Remembering the Jews of Dhi Qar in City’s Architecture

The lack of official documentation obviously makes things more complicated. But it is true that the Jews of Dhi Qar left behind a lot of property, confirms local historian Hassan Ali Khalaf, who has written nine books about the history of the province. This includes large orchards, huge commercial markets and a lot of valuables.

“But it would be extremely difficult to make a full list of this property as the Jews who left gave a lot of the property away, donating it to friends and lovers,” Khalaf says. “Successive governments also seized more parts of these properties and there are also some well known local figures that control those properties.”

Khalaf said he couldn’t name any names regarding the latter because, as he put it, “I would pay a high price”.

Despite all of this, older locals like Abu Jamar still remember their Jewish friends fondly. At one stage, Iraqi Jews were Arab first and Jewish second, and formed an important part of local society. When the pensioners are no longer around, then it will only be the various buildings, marked with stars of David and other distinctive signs, who attest to their former owners’ presence. The rest of the province has all but forgotten about their former neighbours, who once provided the essence of the city’s economic life.