The Farhud: What Happened to Iraq’s Jews? (Unpacked)

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

High School (Grades 9-12)

A 13 minute Unpacked video on the Farhud, the 1941 pogrom against the Jews of Baghdad, and the end of a Jewish community more than 2,500 years old.

Overview

On June 1 and 2, 1941, during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, rioters attacked the Jews of Baghdad after the collapse of a pro Nazi government. At least 180 Jews were killed by commonly cited counts, and some estimates are much higher; hundreds were injured and homes and shops were looted, while British forces waited outside the city. This short animated video from Unpacked explains how Nazi propaganda spread in Iraq, what happened during the Farhud, and how, within a decade, nearly all of Iraq’s Jews were forced to leave a community that had existed since the Babylonian exile.

Questions Students Explore

  1. What was the Farhud, and what led to it?
  2. How did Nazi propaganda spread in Iraq?
  3. How did the Farhud change the future of Iraq’s Jewish community?

What Students Do

  • Watch the 13 minute video.
  • Discuss Unpacked’s big ideas and essential questions.
  • Connect the history to testimonies of Iraqi Jews.

At a Glance

Grade level: Grades 7 to 12
Time: One class period
Source: Unpacked for Educators (OpenDor Media), 2024

About this resource

This video was created by Unpacked. It is not a JIMENA lesson. Teacher background: Estimates put Iraq’s Jewish population at about 130,000 to 150,000 in 1948. In 1950 and 1951, after Iraq allowed Jews to leave only if they gave up their citizenship, and then froze their property, about 120,000 were airlifted to Israel. Fewer than a handful remain today.

Watch the video and find educator materials on Unpacked  Opens on unpacked.education

Procedures

Before You Teach

  • Preview the video on YouTube (13 minutes) before showing it, and check its figures against the Teacher Background above.
  • For the lesson plan and quiz, create a free educator account on Unpacked for Educators.
  • Build background with JIMENA’s Cultural Heritage: Iraq page.
Body of Lesson

Video Chapters

  1. The Holocaust comes to Iraq
  2. Jewish history in Iraq
  3. The British and King Faisal; Jewish life under the monarchy
  4. Nazi propaganda in Iraq
  5. The Farhud
  6. After the war: riots, confiscation, and the departure of Iraq’s Jews
Conclusion

Reflection

Students write: How did the Farhud change how Iraqi Jews saw their future in Iraq?

Assessment Ideas

  • Formative: discussion of the essential questions.
  • Summative: a short written response, or a comparison of the video with an Iraqi Jewish testimony.
Extension Activities
Hear Iraqi Jewish voices. Students listen to testimonies in JIMENA’s Oral History collection.The wider story. Teach JIMENA’s Forgotten Refugees lesson.Wartime North Africa. Compare with The Holocaust and Jewish Communities in Wartime North Africa.
Resources and External Links