New Museum Dedicated to Jewish History Opens in Baghdad Despite Tensions
A new museum dedicated to the history of Iraq's ancient Jewish community has opened in Baghdad, attracting hundreds of visitors despite official state hostility toward Israel.
Despite the Iraqi government's official hostility toward Israel and a parliamentary ban on any contacts with Israelis, a new museum dedicated to the heritage of the ancient Iraqi Jewish community has opened in Baghdad.
Named the "Shamas" Museum, the exhibition is located in a historic building that originally served as a school founded in 1928 by Iraqi Jewish philanthropist Yacoub Shlomo Shamas. The property was nationalized by the authorities in the 1970s before a local court ruled in the 1990s that it should be returned to the Jewish community.
The museum features a single hall displaying historical documents, educational certificates, and portraits of prominent figures from the community, including Sasson Heskel, Iraq's first modern finance minister, and Dr. Fuad Eliyahu. Visitors can also listen to audio testimonies and stories shared by members of the local Jewish heritage.
According to media reports, more than a thousand people, including numerous citizens and tourists, have already visited the site since its opening this week. The launch comes at a time when the Jewish community in Iraq has dwindled to just a few dozen individuals, mostly residing in the northern Kurdistan region while maintaining a low profile regarding their religious and national identity.
Reflecting on the opening, 70-year-old Iraqi resident Ramzi al-Saadi told AFP that the museum brought back memories of his childhood neighbors in Baghdad. "They were kind and simple people who never harmed anyone," he said, emphasizing the importance of preserving this historical and cultural memory. Today, fewer than 50 Jewish sites and synagogues remain across Iraq, following the mass exodus of the community after the 1941 Farhud pogrom.
