Friday, August 19, 2005

IRAQI JEWISH ARCHIVE UPDATE: A few days ago I noted this article in the Jerusalem Post on the Museum of Babylonian Jewry, but I missed this paragraph:
A new wing of the museum is nearing completion, which will expand the educational and archival space. In the new library, a display panel explains how US troops discovered a treasure trove of Jewish artifacts when they overran Saddam Hussein's intelligence headquarters in Baghdad in 2003. Much of the material was damaged by fire and water during the battle for the Mukhbarat building, but the Americans salvaged what they could, dried it onsite, and sent everything to Washington, DC, for professional restoration. The museum would like to house and display the recovered books and community records, but so far American authorities have given no indication of their intentions regarding the legacy of the last Jews of Iraq.

Chuck Jones pointed it out on the IraqCrisis list. I agree with Lamia Al Gailani Werr, whom he quotes, that the texts need to be returned to Iraq after conservation. In any case, that seems to have been the agreement when they were taken out.

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