Operation: Ali Baba

The rescue of Yemenite Jewry was a dress rehearsal for "Operation: Ali Baba," in which almost three times as many Jews were rescued from Iraq.

Periods of peace for the Iraqi Jews alternated with period of oppression. In 1950 the Jewish community was fairly prosperous, but it was also in danger. Iraq was an Arab state at war with Israel. Any Jew who expressed sympathy for Israel was in trouble with the government. Any Jew who tried to leave Iraq and go to Israel was executed.

Then an Arab official had a wickedly clever idea. Why not let the Jews leave for Israel? The government would promise to take good care of Jewish property. Once the Jews were gone, the government could steal everything they had left behind!

This is exactly what happened. The Jews lost an enormous amount of property, but it was a good exchange. In Israel, they found safety and freedom. Only 4,000 Jews chose to stay in Iraq. There were 121,000 others who were happy to find new homes in Israel.

Sambusak Chickpea Filling

This filling is particularly beloved by Iraqi Jews, who commonly serve chickpea-filled pastries on Purim.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/4 teaspoon ground tumeric

2 medium yellow onions, chopped (about 1 cup) About 1/4 teaspoon salt

About 1 teaspoon ground cumin Ground black pepper to taste

2 cups cooked chickpeas, mashed

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until soft and translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the cumin, tumeric, salt and pepper. Add the chickpeas and cook until dry.

Variation:

Sambusak B'Tawah (Iraqi Chickpea and meat filling): Reduce the amount of chickpeas to 1 cup. Before adding the chickpeas, add 1 cup ground chicken or beef and saute until it loses its color, about 5 minutes.

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