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The Old Jewish Cemetery of Baghdad: A Forgotten Chapter in Iraq’s History
Young Iraqi Jews who fled to pre-state Israel following the 1941 Farhud pogrom in Baghdad. Photo: Moshe Baruch
The old Jewish cemetery in Baghdad, a relic of a once-thriving Jewish community, holds the stories of generations who contributed to Iraq’s social, cultural, and economic fabric. It was more than a burial ground — it symbolized the deep roots of Jewish life in Baghdad, once home to one of the most vibrant Jewish communities in the Arab world.
A Historical Overview: From Jerusalem to Babylon
The Jewish presence in Mesopotamia dates back more than 2,500 years, beginning with the Babylonian exile in 586 BCE. After the destruction of the First Temple by King Nebuchadnezzar, exiled Jews settled in Babylon, adapting to their new circumstances while preserving their traditions. This period gave rise to the Babylonian Talmud, a cornerstone of Jewish scholarship.
By the time Arab armies conquered Mesopotamia, Jewish life was deeply entrenched in the region.
Baghdad, strategically located on the Tigris River, became a hub for trade and culture, attracting Jewish merchants, artisans, and scholars. Over the centuries, the Jewish community contributed significantly to Baghdad’s golden age, cementing its place as a vital part of the city’s identity.
The Jewish Cemetery: A Sacred Landmark
In the 19th century, Baghdad’s growing Jewish population established a cemetery in the Bab al-Sharqi district. This sacred space became a repository of memory, where Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic epitaphs told the stories of the departed. The cemetery symbolized the resilience of a community that, despite persecution, thrived and enriched Baghdad’s cultural and economic landscape.
By the early 20th century, Jews formed a significant portion of the city’s population, with a flourishing network of synagogues, schools, and businesses.
The Cemetery’s Evacuation and Its Aftermath
The destruction of Baghdad’s Jewish cemetery under President Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr in the 1970s marked a profound loss. The site, which held victims of the 1941 Farhud pogrom and perhaps my own ancestors, was razed to make way for Al-Nahda Bus Terminal (محطة النهضة لنقل المسافرين).
This act of erasure reflected the Ba’athist regime’s broader narrative, which glorified figures like Rashid Ali al-Kilani, a pro-Nazi leader implicated in the Farhud, while erasing the legacy of the Jewish community.
This symbolic affront was compounded by the renaming of the surrounding neighborhood as Al-Kilani. Such decisions underscored the government’s efforts to rewrite history, sidelining Iraq’s once-multicultural identity in favor of a narrative that marginalized minorities.
A Midnight Summons
The destruction of the cemetery was orchestrated with chilling precision. Sasson Kaduri, head of Baghdad’s dwindling Jewish community, was summoned in the middle of the night to meet al-Bakr, who ordered the relocation of the graves to Al-Habibiya within six months. Despite Kaduri’s protests about the religious and logistical challenges, the community had no choice but to comply.
With great care, the remains were exhumed and reburied, but for many families, this process severed their connection to their ancestors and their history. Kaduri, burdened by the task, ensured the relocation was carried out with dignity, but the act itself was an irrevocable violation of religious principles and human dignity.
A Monument to Erasure
Today, Al-Nahda Bus Terminal stands on the cemetery’s former grounds, devoid of any acknowledgment of its past. Passengers tread unknowingly over land that once bore the legacy of Baghdad’s Jewish community.
For descendants like myself, the loss is deeply personal. The thought of my ancestors being disinterred and displaced fills me with sorrow and anger.
The destruction of the cemetery was not just about land; it was about erasing a history that conflicted with the regime’s vision. It marked the final act in the erasure of Baghdad’s Jewish community, beginning with the Farhud pogrom and culminating in the mid-20th-century mass exodus of Jews from Iraq.
A Legacy of Loss
As I reflect, I am haunted by what was lost — not only the graves of my ancestors, but also the tangible connection to a community that had lived in Baghdad since the Babylonian exile. For centuries, Jews were integral to Baghdad’s identity, contributing to its culture, commerce, and history.
While the cemetery is gone, its memory persists in the stories we tell. It is our duty to ensure this chapter of Iraqi history is not forgotten — a legacy that deserves remembrance by all who value diversity and the richness of the past.
Itamar Tzur is an academic and writer specializing in Middle Eastern history, politics, and culture, holding honors degrees in Jewish History and Middle Eastern Studies.
