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 English Translation, Pages 226-250
The Lawyer
Isaac Lawy
Damerdji Building, Room No. 27
Telephone ⟦line⟧
Baghdad on 7 / 6 / 1945
194 ⟦line⟧
ISAAC LAWY
ADVOCATE.
Damerdji Building No. 27
Telephone ⟦line⟧
BAGHDAD.
To the Honorable President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad,
We present to your Excellency today a case of importance and gravity - a case that touches the core of social life
and the family unity of the Jewish community - a case that, although simple in appearance, contains everything that surrounds
the Jewish group in terms of good and evil, or vice and virtue -
O President - you know that the Court of Cassation previously issued on 23 / 5 / 1945, under
cassation file number (26 / 45), a decision involving the forfeiture of the Jewish mother's right to custody if the
girl reaches nine years of age, in accordance with the Hanafi school of law - this is the summary of the decision -
It appears that the Court of Cassation did not give our law any significant importance in resolving this issue, which requires
the continuation of the mother's right to custody of the Jewish girl until marriage for reasons and considerations of importance in
our Mosaic law as known to everyone - and specifically that the Court of Cassation also did not observe the legal
rules, the observed laws, and the proclamations issued in this regard that are currently in force
and supported by several previous cassation decisions - and here I list Proclamation No. (6) which clarifies what we mentioned
above, which is the proclamation issued by the Commander-in-Chief during the occupation, and it is among the set of proclamations observed
at the present time and issued from the date of March 11, 1917, until September 30, 1923, and we find
items No. (13) and (16) of the aforementioned proclamation refer to our subject, and here I list
these two items verbatim:
1 - Item 13 of the aforementioned proclamation, its text is as follows:
(If issues related to basic personal matters arise in lawsuits filed in the civil court
as explained above - the court shall rule according to the personal law - or the customs observed at
the time the incident occurred between the parties, provided that such personal law or custom
is consistent with justice, equity, and conscience and has not been changed or canceled by a competent authority -
2 - Item 16 of the aforementioned proclamation, its text is as follows:
(If the lawsuit or transaction presented to the civil court requires ruling on matters that must
be resolved according to Item 13 of this aforementioned proclamation under a personal law or custom - and it is not
within the jurisdiction of the Islamic Sharia Court - the court shall send these matters to one of the ⟦...⟧ scholars,
spiritual leaders, provided he is competent and has knowledge of that - but if the entire lawsuit needs
to be resolved according to that personal law or custom, the court may entrust ⟦...⟧ that lawsuit to
the aforementioned scholar.
It is clear from these two items that it is mandatory for the Personal Status Court when deciding its personal lawsuits
(To be continued)
Summary of the subject: ⟦line⟧
Audit Committee
of the Israelite Community * Baghdad
Accounting Office
Telephones
Please send to
the servant tomorrow the
⟦illegible⟧ to receive a copy
of the Court of Cassation's decision in
this lawsuit with my commentary
on it
⟦signature⟧
Baghdad ::
Number ::
Miscellaneous
( 2 )
by applying the personal law of that sect after inquiring about these matters to be resolved
from the spiritual scholars of that sect -
We also note that the phrasing of these two items ⟦illegible⟧ above came in an absolute form and did not indicate the necessity of following
Sunni Sharia rules when resolving these personal matters - a matter which makes, in this case,
the decision of the Court of Cassation mentioned above in the custody case contrary to the aforementioned statement in every respect
considering that it is not based on an established Sharia rule and does not agree with the basic Sharia rulings and conditions specific
to the Israelite Sharia that must be followed ⟦illegible⟧ in this regard, which states (that
the right of custody of a Jewish girl is not forfeited from 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 mentioned decision from being taken
as a general rule that must be followed in the future in the courts ⟦illegible⟧, I have found it necessary to deposit this
case to your presidency, hoping for your Eminence's attention to this serious matter after presenting this petition of mine
to the Sect Council for study and referring it to a special committee from the mentioned council to take what is necessary legally and religiously
in this regard as quickly as possible, and then to approach 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 sect a great service that will be remembered and thanked, and you will save the Israelite girls from misery
and frightening deterioration and pull them from darkness to light, and this is not beyond you while you enjoy the seat of
judgment and justice -
This is what I had to present in my capacity as a member of the Israelite sect who is jealous for its interests and monitors
its social ills closely - this, and you have from me much thanks and veneration.
