Historic Jewish school in Kirkuk Faces risk of decay

Shafaq News – Kirkuk

One of Kirkuk’s oldest Jewish schools is at risk of deterioration due to years of neglect, despite requiring relatively modest funding for restoration, local officials and heritage experts said.

The stone-built school, more than a century old, needs an estimated 200 million Iraqi dinars (about $150,000) for rehabilitation and maintenance to preserve it as a historical landmark, according to Arshad Al-Salihi, a lawmaker representing Kirkuk.

During his visit to the site with other local figures, he urged the Kirkuk provincial administration, the Ministry of Education, and authorities responsible for antiquities and heritage to intervene. “The building has suffered from prolonged neglect and has not undergone any serious restoration work for decades,” he told Shafaq News, noting that “This school is a historical and heritage landmark that should not be demolished or left to disappear.”

The building currently houses three schools and remains in daily use. “ I studied there during my primary years in the 1960s. The structure, built from local stone using traditional construction methods, has stood since that time without comprehensive maintenance.”

Al-Salihi said he and other visitors plan to submit an urgent report to relevant authorities and did not rule out seeking private donations if official support is delayed, stressing that the issue concerns both students and the preservation of an important part of Kirkuk’s educational heritage.

Archaeology expert Abbas Al-Ali described the school as one of Kirkuk’s rare heritage buildings, noting that it dates back more than 100 years. He warned that further delays in maintenance could lead to structural damage that would be difficult to repair later.

“The building reflects traditional construction techniques common in the early 20th century and uses locally sourced stone,” Al-Ali told Shafaq News, adding that preserving the site requires its formal inclusion on the list of heritage buildings and a scientifically supervised restoration program, rather than ad hoc repairs.

According to Al-Ali, restoring such landmarks is not only about protecting old structures but also about safeguarding the city’s collective memory and historical identity.

Jewish schools in Kirkuk are among the city’s oldest educational institutions, with origins dating back to the early 1900s, when Jewish communities formed an integral part of the province’s social and economic fabric. These schools educated generations of Kirkuk residents and were not limited to Jewish students, welcoming pupils from different religious and ethnic backgrounds.

Architecturally, the schools are known for their traditional stone design, reflecting building styles of the period and giving them added cultural and historical value.

Read more: Echoes of the past: Kirkuk’s Jewish heritage and the struggle for preservation