Community to mark 80th anniversary of the Farhud pogrom in Iraq
Nearly 200 Jews died and hundreds more were injured in wartime rioting known as the Farhud
A commemoration will be held on Tuesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the Farhud, a pogrom in Iraq during the Second World War that saw 180 Jews killed and hundreds more injured.
The event, hosted by Board of Deputies vice president Edwin Shuker, will feature witness testimony and discussion of the records that are still available.
The Farhud took place during Shavuot in 1941 after riots broke out in Baghdad following Britain’s victory in the war against the pro-Nazi regime in Iraq.
Many Jewish homes and businesses were destroyed and the events helped acceleration Jewish migration out of Iraq, although the bulk of the country’s population did not leave until Operation Ezra and Nehemiah in the early 1950s.
Tuesday night’s commemoration held by the United Synagogue will feature personal testimony from Daniel Khazom and a contribution from Moreshet Bavel from the Babylonian Jewish Heritage Centre.
Dr David Kheder Bassoon will discuss the impact of the pogrom on Iraqi Jewry and Rabbi Joseph Dweck will offer a prayer to end the evening.
It can be seen from 8pm UK time at www.theus.tv/farhud.
- Read more: Remembering the Farhud, 80 years on
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