The Petitioner - Sincerely
Lawyer Isaac Levi
Iraq ⟦illegible⟧
40 Fils
⟦line⟧
827
13 June 945
The Honorable Mr. Artin Yusuf Farah, Respectfully
Manager of the Agricultural Industrial Bank in Sulaymaniyah
Sulaymaniyah
⟦line⟧
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 Hajj Tawfiq the builder to inspect
them. He advised us of the necessity of removing a few pieces of wood (the rafters) from the roof.
Indeed, we have removed these pieces of wood and it appeared that there are many worms, which
requires fighting them quickly. Please inform us of your opinion on this matter
to take what is necessary in this regard.
Please accept the highest respect.
Sincerely
Arif
Head of the Community
Executions
5 June 945
Directorate General of Imported Goods
Baghdad
With reference to your marginal note dated 4 / 6 / 945
We hereby confirm that the Sewing Institution is a branch of the Alliance School for Girls
It contains poor female students who learn sewing and embroidery there, and we also confirm
Their need for your kindness by providing them with whatever cotton fabrics are available.
⟦signature⟧
Head of the Community
Miscellaneous
Baghdad 12 June 945
His Eminence the President of the Respectable Jewish Spiritual Council
After greetings and respect.
I, Regina Ibrahim, my husband Nathan Hay 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. Since
my father Ibrahim Shaul Twig is currently in Egypt, I wish to
travel there with my young son named ⟦Swayed La Sama⟧ and my child
to my father, so that he might allocate a monthly allowance for us to live on, me and my children.
I request your Eminence to endorse what is stated above so that I may obtain a recommendation from
His Excellency the President 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 request that all possible assistance be provided to her.
Baghdad 12/6/945
⟦illegible⟧
President of the Jewish
Spiritual Council in Baghdad
1622
⟦illegible⟧
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 life in
this difficult time. Since the father of the aforementioned Regina, named Ibrahim
Shaul Twig, is currently in the Egyptian lands, she wishes to travel
there with her young son, named Moshe Albert, in the hope that she might win the sympathy of
her father so he may allocate for her and her children what they need to subsist on. Therefore, I have come requesting
Your Excellency to provide all possible assistance to this widow to provide her with a
passport to Egypt. With much respect to Your Excellency.
Alwan
Head of the Community
8400
3 July 945
His Excellency the Minister Plenipotentiary of the Egyptian Kingdom in Baghdad, the 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 life 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, so that she may appeal to her father's sympathy to allocate
for her and her children what they may subsist on. Therefore, I have come requesting Your Excellency
to provide possible assistance to this widow to provide her with a travel visa to the Egyptian
lands.
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurance of my highest respect.
Sassoon
Head of the Community
Miscellaneous
8220
25 July 945
His Excellency the Minister of Supply, Respected
Baghdad
Reference to your letter numbered 5534 and dated 23 / 7 / 945
Engagement among Israelis is a legal contract between the fiancé and the fiancée
Neither party can cancel it except after performing the legal divorce ceremonies
⟦illegible⟧
Head of the Community
Miscellaneous
The Iraqi Government
Department of the Ministry of Supply - Baghdad
Number ⟦illegible⟧
Construction Materials Section
Date 21 / 7 / 45
⟦illegible⟧
Subject - Marriage Certificates
⟦line⟧
To the Presidency of the Israelite Community in Baghdad
We sometimes receive certificates from you in a uniform format stating that so-and-so
is betrothed but has not yet married. Is the betrothal in these certificates
a contract by which the marriage is considered completed even if the couple has not met, and what is its
legal value in terms of being binding on both parties or not binding on them
to complete and finalize the marriage? We request an answer to the two points mentioned
in our letter so that we can consider the requests submitted to us in this
regard.
