Joseph Salman

Joseph (Shlomo) Salman of Brookline died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, February 12. He was 108, one of the oldest residents of Massachusetts. He was the son of Salman (Shlomo) Salman and Masudah Devorah. Born in Iraq in 1910 in the final years of the Ottoman Empire, his family was part of the once thriving Jewish community of Baghdad. Joseph’s father died when he was 15, and as the oldest of eight children, he worked for the next decade to support his younger siblings. In 1941 he protected them from the pro-Nazi pogroms in Baghdad. When his family and the rest of the Iraqi Jewish community fled Iraq in the 1950’s for Israel, Joseph stayed behind for several years and eventually moved to Iran.

For the next few decades he worked for the US Embassy in Tehran, in charge of housing for all American personnel. In 1979 when the US Embassy was seized and its personnel held hostage by the Iranian government, Joseph evaded capture and went into hiding for several years, eventually escaping to Pakistan, then to Israel, before finally moving to the Boston area to be with family. Here he reunited with the love of his life, Nessie, whom he soon married. They lived the next thirty years happily together, as realtors, in the Brookline area.

Joseph is survived by his wife Nessie Salman, his brother Abraham Salomon of Newton, his sister Doris Katzir of Ramat Gan, Israel, his niece Ora Mountain of Newton who cared for him in his final months, a few dozen nephews and nieces, and many great-nieces and great- nephews.

Funeral and burial services were held at the Young Israel Cemetery in West Roxbury.

Visiting hours for the Jewish shiva will be held at the Salman residence at 50 Green St. #301, 5:30 PM, Tuesday, Feb. 13- Monday, Feb. 18, except Friday.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Young Israel of Brookline, 62 Green St., Brookline, MA 02446, where Joseph prayed each day.