Nostalgie

Edward Boroda


## Bordeaux, France

We lived in an apartment on the grounds of the grand synagogue of Bordeaux near Rue St Catherine, a busy popular main street.
I often took walks through this main thoroughfare I found very pleasant with many shops which for me consisted mainly of window browsing.   

Bordeaux is a port city also known as the capital of the Gironde department located on the Atlantic seacoast of France along the Garone river.
Bordeaux is the world capital of wine.
It is a very large, densely populated cosmopolitan city with exceptional and preserved architecture in its buildings and monuments, many spanning centuries.
There are a vast number of areas to visit including museums, restaurants, cafés, theaters, libraries, and la bourse, or place de la bourse, (stock exchange square) to name a few.
Many of the buildings, statues and monuments and intricate details in sculptures are a site to admire.
Bordeaux offers many choices in rich culture and history as it is one of the oldest cities in France.  

There are beautiful public parks, gardens, water fountains, and ponds which are picture perfect.
Vibrant colors of various species of flowers can be seen especially in early spring and summer, and there are vast areas of meticulously manicured grounds.
Decorative and ornate rod iron gates and fences of various designs are also very common.
From our apartment at the synagogue, we could appreciate the neighboring areas just by walking and exploring the surroundings. 

As you travel away from the city through the countryside, the area is known for its world-recognized vineyards, each with their own characteristics and wine type, depending on specific geography.
It is a beautiful part of France, which we only explored very little when we lived there.
About twenty-five years ago, we (Mom and I, Elaine, Stefan and Risa) took our first family trip to France.
We spent some time in Marseille, the place where I spent my adolescent years.
We had the most wonderful time with family and meeting up with close school friends.
It was so exciting to visit where I lived, the schools I attended while absorbing the many beautiful scenery of this large seashore city and surrounding towns.
It brought me such fond memories, going back to the neighborhood I grew up in.
We then spent a few days with our cousins in Bordeaux.
We rented a car and had the chance to witness firsthand the spectacular landscape from Carcans to throughout the Medoc region which is quite breath taking.
The hospitality we received from our cousins was exceptional.
We appreciated their hospitality and still cherish the special book entitled “Discovering the Gironde”, given to us as a souvenir of our short stay.
It was wonderful to spend the time and reminisce.
An unforgettable and very memorable trip, nonetheless. 

## Integration in the community

Transitions are difficult.
As newcomers to Bordeaux, we had to acclimate to a new life, but we were no stranger to this as we had moved from one area to the next.
Living in this new community had its challenges; making connections, getting to know people and integrating into a new environment, all seemed daunting.  

We were fortunate that the apartment we lived in was under the auspices of the consistoire (Board of Trustees of the Synagogue).
Monsieur Leon Saba, a long-time member of the board took us under his wing.
We became very close with him and his family.
That supportive connection was priceless and helped forge our connection with the Jewish community.
Monsieur Saba especially played a major role in creating a welcoming environment for us.
Grandpa felt at ease being familiar with Sephardic melodies and prayers and became comfortable following the services he was accustomed to.
The influence on chants and melodies came from Spanish-Portuguese background, that originated from both these countries dating back centuries.
We gained a true appreciation for the rite Bordelais which was known as the liturgy of the Jews of Bordeaux.
These were unique melodies that stayed with us.
They were also very apparent in Sephardic services, with unique intonations, and similar melodies which again originated from Spanish and Middle Eastern backgrounds.
Depending on where people came from; Spain, Portugal, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq etc., you could hear slight variations in the different chants and prayers.  

We became part of this community, participating in the different services, and we had a true appreciation for special occasions and holidays.
It was especially magnificent to see the synagogue decorated for weddings.
It brought a different dimension with flowers which lined the entire length of the sanctuary, and a Chupah in front of the ark which was large enough to sit most of the bridal party.  

On high holidays, the synagogue was even more beautiful.
In the ark, twelve torah scrolls were all redressed in the traditional white covering as was the Teba (Bimah).
On the eve of Yom Kippur, before sundown, tall white memorial candles, called _cierges_, were lit by congregants in remembrance of family members and friends.
They lined up in large numbers on both sides of the steps leading up to the ark.
There were additional areas on the side for smaller Yarhzheit candles as there was limited space.  

## Personal touch

Our apartment, which was close to the synagogue, became a comfortable spot for congregants to stop by after services, for a drink or pastries which we seemed to have in abundance especially around holidays.
Sweet homemade pastries were always a hit, but it was only a fraction of what was to be prepared for Bar Mitzvahs receptions.  

It was traditional to have many different varieties of pastries which we had without fail around all the holidays.
Especially for Bar Mitzvahs, baking of all kinds of goodies, both sweet and salted, began well before the actual Bar Mitzvah events.
Grandma Rachel, Nona Rosa and Aunt Laura would spend countless hours preparing insane amounts of baked items to accommodate the large number of guests.
As it became closer to the actual Bar Mitzvah, they prepared delicious hot dishes again in great amounts and wide varieties.
The spread of food and sweets was talked about and remembered throughout the community with unforgettable appreciation and so many testimonials.
It was so much superior to a catering service with a personal touch. 

Being part of the community, we attended Hebrew school.
As members of the choir, we participated at Shabbat services, and on Jewish holidays we chanted all the melodies our Hebrew school teacher painstakingly and with great patience taught us.
On Simcha Torah and other holidays, we each took turns to chant melodies which we performed in front of the ark steps.
It was intimidating in the presence of the congregation.
Prior to proceeding at the formal services, there was intense practice to ensure our intonation of the prayer or melody was correct, and our voice was clear and loud to be heard.
When we performed in front of the congregation, we wore traditional white gown attire complimented by a white hat, such as what the Chazan wears on high holidays.
The same attire was worn at Bar Mitzvahs. 

