Journal of the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center
No.13, Summer 2001



READERS LETTERS

To the Editor of Nehardea

I request permission to publish my response to the article written by Mr. Victor Ozer of Los-Angeles, "Yahya Al-Aa'raj Alley".
As a person who lived quite a few years in that same alley, I was delighted to read the list. However, I would like to set certain points right:
1. The breadth of the alley was not uniform.
2. The Gabbay Family had five children: Ezra, Simcha, Yacob, Yitzhak and Shula.
3. The Pentecost Pogrom in Baghdad.
a. Even though Yahya Al-Aa'raj locked up his house, he did not refuse to let Jews enter. In fact, no one wanted to take shelter in his house. On the other hand, Jewish neighbors asked for his help in case the mob reached the alley. And indeed, at about 10:00 am on the second day of the Pentecost pogrom, several rioters entered the alley. He waved his hand-gun out of the window threatening to shoot them if they did not leave at once. His threat, delivered in an Arab accent deterred them and they left the alley.
b. On a religious holiday you do not wear Phylacteries, but people recited the psalms.
c. Close to noon, the rioters were stationed two houses away from the Gabbay residence. They overran the roof of the house, broke up the family's beds and threatened the other startled Jews who took refuge on the roof.
A young lady shouted to the men: "Why are you weeping and praying? Get stones and bottles and start defending yourselves.” A rioter caught her words and said, making an obscene gesture with his hands: "Soon we will get to you too and do this to you.” The girls threw a bottle at him, shouting: "Ana'l abook w aboo dinak.” He was hit and taken away by other rioters. Yahya Al-Aa'raj heard her and said: "are you cursing my religion? I will not help you anymore.” The Jews sent a delegation to apologize and try to change his mind, but he refused to meet with them. Luckily, half an hour later the first airplane appeared in the sky, the shooting stopped, soldiers were deployed in the streets and peace and quiet returned to Baghdad.

Yitzhak Gabbay, Kiron
 

To: The Babylonian Jewry Museum
Re: Impressions on a visit to the museum

On Friday 22.10.99, I visited the museum accompanied by my grand-daughter, a second grade pupil at the "Amirim" School in Ramat Hasharon and all her classmates. We were met by the museum's representative, who gave us a conducted tour of the museum and spoke about all the exhibits we saw there. I was deeply impressed by the characters exhibited in the museum, and I saw in my mind's eye the image of my grandmother, in all her glory dressed in her unique habit, my late uncle at his clothing shop, which he ran in the Jewish street in Baghdad with a variety of characters: the goldsmith, the spice vendor, patrons of the cafe and its special aura. The reconstruction is authentic, imaginative and rich. It leads the on-looker to the unique atmosphere of the glorious entire Jewish Community in Babylon. I was glad of the wonderful and moving opportunity afforded to me in visiting the museum and re-living the experiences of my childhood and youth in this special community.
I would like to express my gratitude and admiration for those who promoted and launched the idea, and meticulously selected the wonderful exhibits. They compose a breathtaking picture, which does every Babylonian Jew proud and also reflects and embodies the heritage, knowledge of which must be passed on from one generation to another, depicting the annals of the Jewish people in the Diaspora.

Best wishes,
Rahel Oliva
Ramat Hasharon