IRAQI JEWISH MANUSCRIPTS RECYCLED: Strangely, the Cincinnait Post has recycled an old A.P. article on the Iraqi Jewish archives currently in deep freeze in the National Archives in Washington D.C. The article, "Rare Jewish artifacts remain in soggy limbo," was obviously written before the transfer of sovereignty on 30 June of 2004. The elections are also mentioned as an event still in the future. No effort seems to have been made to update anything in it.

The materials are in moderate to poor condition - they remained wet for several weeks after being salvaged, which allowed mold to grow, and some records became detached from their bindings and were lost, according to the Iraqi Jewish Archive Preservation Report. The study was prepared for the Coalition Provisional Authority, which is overseeing Iraq until a June 30 transfer of some sovereignty to the Iraqis.

There are questions about who now owns the documents, where they should be housed and whether money will be available to restore them. It's likely those questions won't be answered until after June 30, or months later, after Iraqis hold elections.

How astoundingly careless.

The most recent information I've been able to find on the Iraqi Jewish archives is here. Follow the links backwards to get the whole story.