Fate of rare Jewish artifacts from Iraq remains uncertain

A damaged Torah, a centuries-old Bible and other rare documents important to Iraq’s few remaining Jews were rescued from a flooded cellar in Baghdad, only to remain in limbo here.

Their restoration, like so much else these days, awaits the emergence of a new Iraq.

Historians at the National Archives, which preserves such priceless artifacts as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, are examining the treasure trove of materials found in the basement of the headquarters for Saddam Hussein’s secret police.

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 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.

Among the items that were freeze-dried to stop the damage and are now at a National Archives laboratory are a Bible printed in Venice in 1568, rare books on Jewish law, pamphlets and parchment scrolls, including sections of a damaged Torah.

Harold Rhode, a Pentagon expert on Middle East affairs who spent six weeks in Baghdad working on the materials, said the records were of great historical interest because the Baghdad Jewish community has nearly disappeared.

Full restoration of the materials retrieved from Baghdad would cost an estimated $1.5 million to $3 million, according to the National Archives.

But uncertainties about returning the materials to Baghdad have discouraged potential donors. American Jewish philanthropists want to see what a new Iraq will look like before making contributions.