Sasson Kadoorie

Sasson Kadoorie was a rabbi and community leader. Born in Baghdad, Kadoorie was educated at the rabbinical seminary there and later appointed head of the community’s rabbinical court. He was chief rabbi of Baghdad from 1927 to 1929. Before being appointed to this post, he supported Zionist institutions such as the Jewish National Fund, but later, he rejected Zionism to the anger of his congregation. Even though the Iraqi government supported him, the community forced him to resign.

In 1932, he became chairman of the community and served in this capacity until 1949, when the members of the community again compelled him to resign, suspecting him of helping the authorities suppress the Jewish national movement in Iraq. Together with Menahem and Ezra Daniel, Kadoorie advocated opposition to Zionism to prevent the persecution of Iraqi Jewry by the Muslim population. In 1953, he resumed office as community chairman and also became again chief rabbi of the community.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

H.J. Cohen, Ha-Pe'ilut ha-Ẓiyyonit be-Iraq (1969), index.