The post The Old Jewish Cemetery of Baghdad: A Forgotten Chapter in Iraq’s History first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Says Missile Launched by Yemen’s Houthis ‘Most Likely’ Intercepted
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi addresses followers via a video link at the al-Shaab Mosque, formerly al-Saleh Mosque, in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
The Israeli army said on Saturday that a missile fired from Yemen towards Israeli territory had been “most likely successfully intercepted,” while Yemen’s Houthi forces claimed responsibility for the launch.
Israel has threatened Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement – which has been attacking Israel in what it says is solidarity with Gaza – with a naval and air blockade if its attacks on Israel persist.
The Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group was responsible for Saturday’s attack, adding that it fired a missile towards the southern Israeli city of Beersheba.
Since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023, the Houthis, who control most of Yemen, have been firing at Israel and at shipping in the Red Sea, disrupting global trade.
Most of the dozens of missiles and drones they have launched have been intercepted or fallen short. Israel has carried out a series of retaliatory strikes.
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Iran Holds Funeral for Commanders and Scientists Killed in War with Israel
People attend the funeral procession of Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists and others killed in Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, June 28, 2025. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Large crowds of mourners dressed in black lined streets in Iran’s capital Tehran as the country held a funeral on Saturday for top military commanders, nuclear scientists and some of the civilians killed during this month’s aerial war with Israel.
At least 16 scientists and 10 senior commanders were among those mourned at the funeral, according to state media, including armed forces chief Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guards commander General Hossein Salami, and Guards Aerospace Force chief General Amir Ali Hajizadeh.
Their coffins were driven into Tehran’s Azadi Square adorned with their photos and national flags, as crowds waved flags and some reached out to touch the caskets and throw rose petals onto them. State-run Press TV showed an image of ballistic missiles on display.
Mass prayers were later held in the square.
State TV said the funeral, dubbed the “procession of the Martyrs of Power,” was held for a total of 60 people killed in the war, including four women and four children.
In attendance were President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior figures including Ali Shamkhani, who was seriously wounded during the conflict and is an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as Khamenei’s son Mojtaba.
“Today, Iranians, through heroic resistance against two regimes armed with nuclear weapons, protected their honor and dignity, and look to the future prouder, more dignified, and more resolute than ever,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who also attended the funeral, said in a Telegram post.
There was no immediate statement from Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since the conflict began. In past funerals, he led prayers over the coffins of senior commanders ahead of public ceremonies broadcast on state television.
Israel launched the air war on June 13, attacking Iranian nuclear facilities and killing top military commanders as well as civilians in the worst blow to the Islamic Republic since the 1980s war with Iraq.
Iran retaliated with barrages of missiles on Israeli military sites, infrastructure and cities. The United States entered the war on June 22 with strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
TRUMP THREAT
Israel, the only Middle Eastern country widely believed to have nuclear weapons, said it aimed to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons.
Iran denies having a nuclear weapons program. The U.N. nuclear watchdog has said it has “no credible indication” of an active, coordinated weapons program in Iran.
Bagheri, Salami and Hajizadeh were killed on June 13, the first day of the war. Bagheri was being buried at the Behesht Zahra cemetery outside Tehran mid-afternoon on Saturday. Salami and Hajizadeh were due to be buried on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would consider bombing Iran again, while Khamenei, who has appeared in two pre-recorded video messages since the start of the war, has said Iran would respond to any future US attack by striking US military bases in the Middle East.
A senior Israeli military official said on Friday that Israel had delivered a “major blow” to Iran’s nuclear project. On Saturday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that Israel and the US “failed to achieve their stated objectives” in the war.
According to Iranian health ministry figures, 610 people were killed on the Iranian side in the war before a ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday. More than 4,700 were injured.
Activist news agency HRANA put the number of killed at 974, including 387 civilians.
Israel’s health ministry said 28 were killed in Israel and 3,238 injured.
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Pro-Palestinian Rapper Leads ‘Death to the IDF’ Chant at English Music festival
Revellers dance as Avril Lavigne performs on the Other Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 30, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
i24 News – Chants of “death to the IDF” were heard during the English Glastonbury music festival on Saturday ahead of the appearance of the pro-Palestinian Irish rappers Kneecap.
One half of punk duo based Bob Vylan (who both use aliases to protect their privacy) shouted out during a section of their show “Death to the IDF” – the Israeli military. Videos posted on X (formerly Twitter) show the crowd responding to and repeating the cheer.
This comes after officials had petitioned the music festival to drop the band. The rap duo also expressed support for the following act, Kneecap, who the BCC refused to show live after one of its members, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh – better known by stage name Mo Chara – was charged with a terror offense.
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