Life & contribution
Baghdad-born actor who studied drama in Iraq before building a long career in Israeli theatre and cinema.
Detailed biography & historical context
Baghdad-born actor who studied drama in Iraq before building a long career in Israeli theatre and cinema.
The documented record currently assembled for Arieh Elias includes the following: Born in Baghdad in 1921, he studied acting at the Baghdad Academy of Fine Arts and was among the earliest Jewish students in its drama program. Moved to Mandatory Palestine in 1947 and developed a long career in Israeli theatre, film and television.
This cultural career shows how artists born in Iraq carried elements of Iraqi and Middle Eastern identity into later theatrical and screen culture. The biography connects migration history with the public representation of Iraqi-born Jews in modern cultural life.
Archive classification: Film & Theatre. Recorded life dates/status: 1921–2015.
This profile synthesizes the documentary sources listed below; where the record is limited or contested, the dossier avoids unsupported detail.
Additional documented context
- Born in Baghdad in 1921, he studied acting at the Baghdad Academy of Fine Arts and was among the earliest Jewish students in its drama program.
- Moved to Mandatory Palestine in 1947 and developed a long career in Israeli theatre, film and television.
Documentary references
Additional biographical details are tied to the source records below.
Permanent ID · IJHDA-PER-0043
This biographical figure record is integrated into Discover Jewish Iraq from the Virtual Embassy’s Iraqi Jewish heritage collection.