The Iraqi Jewish Archive at the Jewish Museum of Florida — FIU

I recently returned from a very meaningful trip to the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU to personally view the Iraqi Jewish Archive (IJA). The trip was notable as it was the first one I had taken in three years, but even more so because of my passion for preserving these treasures of Iraqi Jewish culture and helping to educate the public about them.

The Museum director and staff have done a masterful job at presenting 2,500 years of Iraqi Jewish treasures forcefully taken from the community in the 1970’s, and recovered by the US army in 2003. I especially enjoyed getting a close-up look at the Torah scrolls used for so many years by Iraq’s once-thriving Jewish community. It was like getting a glimpse into a lost part of history.

We received an in-depth tour from the museum’s Executive Director and Chief Curator, Jo Ann Arnowitz, who provided us with more background about the artifacts. It was clear that she shares my passion for the IJA.

A special moment for me was viewing a fragment of Torah scroll with the biblical portion called Lech Lechah. It holds meaning for me because it is the Torah portion I read for my Bat-Mitzvah, but also because it is the portion of the Torah where God tells Abraham to leave Ur (modern day Iraq) and go to Canaan (modern day Israel), promising Abraham that He would make of him a great nation. It reminded me of the modern Iraqi Jews, who were forced to flee Iraq in the 1970’s , and found their way back home to Israel, where they were free to live as Jews.

The exhibit includes 27 artifacts with accompanying wall texts and additional materials, as well as a short film. It is comprehensive yet compact, so visitors will feel they have gotten the full experience without getting overwhelmed. The artifacts on display represent only a fraction of those that are part of the IJA, with many others so sensitive they must be kept in storage so they don’t decompose further. The exhibit has now left Florida, and headed back to Washington D.C. for further restoration until it is exhibited in a new venue.

I am so pleased that visitors to the exhibit are learning about the rich and vibrant Jewish culture that was once present throughout the Middle East and North Africa. It is time more Americans learn about these communities, which include Iraqi Jews, who made so many contributions to the society around them. Sadly, when the Jewish community was forced to flee in the 1970’s, their culture, while kept alive outside of Iraq, is almost completely absent in the country itself.

As I reflect on this wonderful visit, I am looking forward to staying involved with the Iraqi Jewish Archive as it continues on its U.S. tour.

By Rayah Levy, Art Market Expert
LinkedIn, March 14, 2016:
https://lnkd.in/bTsCPAy