Studying for Bar Mitzvah was intense as the Chazan taught the prayers and melodies with attentive detail.
It was the Chazan’s expectation that each Bar Mitzvah would become proficient with all the parts of the morning and evening Shabbat services with their respective Parashat.
It took hours of intense focused preparation to attain flawless results to lead the entire service starting with Thursday morning service when Tefillin and Tallit were first worn, followed by Friday evening service and shabbat morning service. 

On becoming a Bar Mitzvah, our Grandparents and family from Israel provided each of us our Tallit, Tefillin and prayer books.
Even though we could not be together to celebrate Bar Mitzvahs, this personal touch was so deeply appreciated.
It made it very memorable.  

In addition to the religious portion on becoming a Bar Mitzvah, there was the festive part; breakfast for all the children, cousins and Hebrew school classmates on Thursday morning following services, upon wearing Tefillin, luncheon after Shabbat morning service and Saturday night party for the grownups. 

During the Bar Mitzvah ceremony, it was customary to sprinkle the Bar Mitzvah with orange water (called _eau de fleur d’oranger_) for good luck, and to shower the Bar Mitzvah with Jordan almonds, hard candies for good luck.
This was done at each of our Bar Mitzvahs.
The orange water and Jordan almonds were more associated with a Sephardic custom, but closely related to our Judeo-Spanish origins.  

I am describing a brief period when we lived in Bordeaux and our close relations with the Jewish community.
We had the chance to be part of an incredible congregation; experiencing the celebrations of Bar Mitzvahs, integration with youth organizations, partaking in learning the ritual melodies, and for myself taking the opportunity to showcase the beautiful synagogue to visitors.  

## Day to day life

We were only in Bordeaux for a couple of years before moving to Marseille.
Bordeaux is a beautiful city, and there are so many sites that I could have visited but did not have the opportunity.
My time was spent attending public school and Hebrew school.
I participated in the synagogue choir, and mostly visited with family.
I was also part of a Jewish youth group as were my brothers.
We attended an overnight co-ed camp.
It was my first such exposure to kids my age and it was truly a very nice experience.  

Despite the difficulties of settling in a new environment, the integration into the community was very meaningful from my perspective.
I admit it was far from easy for our parents.
Bordeaux brought some normalcy following the small towns we stopped in earlier since leaving Egypt.
Although we were in a place, we could call our own, it was still temporary.
Our cousins were pursuing their studies, while my brothers and I attended schools and classes commensurate with our age.
Schooling was very fragmented as I already alluded, and catching up was not easy, especially joining classes in the middle of a school year.  

In Egypt, we all attended French schools which were very strict as is the French education system which we found even more advanced.
I attended a school for boys, L'Ecole Comunale Henry IV, equivalent to a Middle School in the states and continued into the next level once we moved to Marseille. 

I could expand further on our stay in Bordeaux, but what I take in souvenir was our wonderful integration into the Sephardic Jewish community with exposure from Judeo-Spanish influence which we were accustomed to from Egypt, as well as the memorable celebrations of Bar Mitzvahs.  

## Disruptions of the Jewish Community

When we arrived in Bordeaux, it was just about 12 years since the pillage had taken place.
The grand synagogue had been completely desecrated and served as a jail during WWll.
There were photographs taken during that period of occupation that the great rabbi Josef Cohen shared with us.
It was heartbreaking to see that the inside was without any pews.
They were destroyed during the occupation.
Barricades with barbed wire flanked by machine guns, stood in the middle of the empty sanctuary behind which Nazi soldiers hid.
Many of the religious items were destroyed including the golden menorah which stood in the center in front of the Teba (Bimah).
Fortunately, the torah scrolls had been removed and were preserved as was all the silver items. 

We were fortunate to see a rebuilt synagogue.
The community was again vibrant with a melting pot of congregants from Bordeaux and many from North African countries, Spain and Portugal.
It was striking to discover that a little more than a decade earlier this community had fallen under Nazi occupation.  

The building and apartment where we were living had once housed the great rabbi Josef Cohen and his family.
I remember listening to his story as he recalled his encounter with Nazi soldiers during the war.
The soldiers invaded his apartment.
Luckily, he was alone.
He was ordered to prepare some belongings and to follow the soldiers.
While he was waiting in the hallway, the soldiers miraculously became preoccupied.
During this moment, the rabbi gathered enough courage to flee, even though it was extremely risky.
While the soldiers’ heads were turned away, he quickly moved towards the stairway and descended onto the courtyard heading towards the small sanctuary which by luck was unlocked.
Fortunately, there were no soldiers, and once inside, he quickly found a way and exited through the back of the building.
where he was able to escape through an alley way.
He later found shelter and protection and reunited with his family.
It was fascinating to hear his story firsthand and to learn of the actual events.
While he was recounting what he went through, you could almost feel yourself immersed in the story of the moment, just imagining what could have happened if it turned worse. 

Rabbi Cohen spoke of others who were not as fortunate as he who did not have the chance to escape.
After listening about the occupation of the synagogue which had been used as a jail during the war, we wanted to explore the area.
There was so much history right under our eyes, and as kids, we took an interest to venture.
While searching around, we eventually reached a passageway leading inside the attic of the synagogue and found ourselves above the arches of the main sanctuary, spanning the entire length of the synagogue all the way above the ark.
The area was slightly lit by sun rays penetrating through small windows.
We carefully walked around between the arches hoping to discover something.
It was a fascinating experience, and quite dangerous looking back, but we only found the area to be bare and dusty.  

We had heard of anecdotal stories of Jews who hid and escaped by way of tunnels, and there was some belief that an escape route existed under our building which was eventually blocked.
I remember going down to the basement to look with trepidation as the area was very poorly lit with the odor of coal from the furnace.
It appeared that there may have been an opening behind the furnace, but it is strictly anecdotal.  

