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 Naji
Elias was Head of the Jewish Community in Baghdad. He succeeded in leaving
Iraq three years ago. I met him on his arrival in Jordan and heard from
him about the situation of the Jews in Iraq. He gave me from memory
the names of the remaining Jews there. I helped him get an entry visa
to Holland, where he later resided with his wife and children. Naji
was loved by the Jewish Community in Iraq, whom he served loyally. When
I attended his daughter's wedding in London, he gave me an original
antique "Megilla" Scroll, which he managed to smuggle out of Baghdad.
A few months later, he expressed his desire to visit the Wailing Wall,
although, on arrival in Israel and due to his deteriorating health,
he was already in need of constant nursing and his doctors forbade him
to leave the nursing home. So that even though I prepared everything
necessary for his visit, he could not satisfy his longing. May he rest
in peace.
Mordechai Ben-Porat
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