The Babylonian Jewry Museum offers visitors an experience that takes them on a journey through a time tunnel, back to the glorious heritage of the oldest Diaspora in the Jewish world. In the course of this journey, the Museum spotlights chapters from the various generations of Babylonian Jewry, spanning over a period of more than 2,600 years.
The History Wing recounts the annals of Babylonian Jewry; the Ethnography Wing focuses on the Jews’ way of life, customs, milieu and material culture; and the Plastic Arts Gallery displays temporary exhibits that conduct a dialog with the heritage and culture of Babylonian Jewry. The Museum building was designed around the motif of the traditional Iraqi Jewish home, whose core is an inner courtyard. An alleyway in Baghdad’s Jewish quarter and the city’s main synagogue have also been reconstructed.
The Museum’s permanent exhibitions underscore the contribution made by the spiritual leaders of the major yeshivas and by the lay leadership of the Babylonian Exilarchate to the existence of the Jewish people. They also highlight the Jews’ relationship with Iraq’s rulers and surrounding society in different periods. The Museum’s exhibitions shed light on the various communities that comprised Babylonian Jewry, the changes they underwent in recent centuries, and the autonomous institutions they established.
The Museum also features special exhibitions devoted to key events in the lives of Iraqi Jews in the 20th century: the Farhud (the pogroms that broke out during Shavuot in 1941), the establishment of the overt and underground Iraqi Zionist movement, the mass exodus of the Jews, and their integration in the State of Israel.
Events
Private events can be held at the Museum, such as: Team building workshops, school reunions, business conferences, bar/bat mitzvahs, parties for octogenarians, birthdays, family tree gatherings, commemorations and more.
The Center’s impressive auditorium, which seats up to 160 people, has a main stage, sound system and equipment for screening presentations.
The Museum’s staff will be glad to extend assistance and advice and also help you plan and design your event, while tailoring it to your individual needs and budget.
Lectures and Seminars
The Center holds lectures, seminars and conferences throughout the year on various aspects of the history and culture of Babylonian Jewry.


Library
The Library houses a unique and large collection dealing with the history and culture of Babylonian Jewry, ranging from the earliest exiles and up to modern times.
The collection is divided into a number of subsections: monographs and journals, research studies and documentation, novels, certificates and documents, photographs, oral documentation, music, films, and private and public archives.
Curatorial Department
The Curatorial Department of the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center is responsible for putting together the exhibitions on display at the Babylonian Jewry Museum.
The Museum boasts of a rich collection of Judaica, ethnography and works of art, in addition to original documents and photographs that were donated or lent to the Museum over the years.
Research Institute
The Institute conducts research on the history and culture of Babylonian Jewry. It provides background materials for the Museum’s exhibitions, extends assistance to researchers, and publishes scholarly works and the journal Nehardea in Hebrew and English. It also maintains ties with other research institutes and researchers across the globe.
The Museum Shop
The Museum Store offers a wide selection of books, CDs and discs dealing with the history, culture and folklore of Babylonian Jewry. The books contain a wealth of information and enjoyable material that take their readers back to a rich and fascinating world. The shop also sells a variety of items made by designers and artists whose creations reflect the unique style of Babylonian Jewry, including jewelry, Chanukah lamp