Many Jews did not have the chance to escape.
They were horribly captured and deported to concentration camps during the siege.  

Their names are inscribed on a large plaque which was installed on a wall in the front yard of the synagogue.
At the top of this memorial plaque are the following words in French “A Nos Martyrs 1940-1944", To Our Martyrs 1940-1944.
On Holocaust Remembrance Day each year, the congregation gathers in front of this memorial plaque, as the victims who fell under the Nazi regime are recalled in blessed memory and a memorial prayer is recited. 

When I started these writings, I described our story when we were expelled from our home country simply for being of Jewish descent.
It is heartbreaking to witness the hatred and violence that existed then, and sadly for the hatred which still exists today.  

Thank you for your interest

Bordeaux, France

## Marseille – 7 January 1957

When we arrived in Marseille,
we were greeted by government officials and representatives to help families with their passports
to facilitate entry into the country.
I cannot recall how long we were at the port of Marseille,
as many families needed to be processed.
We were grouped together as a family as did many others,
and agencies took charge of assisting in providing transportation and accommodation.
This was the start of a transition through several locations in France
from Carcès to Draguignan and eventually Bordeaux, where we finally settled, at least initially.
As new refugees,
we were required by the government to have paperwork stamped in each town/city's jurisdiction. 

## Carcés - 7 January 1957 to 13 February 1957 

Once formalities were completed,
we boarded a tour bus that was waiting to take us to Carcés,
a small quaint country town 100 km (about 60 mi) from Marseille.
Traveling through the beautiful and picturesque Provence countryside was much smoother
after being at sea for almost 2 weeks.
Carcés is in le Var department also known as Provence-Alpes Côte d'Azur region in Southern France.

![Aerial view of Carcés, France](https://www.provence7.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Carc%C3%A8s-7-Fotolia_3399673.jpg) 
Aeriel view of the town of Carcés, France

After this short trip,
we arrived in the center of town where the bus pulled in front of our hotel,
"hôtel chez nous."
The temporary stay at this hotel was organized by the French government
in conjunction with the town of Carcès, municipal authorities. 
Upon stepping down from the bus, the hotel owners greeted and welcomed us.
They quickly gave us a tour of the hotel and showed us our rooms.
They helped us get settled and feel comfortable in our new environment and made us feel like family.
We could discern Arabic spoken principally between family members;
however, French was the prominent language spoken.
It felt authentic especially when speaking with hotel guests,
people who visited and the hotel owners. 
As night fell, we were all invited into the main dining room for supper.
We could smell the aroma of hot cooked food permeating.
On each table, there were French bread (baguettes), dishes of fresh butter
and abundant red wine poured in carafes
as we were in the heart of wine country of the Provence region. 
 
It was winter and the climate was much colder than what we were accustomed to.
We had to get habituated to frost and cold temperatures.
The scenery was unlike anything we were used to.
In the brisk morning air under gray skies,
a distinct smell permeated from burning wood and you could see smoke coming from chimneys.
It was January and the sight of snow slightly covering the ground was completely foreign to us.
We had never experienced anything like this before. 
We stayed in Carcès, our first destination, from our arrival on 7 January 1957 until 13 February 1957,
which does not seem like an exceptionally long time.
At first, we were not aware how long we would be in Carcès,
but it was important for me to be in school,
given the disruptions which we encountered from our unsettling time in Alexandria and moving to another country.
I went to L'Ecole communale in Carcès (the local elementary school in the neighborhood),
where classes were already underway.
As a newcomer, I felt the pupils were unwelcoming,
which seemed typical as it takes a while for a new student to be accepted or integrated into a new school.
I had not had the opportunity to get to know any of the students
or to get acclimated as would be the case starting at the beginning of a school year.

Carcès was a small community where people knew one another.
The hotel we stayed in was frequently visited by local people
who stopped by for a meal, a drink or to chat.
It was not unusual to hear people talking until late in the night,
as it seemed to be a friendly gathering place.
It took a little getting used to when I was trying to fall asleep,
as the noise from the dining room could be heard in the hotel rooms upstairs.
I am sure there were lots of stories being exchanged while getting to know one another.
At night especially, I remember being quite scared of one person who stood out.
This was a gentleman with a heavy beard who appeared older.
As I felt great fear in his presence,
it got worse as time went on as it became evident that I was running away trying to avoid him.
As soon as he came into the hotel,
I would quickly escape to my room upstairs.
It seemed so frightening that I remembered my cousin Adrienne reassuring me
and staying with me until I fell asleep.
I also saw this gentleman on my way to school in the morning.
I had already formulated my apprehension and opinion.
There was nothing that convinced me otherwise.
I would beg Albert, Sam or one of my cousins to walk me to school.
Deep down where I felt reassured.
I am certain he was probably a kind man meaning no harm,
but at that time I felt more secure being accompanied. 
 
We slowly fell into a routine even though this stop was supposed to be short.
I don't recall having much time to play as the days flew by,
and the weather outside was not conducive for outdoor activities.
I don't remember seeing kids having fun or many toys except for little girls playing with dolls.
I recall an incident with a little girl who was carrying a doll
when unexpectedly one of the arms of the doll became loose.
It was dangling from a metal spring.
Suddenly, the spring quickly coiled up into Robert's temple lodging near his eye.
Robert, who was being held in someone's arms started screaming.
He was just about a year and half old.
It was an intense and scary situation and there was great panic with people surrounding him.
Tino was nearby and upon realizing what was unfolding,
immediately and carefully held Robert and the doll's dangling arm and rushed to a nearby clinic.
It was a very tense situation as it could have been worse
but fortunately, everything turned out well following this frightening experience.
I remember there were several onlookers as this unfolded.
Everyone seemed quite concerned,
but later that day back at the hotel,
there was a sigh of relief knowing that everything turned out well.
 