⟦signature⟧
Minister of Supply
Fakhri / 3
8221
⟦illegible⟧
1 August 945
His Excellency the Notary Public of East Baghdad
The Respected
After greetings,
Mr. Eliyahu Hayyim Tawfiq is the President of the Lay Council
of the Israelites in Baghdad at the present time, and he is authorized to collect the
rent payments for the community's endowments for the account of the Council's fund.
⟦signature⟧
Head of the Community
Mizrakhat
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 7/24/945,
I am pleased to present to Your Excellency an old manuscript copy of the Book of Esther
i.e. (Megillah) to be displayed in the Museum of Arab Antiquities.
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest respect;
Sassoon
Head of the Community
Attachments
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
Ministry of Supply
General Directorate of Engineering Supplies
Baghdad
Number / 4479
Date / 26 / 3 / 945
To %: Presidency of the Jewish Community
Subject %: Reuse of I-beams
Your letter No. 8166 dated 11 / 3 / 1945
We have no objection to the reuse of (11) pieces of I-beam iron inspected by
the inspection committee of this Directorate, resulting from the demolition of shops belonging to the endowments
of the Midrash, specifically in the construction of the same demolished shops.
⟦signature⟧
General Director of Engineering Supplies
Namir
Copy to %:
Supply Police Directorate: For information
Statistics and Accounts Monitoring: For information
Inspection Committee with a copy of the petition: ⟦line⟧
Reda / 26 / 3
Expenses
Capital Secretariat
Number
⟦logo: tiger and palm tree⟧
Date: Jumada al-Akhirah 1364
May 1945
Technical Authority
Presidency of the Jewish Community in Baghdad
Subject - Torah Farha Somikh
⟦line⟧
Reference to your petition submitted to us numbered 231 and dated
13 / 5 / 945 .
Upon conducting an inspection of the Torah Farha building located in the
Torah neighborhood by the specialized engineer, it was found that its construction is solid and
does not contain any cracks at the present time .
Mayor of the Capital
H 2 / 3
A. Q.
Governor
The Iraqi Government
Directorate of General Health Prevention:
Number: ⟦illegible⟧
Office: Administration
Date: 25 / 6 / 1945
Subject ⟦line⟧
To the Presidency of the Jewish Community
Baghdad
With reference to the letter of the Secretariat of the Capital numbered 11013 and dated
17 / 6 / 1945, the copy of which is listed below; and out of a desire not to violate the sanctity of
the graves, we inform you that the Jewish cemetery located on Al-Ghazali Street is surrounded by
seepage water where weeds grow that help the growth of mosquitoes that transmit malaria.
Accordingly, please take sufficient measures to fill what can be filled of the low
places to prevent the occurrence of seepage and to pull out the weeds growing in these pits in order to
prevent the breeding of mosquitoes in them, as this is a service to the public interest and preservation of the sanctity of the graves.
Hoping to inform us of the result of your procedures in this regard.
Director of General Health Prevention
⟦line⟧
Copy of the letter:
Your letter numbered 105 and dated 11 / 6 / 1945 ⟦illegible⟧
We have begun pulling out weeds and grass from both sides of the embankment and cleaning
the siphons in the neighboring areas, and regarding the Jewish cemetery, please
contact the Presidency of the Community to carry out the required work.
Signature
Mayor of the Capital
⟦illegible stamp⟧
8908
2 July 945
Directorate of General Health Prevention
Baghdad
Reference to your letter No. 3827 dated 26 / 6 / 945
We have previously promised to fill the swamp of the Jewish cemetery and fence it as soon as
the ownership of the two adjacent state-owned plots to the cemetery is transferred, as per the recommendation of the Director of Health
Prevention for the Baghdad city area ⟦his letter⟧ No. 7032 dated 15 / 11 / 1944
In this regard, we refer to the letter of the Ministry of Social Affairs No. 1758 dated
27 / 6 / 945 to the Ministry of Finance, with a copy to your directorate on this subject.
Although the transfer of ownership of the two plots has not yet been completed, the Jewish Cemeteries
Association in Baghdad has begun filling the swamp, and we request your esteemed directorate to kindly
urge the Ministry of Finance to expedite the ownership transfer process for the two plots in
question so that the aforementioned association can complete filling the entire swamp and finish fencing
the cemetery after annexing the two plots to it.
