be followed ⟦pursuant to the mentioned statement⟧ in this regard, which states (that
the right to custody of a Jewish girl is not forfeited by her mother except upon her marriage) - and although the cassation decision
mentioned above is subject to correction by the known legal method, therefore, and to prevent the aforementioned decision from being taken
as a general rule to be followed in the future in the courts, ⟦so⟧ I found it necessary to entrust the resolution of this
case to your presidency, hoping that your eminence will pay attention to this serious matter after presenting my petition
to the community council for study and submitting it to a special committee from the mentioned council to take what is legally and religiously necessary
in this regard as quickly as possible, and then consult the competent departments, especially the Ministry of Justice, in this
regard by your presidency directly or by whoever represents you in the committee collectively - and by this you will record
in the page of the Israelite community a great service that will be remembered and thanked, and you will save the Israelite girls from misery
and frightening deterioration and pull them out of darkness into the light, and this is not too much for you as you occupy the seat
of judgment and justice -
This is what I had to present in my capacity as a member of the Israelite community who cares for its interests and monitors
its social ills closely - with my further thanks and great respect.
The Petitioner - Sincerely
Lawyer Isaac Levy.
Iraq
Finance
40 Fils
34
Page 215
8 27
June 13, 945
The Honorable Mr. Artin Yousef Faraj
Manager of the Agricultural Industrial Bank in Sulaymaniyah
Sulaymaniyah
After greetings and respect,
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the ceilings of the salon and bedroom have been eaten by
worms in a terrible way, which necessitated calling Al-Hajj Tawfiq the builder to inspect
them. He advised us that it is necessary to remove some of the wood (the rafters) from the roof.
Indeed, we have removed these pieces of wood and it appeared that there are large worms, which
requires fighting them quickly. Please inform us of your opinion on this matter
to take the necessary measures in this regard.
Please accept my highest respect.
Sincerely,
⟦Aaron⟧
Head of the Community
Current
Miscellaneous
Page 216
5 June 945
General Directorate of Imported Goods
Baghdad
With reference to your marginal note dated 4 / 6 / 945
We hereby confirm that the Sewing Institute is a branch of the Alliance School for Girls
It contains poor female students learning sewing and embroidery, and we also confirm
Their need for your kindness by providing them with whatever cotton fabrics are available.
Aloush
Head of the Community
Miscellaneous
Page 217
Baghdad 12 June 945
His Eminence the Head of the Jewish Spiritual Council, respected,
After greetings and respect.
I, Regina Ibrahim, my husband Nathan Hai Rubin has passed away and left me
minor children who have no one to support them, and we are in a state of severe poverty, and since
my father Ibrahim Shaul Tweig is currently in Egypt, I wish to
travel there with my young son named Shawqi, who ⟦is still⟧ a child,
and perhaps he will allocate a monthly allowance for us to live on, myself and my children.
I hope your Eminence will endorse what is stated above so that I may obtain a recommendation from
His Excellency the Head of the Jewish Community to the Passport Department to facilitate my affairs.
With much respect to your Eminence,
Regina Ibrahim
I endorse what is stated above and hope to provide possible assistance to her.
President of the Spiritual Committee
for the Jewish Community of Babylon
Head of the Jewish Spiritual
Council in Baghdad
Baghdad 12/6/945
Head of the Jewish Spiritual
Council in Baghdad
Page 218
1622
6/18
8279
14 June 945
His Excellency the Director of Travel and Nationality Police, Respected
After greetings and respect
The bearer of my letter, named Regina Ibrahim, whose husband has passed away and left
her young children who have no one to support them, and they are tasting the bitterness of living in
this difficult time. Since the father of the aforementioned Regina, named Ibrahim
Shaul Tweig, is currently in the Egyptian lands, she wishes to travel
there with her young son named Moshe Albert, perhaps she may win the sympathy of
her father so he may allocate for her and her children what they may subsist on. Therefore, I have come petitioning
Your Excellency to provide the possible assistance to this widow to provide her with a passport
to Egypt. And to Your Excellency further respect.