Our stay in Carcès was coming to an end as we were slated to move to the next town,
which was also in the Var region.
As refugees/immigrants,
we were required by the French ministry of the interior to file a change of residence form
each time we moved from one place of residence to the next.
Our first move was when we departed from Carcès to go to Draguignan.

![Stamped document change of residence from Carcès to Draguignan, France](/images/recepisse-de-declaration-de-changement-de-residence-draguignan.png) 
Stamped document change of residence from Carcès to Draguignan, France.

Each community we reached in France seemed to be temporary.
It was unsettling because we did not know how long we would be staying in the different places
that provided us with temporary housing.
I am not sure what dictated why we ended up in the different towns,
at least in Carcès and Draguignan in the beginning.
I wondered if it was due to its proximity to Marseille,
as both were in the Var region in the Provence-Alpes Côte d'Azur region in Southern France.
There was no time to settle in any of these communities,
hence no chance for stability or for us as kids to attend any meaningful schooling
as I already mentioned in my brief experience in Carcès.

## Draguignan - 13 February to 4 March 1957 

As in Carcès, the people of Draguignan also welcomed us when we arrived at hotel Sainte Marguerite.
We were greeted with warm hospitality and accommodation.
Shortly after settling into our rooms, we could smell the aroma of soup and hot cooked food.
To accompany our meal,
French baguettes were also in abundance,
and of course wine was always a great accompaniment with every meal.
In the early hours of the morning,
again the fresh smell of bread welcomed us,
as did the smell of warm croissants and fresh pastries,
along with espresso coffee and café au lait which permeated the room.
 
We had been accustomed to a European mode of life back in Egypt,
but in native France, it was even more authentic.
In this region of southern France, the people were very friendly.
Whether it was in Carcès or Draguignan, we felt a warm closeness.
Draguignan was a short stay,
and we did not have the chance to experience living in this small community.
As it came time to depart, we felt a sense of sadness like what we experienced when we left Carcès.

![Stamped document change of residence from Draguignan to Bordeaux, France](/images/recepisse-de-declaration-de-changement-de-residence-bordeaux.png) 
Stamped document change of residence from Draguignan to Bordeaux, France

For the families that were with us through these two initial stops,
we were slated to be together with a destination to Bordeaux.
Many of the other families who had arrived in Marseille originally
had either gone to other towns within France, or other countries.
My childhood friends, Arlette and Andre Lusena, who were on our boat went to Italy,
as their father was from Italian origin.
It would take quite a few years until I reconnected with them,
and it was not until we moved to Marseille.
Communication was principally by written letter, occasionally a telegram,
but telephone communication was essentially nonexistent.
It was wonderful to hear from friends and families from across the globe, 
all sharing their individual experiences as they settled in different parts of the world.
There were lots of stories of hardship while getting acclimated into foreign territory,
and lots of stories reminiscing of life in Egypt.

Our next adventure was moving to Bordeaux,
which was more conducive for our cousins who were going to study medicine.
Before settling in different parts of Bordeaux,
we were housed for a brief time in a temporary site which was an old military camp.
The address was Cour de l'Argonne in Bordeaux proper.
I remember seeing a letter sent by Nonna Rifka Sades in Israel
addressed to Grandma Rachel at that address.
This was the first letter directly sent from Israel to Grandma in France.

In this military camp, which was a makeshift housing,
each family was separated by a tall partition.
We could hear each other talking even after the lights went out for the night.
I am sure it must have been very scary venturing in yet a new environment
along with all the worries of settling into a new city and awaiting what was to come.
Our day consisted of waiting for formalities to determine our next steps for housing
or playing in the open field.

As the camp was no longer being used,
there was a pile of debris covered by a tarp in one of the corners,
which I thought was fun to climb.
Unfortunately, I took a tumble and fell onto my thumb which quickly became dislocated.
Quite scared and in a lot of pain,
I was quickly whisked and taken to the hospital nearby,
where I underwent a procedure known as closed reduction to reposition my thumb.
It was a very traumatic and painful experience as I recall being wheeled into the operating room.

After our stay at the foyer militaire, “military camp”,
each family was provided with options where to move in Bordeaux.
One of the choices was a place that belonged to the city which was located at Rue Belleville.
Our cousins, Tino, Andre and Adrienne, with Aunt Laura and Nona Rosa chose there,
as did other families.
I recall, it had accommodation for bedrooms to house each family,
a main kitchen and a large common area.
The common area was where we gathered during Jewish Holidays,
and Grandpa Soly would lead all the prayers along with some help from family members.
Grandpa Soly seemed to always lead the bulk of the prayers.
This took place for each holiday while we lived in Bordeaux.
Rue Belleville happened to be one of the sites that housed most families.
Others were given different options throughout the city
under the auspices of the government and formalities.

We were provided housing on the grounds of the Great Synagogue of Bordeaux, located at Rue Labirat.
The name of the street has since been changed to Rue du Grand Rabin Cohen,
named after the Great Rabbi of Bordeaux,
in honor of his legacy to the Jewish Community of Greater Bordeaux.
I had the chance to meet Great Rabbi Cohen when we lived at la Rue Labirat,
and found him to be very fascinating.
He shared a lot of the history of the temple and the Jews in the Bordeaux community during World War II,
as well as his story and escape from the Nazis.