On behalf of
Head of the Community
Miscellaneous
⟦illegible stamp⟧
118022
5 / 12 / 944
Directorate General of Imported Goods
Chemical Materials Control
Baghdad
⟦line⟧
The quantity of cut paper that we previously obtained
has been exhausted in the General Council elections and other publications
Therefore, we request you to grant us an authorization for ten reams of cut paper
and five reams of lined paper.
And we thank you;
⟦signature⟧
On behalf of the Head of the Community
⟦illegible stamp⟧
8105
30 January 945
Directorate General of Imported Goods
Chemical Materials Control
Paper Division - Baghdad
We confirm our letter No. 8032 dated 5 / 12 / 944
Please instruct to grant us the required transfer as quickly as possible
due to the exhaustion of the paper we had for quite some time.
⟦signature⟧
Head of the Community
8189
26 March 945
Directorate General of Imported Goods
Chemical Materials Division
Baghdad
For the purpose of printing the budget book for the schools, hospitals, and other institutions of the community
and submitting it to the Israeli General Council and distributing it to the members of
the community according to the Community Law No. 77 of 1931 and its regulations. We request you
to grant us a transfer for five reams of waste paper for this purpose.
On behalf of
Head of the Community
Disbursed
8215
July 15, 945
Directorate General of Imported Funds
Chemical Materials Department - Baghdad
Due to the exhaustion of the quantity of paper that we previously obtained from your
respected directorate, we request that you provide us with a transfer for five reams of cut paper, five
reams of lined paper, and ten reams of rice paper. Sincerely.
Sassoon
Head of the Community
Miscellaneous
Amanat al-Asima
Baghdad
(Administration)
⟦logo: tiger and palm tree⟧
Date: 25 Sha'ban / 364
9 August / 945
Directorate of Health Prevention for the Baghdad City Area
Subject - Slaughter Times
⟦line⟧
Reference to your letter No. 2788 dated 11 / 7 / 945
An agreement has been reached with the representative of the Presidency of the Jewish Community
to delay the time for commencing the slaughter of sheep by
Muslim butchers in the Rusafa slaughterhouse until nine o'clock
in the evening instead of six o'clock.
Acting Mayor of the Capital
Copy to -
Presidency of the Jewish Community
Health Directorate of Baghdad Province - reference to its letter
No. 2650 dated 10 / 7 / 945
Director of Rusafa Discipline - to alert the monitors of the necessity
of maintaining the time specified above
12 / 8
⟦illegible signature⟧
on behalf of / w
The Iraqi Government
Directorate General of Antiquities:
Number: 7/8/1180
Office:
Date: 19 / 8 / 45
Subject:
To His Eminence Rabbi Sassoon Khadduri, the respected
President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad
After greetings,
We are pleased to inform you of our receipt, with much gratitude, of the manuscript copy
of the Book of Esther (Megillah) which you kindly donated to the museum. It has been added to
the manuscript collection in the House of Arab Antiquities and will be displayed there in a suitable place.
Furthermore, we appreciate your feelings toward the museum and your efforts toward growing its national
collections. Please accept our highest respect.
⟦signature⟧
Naji al-Asil
Director General of Antiquities
Governor
14 / 8 / 945
To the Director of the National Tobacco Company
Respected
After greetings and respect
We request you to continue delivering the cigarettes belonging to the administration of
the Israeli Community to the person named Salman Shaul after receiving the price
from him.
Please accept the highest respect;
Sincerely
⟦signature⟧
Head of the Community
Miscellaneous
August 14, 945
His Excellency the Director of General Supplies, Respected
After greetings and respect,
The Torahs of the Bir Sasson contain one hundred sofas (couches) whose
covers made of brown dakhalm have been torn, and they are now in need of renewal.
Therefore, I request Your Excellency to order providing us with six rolls of brown dakhalm
for the purpose of using them as covers for the sofas in the mentioned Torahs.
With respect to Your Excellency.
On behalf of
The Head of the Community
Attachments