Collection of c. 130 letters, documents and broadsides written to and from the Rabbis and leaders of the Jewish communites in Kai-Sandaq, Amadiya, Mosul, etc. Various scripts in Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic

(KURDISTAN)

v.p.

18th-20th Century

Also includes amulets, goraloth etc. and some miscellaneous Persian material. Accompanied By: Essay by Prof. Walter J. Fischel concerning the historical significance of these letters and documents as they pertain to Aliya to Israel, problems of social and family relations, halachic issues and related controversies.

From the Collection of the Late Professor Walter J. Fischel. Most of the Jews of Kurdistan lived in the Iraqi region and thus corresponded with the Jews of Baghdad, although others resided in Turkish and Iranian areas. It should be noted that the Jews of Kurdistan spoke Aramaic as their mother tongue. In 1933 there were 1,820 Jews in Amadiya. All remnants of this once proud, Aramaic speaking community,have since emigrated to Israel.