Our home was at 8 Rue Labirat during the time we lived in Bordeaux.
As I remember, there was only 1 room per floor.
On the ground floor, was a classroom for the Hebrew school.
We occupied a room on the second floor,
which was a combination kitchen with a cast iron stove,
a small table and room for Grandpa Soly and Grandma Rachel's bed.
On the top floor,
there was a bathroom and a bedroom with beds for all four of us, Albert, Sam, me and Robert.
There was also a large desk we used to do our homework.

In the back of the building we lived in, we had the view of the temple's inner courtyard.
To the right, there was a side entrance to the main synagogue.
Across the courtyard was a smaller chapel, which was mostly used for daily minyans
and during the winter when there were smaller congregants gathering for prayer.
On the left side of the courtyard was the entrance to a function hall
and the housing quarters for the Chamash (in charge of the building) and his wife.
The Chamash was present at all services.
He ensured decorum and was charged with organizing the honors for section of the prayers
and overseeing the security of the temple.
His name was Monsieur Perer.
He was an icon at the synagogue with a long tenure.
I was always amazed at the outfit he wore during services.
It was all black with a distinctive hat.
It made a great impression.

La Grande Synagogue de Bordeaux or Great Synagogue of Bordeaux had an impressive façade,
which could be seen through a solid iron gate from the street.

![Picture of front of synagogue of Roman motif showing large marble steps leading up to the entrance, flanked by 2 large towers on either side](/images/bordeaux-grand-synagogue-facade.jpg) 
Picture of front of synagogue of Roman motif showing large marble steps leading up to the entrance, flanked by 2 large towers on either side. 
("[Grande synagogue de Bordeaux](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Synagogue_of_Bordeaux#/media/File:Synagogue_Bx_4.jpg)" by [Jibi44](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jibi44) is licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).)

The main doors to the synagogue were only open during services,
otherwise the three large doors were always kept locked.
Once entering from the street,
a large foyer led to another 3 large doors which led into the sanctuary.
From the foyer, there were large marble staircases leading to the upstairs where women sat.

The synagogue was a main tourist stop for many people visiting Bordeaux.
It was not unusual to get a knock on our door with people interested in seeing the inside,
as we lived on the grounds.
I took much interest and appreciation in sharing in the joy
of offering to show the inside of the synagogue to anyone who was interested.
There was still an element of trust in opening the doors to perfect strangers in those days,
as today, the synagogue is heavily guarded and visiting is done strictly by appointment.

The inside of the synagogue was very impressive.
The ground floor had oak pews with names of congregants,
members of the Consistoire or members of the congregation.
Women sat on the second-floor balcony.
It was very typical in Sephardic synagogues to have a delineated area in the center,
called _nef_, which was an enclosed area that was surrounded by tall oak walls.
This is where the choir was led and where the organ keyboard was located.
(We, Albert, Sam and I had become members of the choir,
known as _Enfants de Coeur_ during the time we lived in Bordeaux).
Cousins Allegrina and Benny were also part of the choir.
At certain times, specifically during wedding ceremonies,
there would be a small orchestra ensemble which would accompany the organ and the choir.
We had learned all the unique melodies which were played at Shabbat services
and Jewish Holiday Services.
The organ piping system was located on the right side upon entering the temple.
It was a structure with ventilated panels to allow the beautiful, amplified sound of the pipe organ,
which echoed beautifully in this large edifice.
The synagogue had the addition of a beautiful Soprano who accompanied the choir
during certain services and at weddings.

![Great synagogue of Bordeaux, interior](https://www.bordeaux-tourism.co.uk/sites/bordeaux_tourisme/files/styles/sit_main_image/public/externals/30fcd461de54d49729d613be01ae3c3d.jpg.webp?itok=KvyjwORj) 
![Great synagogue of Bordeaux, interior, three-quarters aerial shot](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/653e2b_c9a4ae2fed5fc54d9e317876a3847681.jpg/v1/fill/w_600,h_450,al_c,lg_1,q_80,enc_auto/653e2b_c9a4ae2fed5fc54d9e317876a3847681.jpg) 
Great synagogue of Bordeaux inside look

I described earlier the enclosed area in the center of the synagogue,
which can be seen in the picture above.
This was known as the _Nef_.
At the very front of the Nef were steps on both sides to go up to the “Teba” (Bimah),
where our Chazan, Mr. Zerbib, led services.
The Teba faced the ark.
In front of the Teba was a very large golden 7 branch menorah,
which was a focal point and located several feet from the large marble steps leading up to the ark.
The ark was known as Echal.

![](https://www.saint-genes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Diapositive3.jpg) 
This is where 12 Sefer Torah scrolls were kept, corresponding with the 12 tribes

I recall visitors being in awe when they entered while observing the beauty of the sanctuary.
What culminated their visit was seeing the inside all lit up
and when the heavy red curtai,n which hung from the very top of the sanctuary, was pulled open.
Once the curtain was gathered open,
you could see the doors behind which were located the Sefer Torahs.
As the ark was opened, there were lots of moments of silence and reflection.
On certain occasions,
visitors could get a glimpse at the Khupah that the Congregation readied for a wedding,
which stood in front of the ark.
 
This Grand Synagogue of Bordeaux had recently celebrated 140 years
and was witness to so much history including its occupation by the Nazis during WWII.

There is much more to share about our story of living in Bordeaux.
While living on the grounds of the great synagogue, we were an integral part of the Jewish community.
As I mentioned, we were all part of the choir and both Albert and Sam were Bar Mitzvat there.

Thank you for your interest

Arrival In France

In my previous segment, I described the incredible disruptions we encountered in our daily life and the government interference which led to our final demise. It was a noticeably short period which hardly highlights the rich legacy we were leaving behind at that time. 

As I started to search into our past, it became evident that we were not just moving from a country. We were leaving our roots and our page in history. It was hard for me to imagine how difficult it must have been leaving our family members who had passed. 

