Baghdad museum showcases Jewish heyday, as memory of lost community gingerly rekindled

For the first time in Iraq's history, a dedicated museum honoring the country's Jewish heritage has opened its doors in Baghdad. The Shamash Museum, established by the city's Jewish community, showcases a rich collection of historical documents, photographs, and personal records belonging to the once-thriving Jewish community. Housed in a former school dating back to 1928, the museum offers visitors a glimpse into the lives and contributions of Iraqi Jews who helped shape the nation's cultural, educational, and economic landscape.

Among the exhibits are portraits of notable Jewish figures such as Sassoon Eskell, Iraq's inaugural finance minister, and Dr. Dhafer Fouad Eliyahu, a physician renowned for his free medical treatment. Ammar Al Tamimi, a lawyer representing the administrative committee of Iraqi Jews, emphasized that the museum represents the sole institution of its kind in Iraq, dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jewish community.

The building's history itself is a testament to the resilience of Iraq's Jewish community. Originally established in 1928 by Yacoub Shlomo Shamash to provide English-language education to students of various religious backgrounds, the school became a cornerstone of Baghdad's educational system before being seized by the state in the 1970s and repurposed as a government institution.

Despite decades of political turbulence, including economic sanctions, conflict, and the threat of extremism, efforts to restore the school and other Jewish heritage sites gained momentum in recent years.

The opening of the Shamash Museum marks a significant milestone in these preservation efforts. As the museum currently features a single exhibition hall, it serves as a testament to the community's educational traditions, professional achievements, and historical presence in Baghdad. While the number of practicing Jews in Iraq has dwindled to a few dozen, primarily residing in the Kurdistan Region, the museum's opening invites both Iraqi and international visitors to rediscover a significant chapter of the nation's diverse cultural and religious heritage.