Sassoon
Head of the Community
Page 219
8200
July 3, 945
His Excellency the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Egyptian Kingdom in Baghdad
After greetings and respect,
The bearer of my letter, named Regina Ibrahim, whose husband has passed away, leaving her
with young children who have no one to support them, and they are tasting the bitterness of life in these
difficult times. Since the father of the aforementioned Regina, named Ibrahim Shaoul
Tweig, is currently in the Egyptian lands, she wishes to travel there
with her young son named Moshe Albert, hoping to appeal to her father's sympathy so he may allocate
to her and her children what they may subsist on. Therefore, I have come requesting Your Excellency
to provide possible assistance to this widow by granting her an entry visa to the Egyptian
lands.
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurance of my highest respect.
Sassoon
Head of the Community
Miscellaneous
Page 220
8225
25 July 945
His Excellency the Minister of Supply, respected
Baghdad
Reference your letter numbered 5534 dated 23 / 7 / 945
Engagement among Israelis is a legal contract between the fiancé and the fiancée
The two parties cannot cancel it except after conducting the legal divorce ceremonies
⟦Sasson⟧
Head of the Community
Miscellaneous
Page 221
Iraqi Government
Department of the Ministry of Supply - Baghdad
Number ⟦552⟧
Office ⟦line⟧ Construction Materials
Date 21/7/45
Subject - Marriage Certificates
To the Leadership of the Jewish Community in Baghdad
We sometimes receive certificates from you in a unified format stating that so-and-so
is betrothed but has not yet married. Is the engagement in these certificates
a contract by which marriage is considered complete even if the couple has not met, and what is its
legal value in terms of being binding or non-binding for the two parties
to complete and finalize the marriage? We request an answer to the two points mentioned
in our letter so that we can consider the applications submitted to us in this
regard.
⟦signature⟧
Minister of Supply
Fakhri / 3
Page 222
8221
1 August 945
To the Honorable Notary Public of East Baghdad
Respected Sir
Greetings
Mr. Eliyahu Hayyim Tawfiq is the President of the Jewish Lay Council
in Baghdad at the present time, and he is authorized to collect
the rental fees of the community's endowments for the Council's fund account.
⟦Sassoon⟧
Head of the Community
⟦Documents⟧
Page 223
8241
1 August 945
His Excellency the Director General of Antiquities
The Respected
After greetings and respect
With reference to your letter No. 27/9/1078 dated 24 / 7 / 945
I am pleased to present to your Excellency an old manuscript copy of the Book of Esther
namely (the Scroll) to be displayed in the Museum of Arab Antiquities.
Please, your Excellency, accept the highest respect;
Sassoon
Head of the Community
⟦Perceptions⟧
86
Page 224
8222
May 1, 1945
General Directorate of Imported Funds
Greetings and respect,
We have previously submitted a request to your esteemed directorate to import one hundred bales of used
clothing to be distributed free of charge to the poor of the community. Following the issuance of your statement, we learned that the
Girls' Charitable Sewing Society has submitted a request to import fifty-four bales of these clothes
to sell them at cost price to the students of the society, and that the Poor Helpers Society has also submitted
a request for fifty bales to sell to the needy whom they support at cost, unless
someone donates the value, in which case they will be distributed for free.
I would like to emphasize to your esteemed directorate that importing the ⟦transferred⟧ bales for these
three requests is very necessary to provide ⟦some measure of⟧ relief to the poor class, and that the distribution and sale of these clothes
which will be carried out by the specialized committees will be with the knowledge and supervision of this Presidency and the
Communal Council of the community, and I ask you to provide your usual assistance and allow the issuance of import
licenses for the three aforementioned requests.
With thanks and respect to your excellency;
Sassoon
Head of the Community
Miscellaneous
Page 225
Ministry of Supply
General Directorate of Engineering Supplies
Baghdad
No. / ⟦4479⟧
Date / 26 / 3 / 1945
To /
The Presidency of the Israelite Community
Subject / Reuse of steel beams
Your letter numbered 8166 and dated 11 / 3 / 1945
We have no objection to the reuse of (11) pieces of steel beams inspected by
the inspection committee of this Directorate, resulting from the demolition of shops belonging to the endowments
of the Midrash, in the construction of the same demolished shops.
Director General of Engineering Supplies
⟦signature⟧
A copy to /
Supply Police Directorate for information
Statistics and Accounts Monitoring for information
The Inspection Committee with a copy of the petition
Redha / 26 / 3
⟦Mervat⟧