When we left Egypt, we knew that our passports were labeled one way with no return. It would take many years before anyone could return to Alexandria to visit. Fortunately, our cousins Tino and Michele made a nostalgic visit in April 1995, some 40 years after our departure. They saw where we grew up and witnessed firsthand how life was so different from when we lived there. 

They looked for the neighborhoods where we all lived and found with much ease the apartment building where Tino grew up. Unfortunately, they had difficulty locating where we lived on the corniche (seashore) 

They visited the schools Tino and Andre attended starting with St Catherine and eventually got to connect with teachers at college St Marc. Remarkably, the registers containing both Tino and Andre's grades with great merit were still intact. The professors were ecstatic over hearing French as most of the language now spoken in Egypt is Arabic. 

Tino and Michele partook in authentic meals and visited many sites that (Tino) remembered as a Teenager. At the highlight of their journey, they were able to visit the main synagogue in Alexandria, Eliahu Hanabi. The main gate was heavily guarded. They discovered, not surprisingly, that only a few congregant members (less than 5) remain. 

Some of the pictures taken inside the synagogue featured the individual pews, well maintained and marked with people's family names engraved from the Jewish community which once thrived. The torah scrolls looked well preserved as was the inside of the synagogue which is protected as a historical site. 

Services were once widely attended in this beautiful synagogue. In its hay days many happy occasions were held and so many were married within its walls. Grandpa Soly and Grandma Rachel were married in 1942 as were Aunts, Uncles and so many others. 

While visiting the synagogue, cousin Tino wanted to find out about the Jewish Cemetery where his father Marco Hazan, our uncle, Grandfather Abramino Boroda and other family members were interred. Fortunately, a member of the Jewish community was able to provide some details from registers which were preserved. This was for the main Jewish cemetery in Alexandria. Upon entering through the main gate, they described the condition of the cemetery grounds. It was disheartening to find that it had been grossly neglected with overgrown grass and weeds. Unfortunately, the groundskeeper could not read nor speak, and therefore he was unable to provide much information on locating the graves. Tino and Michele searched all through the grounds hoping to find family graves. Despite extraneous efforts and perseverance, they were never able to find them. It was with great disappointment and very heavy hearts that they finally left the cemetery. 

This precious page in history will always remain in our memory. We pray for the dignity of all our family members who are interred in Alexandria and those we left behind that they should never be forgotten. 

__1915__:
Abramino Boroda (Nona Rosa's husband, Grandpa Soly, Uncle David Boroda and Aunt Laura Hazan's father)

__1943__:
Emile Hazan at age 6 days (Uncle Marco and Aunt Laura Hazan's son, cousins Tino, Andre and Adrienne's brother)

__1945__:
Elie Boroda (Nona Rosa's son, Grandpa Soly, Uncle David Boroda and Aunt Laura Hazan's younger brother)

__1951__:
Vivianne Hazan (Uncle Marco and Aunt Laura Hazan's daughter, cousins Tino, Andre and Adrienne's sister) at 2 years of age, and 1 month before her father Marco Hazan passed

__1951__:
Uncle Marco Hazan, (Aunt Laura's husband, Tino, Andre and Adrienne's father)

__1957__:
Sylvie Hazan (Uncle Marco Hazan's sister, cousins Tino, Andre and Adrienne's Aunt) _She passed after we left Egypt._

__Unknown date__:
Celine Sades (Grandma Rachel, Uncles David and Isaac Sades, and Aunt Mary Anaf's younger sister)

## We were now forced to forge forward...

As I reflect on all that was involved in preparing for our departure, we had to leave under very intense pressure and strict government control. Each family had their own situation in terms of citizenship they possessed and which country they would go. Communication was restricted due to government censure; it was difficult to keep in touch or to know where our friends and families were slated to go, when they were leaving or which boat they were taking. 

The formalities for applying to enter a foreign country were quite complex as many of the countries including the U.S had strict immigration quotas. We were able to obtain French passports by the Consulat De Suisse en Alexandrie (Swiss Consulate in Alexandria). Both Grandpa Soly and Grandma Rachel's passports were issued on 28 March 1955 with an expiration date of 27 March 1958. [I scanned copies that I am including.] I explained why Grandpa Soly's nationality was Tunisian (born in Egypt). As Tunisia was under a French protectaria (protectorate) it was easier to secure a French passport. We were not Egyptian citizens, and as stated earlier we were known as Apatride (Stateless) French protected 

The main agency that helped facilitate our departure from Egypt and ensure our safety was the International Red Cross. There were other agencies that assisted Egyptian Jewish refugees arriving in France who were escaping instability and persecution; FSJU, Fonds Social Juif Unifie, similar to the USA United Jewish Appeal, le COJASOR (Comité Juif d'Action Sociale et de Reconstruction), Jewish Social Action Committee and Reconstruction which also provided help to Jewish refugees, among others. 

At the time we arrived in France in early 57 there was already an influx of Jewish families fleeing unstable governments who immigrated to France. They came from other Arab countries, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. As refugees, we were all in the same predicament. 

## Our voyage was about to begin

We arrived at the port in Alexandria and entered what appeared to be a large building with several partitions. There were many families each awaiting to be called to be interviewed or interrogated by officers whose goal was to retrieve and confiscate valuables, especially jewelry and currency. 

It seemed the process went on for hours with each family taking their turn. I could hear screaming and crying. I could not completely ascertain what was happening because much of the interrogation was behind partitions. I later heard that any object of value became fair play at the hands of the officers. The process continued with final checkpoint for the formalities which was providing our French passports; Grandpa Soly's passport included Albert, Sam, me and Robert, Grandma Boroda and Nona Rosa Chouchana had their own, and Aunt Laura's passport included Tino, Andre and Adrienne. The phase of checking and stamping passports was quite intense and lengthy. As kids, I remember we were getting quite impatient as it was difficult to keep us entertained within the confinement of this hangar. 

The process of checkpoints continued all the way until we reached the ship. We were slowly reaching our final passage which would finally lead us away from Egyptian control. After stamping our passports, we knew we would be passing onto the path leading to the ship where a new adventure was awaiting. 

### 26 December 1956

![Black-and-white photo of the Enotria ship at sea, side view, port side](/images/enotria_1.jpeg) 
_l'Enotria at sea_

![Color photo of the Enotria ship, tied to a dock, three-quarters view, port side](/images/enotria_2.jpeg) 
_l'Enotria tied to a dock_

We boarded our ship called l'Enotria which seemed quite large, but nothing compared to todays' mega ships. It was dark and the air was cool. All we could see was the reflection of the lights on the water with calm ripples. The boat was tied to the dock all lit up. Our ship destination was Marseille France which was our port of entry as was for many Egyptian refugees. From this port, families transitioned to other destinations. Uncle David (Doudou), Aunt Esther and our cousin Eli (Lilli) Boroda boarded aboard another ship called l'Esperia. Their destination was Panama. This is where Aunt Esther's family was living at the time. 

Once on board, we felt free to roam. We found our cabins trying to figure out where everyone was going to sleep, and slowly connected with others. This was the first time we could determine who was on our ship. We quickly found out that my cousins Allegrina, Benny and Rebbie (Rebecca), Uncle Isaac and Aunt Marie Anaf were on the same boat which was quite a surprise as we were unaware until this point. Communication was very limited as I already eluded. Everyone was dispersed at the time of our departure depending on where they were going. Each had their story. Reconnecting with friends and family would become monumental. Later, when we arrived in France, we heard from families and friends either by letter or by telegram. 

I connected with childhood friends, Arlette and Andre Lusena who were also on our boat. They were going to Marseille and then Italy, their father's country of origin. It was exciting to see friends close in age, and we got into our usual mischievous and exploring behaviors, going up and down stairs and running from one deck to the next. For us kids, it was a new and exciting time, but we could sense the feelings our parents were experiencing which was far from leisurely. It became evident that the only good thing being on this boat was leaving persecution behind. 

As we were getting accustomed to this unfamiliar environment, older siblings by nature took care of the younger ones, such that Cousin Adrienne helped take care of younger brother Robert who at the time was a year and a half. Cousin Rebbie (Rebecca) Anaf was about the same age as Robert and Allegrina looked over her younger sister. 

Reality was setting in knowing that in a short time, we would be sailing away from our native country. I am sure our parents were feeling overwhelmed with mixed emotions following all the formalities they endured. One silver lining was that we were at least going to a country which spoke our native language, and we were already accustomed to a French style of living. The unknown, however, must have been very stressful as I later found out that settling into new communities, finding a job, a place to live, and making friends, etc... would be very difficult. Our parents had to remain strong, and we often heard them utter either in Arabic or in French “G-d will be there to watch over us”. We were 11 as part of our immediate family unit; Grandpa and Grandma Boroda, Albert, Sam, me and Robert, Nona Rosa, Aunt Laura, Tino, Andre and Adrienne. 

With the boat docked and in calm waters, everything seemed fine. Knowing that our voyage across the Mediterranean was going to be taking several days, I could sense apprehension as some verbalized fearing motion sickness. Personally, I had only been on a few short trips on a sailing vessel in Alexandria, and never experienced it. 

As hours went by, people were settling into their cabins. I remember going from one area to the next with my childhood friends and cousins. We couldn't think of anything except to have fun. I remember being told we were going to France, but I did not have an appreciation on how far or how long it would take. I later found out that the trip across from Alexandria to Marseille would be almost 2 weeks. With no real appreciation for time, it didn't dawn on me that this was quite a long journey, nor did I realize being confined on a ship for that long. 

The moment finally arrived when we would leave. The beautiful Mediterranean Sea shore on the banks of Alexandria we so enjoyed would be a distant memory. We heard loud horns resonating in the quiet air. The sound was frightening, as this continued several times. The ship decks were crowded with people watching as the large ropes were being detached from the dock. On the dock stood a few onlookers who seemed sad to see us leave. There was a lot of crying, and tears being shed as they were waving. The same was true of the passengers on the ship. 

We were slowly moving away from the dock as everyone continued to wave to each other as long as they could. The ship made its way quietly out of the harbor. Everything was getting smaller as we were some distance from the shore. A couple of final loud horns sounded. We were on our way. 

It was our first night away from home in a strange environment. In our cabin, there was a small round window which looked onto the water. I remember going to sleep but it did not seem long. As I awoke, I watched the scenery as eventually daylight was starting to show. Everyone would slowly get ready as they gathered for breakfast. My first inkling was to go up on deck to watch as the boat was swishing through the waves. It looked like fun. We could see from a distance some of the shores as the boat was moving what seemed quite fast. 

It was a few days when the ship crossed over into the open seas and far away from the coast. The waters started to become ruff. I cannot recall which day it was, but it seemed we encountered very strong waves, as the ship eventually entered very stormy weather. People got quite ill. It was a very unpleasant situation making it very difficult to look after each other. I cannot remember how or who handled Robert or our cousin Rebbie as they were only toddlers. Somehow, they were taken care of and managed to be kept safe. 

The storm seemed to gain intensity. At one point, I was curious to see what was happening on one of the decks. It was a very dangerous situation. Getting on deck was absolutely forbidden and access was under lock and key. From a distance, I could see the lounge chairs which had not been secured sliding from one end of the deck to the other as the boat swayed back and forth as well as up and down. It felt like a roller coaster with tall waves crashing onto the ship. Everyone felt helpless. We could hear pleas for help uttered in several languages with sadly no relief. I don't think anyone was spared from being affected, even the crew including the ship doctor. After all, it was winter with unpredictable weather. This monster storm was the culminating event of the whole journey and one we could not forget. We were all bracing for this ordeal to come to an end. It seemed like an eternity but eventually, it settled down, the days got brighter, and the seas became calmer. 

As each day arose, life on ship seemed to improve. It was much more pleasant to appreciate the scenery especially when we approached Italy. I could hear descriptions of our location but did not have an appreciation where we were in relation to our end point. I just simply went about life again catching up with friends and cousins. It was great to finally be able to roam around without fear. Today, I have an appreciation when I look at the map to retrace our voyage, and now realize that when we reached the coast of Italy, it would be the final stretch until we arrived in France. 

### 7 January 1957



After a 13-day long journey, the boat slowly made its way towards Marseille. As we approached, we could appreciate the beautiful and picturesque views of this large and dense cosmopolitan city. At the top overlooking the city stands la basilique de Notre Dame de La Garde, (Notre Dame Basilica) the main cathedral. 

The ship entered the port of Marseille, a major port in Southern France, quite large. No surprise it took a while to navigate through the maze of the port paths until we finally docked. There was intense coordination to ensure families were gathered and organized for an orderly exit. It was far from free for all, and we had to intently be alert to instructions being given and follow our guide. I don't quite remember the specifics, but I can see why it would need to be hyper focused. 

Marseille was a port of entry for everyone arriving from Egypt. After disembarking, we needed to go through customs and all our papers (passports) had to be checked to be allowed into the country. This process was far less intrusive than the precedent. At least we knew we were in friendly territory under the auspices of the French government and coordination of the agencies that would process where everyone would go. 

Marseille was a point of access from which families could choose where they could go providing a quota had not been reached. There seemed to be a lot of confusion and I think the government was trying to keep families together as much as possible. Forgive my ignorance as I am sure the process was more involved than what I describe. 

There were temporary areas (housing) where families would need to go until they finally settled into a community. Marseille for us was a shortstop as we did not choose to stay there, at least initially. 

There were several families and ours was one of them that eventually settled in Bordeaux, France. 

Why Bordeaux? I found out that during discussions with authorities, Tino is the one who chose that city, where both he and his brother Andre would attend medical school. Bordeaux was more conducive to these studies.

These are just a few paragraphs of our story. It seems so much has happened from the time we left Egypt until we reached France, starting a new life. 

In my next segment, I will continue with our journey from Marseille, through our different stays in France until we arrived in Bordeaux. 

Thank you for your interest.

Family Legacy


This is a brief overview of key dates
and a culmination of events which eventually led to our expulsion in 1956.

In 1922 Egypt became independent from Britain,
but it continued to retain a portion of the Suez Canal,
and maintained political and military power as well as economic influence over the country,
especially Alexandria and Cairo. 

1929 was the promulgation of Egyptian Citizenship or nationality Laws
under which a certain number of Egyptian residents managed to obtain citizenship.
The Jewish population in Egypt was quite diverse.
A quarter of the Jewish population held Greek, French, British and Italian citizenship.
Most possessed foreign passports which made it easier to obtain Egyptian citizenship.

The rest of the Jewish population was stateless.
We (our family and many of our friends) were considered Apatride,
meaning “stateless or without a country”, even though we were all born in Egypt.

In 1936 (26 August) the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty led to Egypt’s broadening their independence.

From 1939 to 1945 was the time span for World War II,
a very dark time in history.
It was also a time during which Jewish people then living in Arab countries
were left very vulnerable with the years following WWII bringing further unsettling times. 

In 1948 was the conflict between Egypt and Palestine.
It was also the year which led to the creation of the state of Israel.

In 1952 (23 July) Gamal Abdel Nasser succeeded in a coup
to overthrow the regime of King Farouk, which led to a new government

In February 1954 Gamal Abdel Nasser becomes Prime Minister of Egypt.

In 1956 (23 June) Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected President of Egy[t. 

In 1956 (26 July) was the Announcement
of the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Gamal Abdel Nasser.
It led to the “Suez Canal Crisis” and eventual war conflict toward Egypt
by France, the UK in collaboration with Israel
to retake control of the Suez Canal in October 1956.

## Changes and restrictions felt in daily life

Life on a daily basis seemed normal.
I remember going to family gatherings,
visiting Nona Rosa, Aunts, Uncles and cousins which I always looked forward to,
enjoying the beach, going on family outings and celebrating birthdays and holidays. 

Being of Sephardic descent, we had our own Orthodox traditions,
and I remember going to the synagogue nearby
enjoying the services and the melodies which resonated beautifully,
Men davened downstairs, and women were upstairs in the gallery.
We continued these traditions when we went to France
and hooked up with the Jewish community in both Bordeaux and Marseille. 

I remember Grandpa Soly leading prayers at all the holidays and Shabbat.
The speed at which he read Hebrew was amazing.
We would gather together on these beautiful occasions as a family
and our door was always open for anyone who wanted to join. 

Grandma Rachel's preparations with an abundance of traditional foods and sweets
was always a sign of the Holidays,
but food was plentiful at any other time.
These were traditions which originated from Grandparents
and had a mixture of middle eastern and spanish influence.
There was always enough for an army.
Food and homemade pastries were important at different Holidays, 

As I reached the age of 6,
Egypt had already started to undergo political changes.
A coup to overthrow King Farouk and its dynasty had taken place
and Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected President of Egypt. 

As these events unraveled,
the Jewish people living in Egypt were becoming targets of violence, and segregation.
Fights between military groups and Jews erupted in Cairo,
resulting in injuries and deaths.
Many were imprisoned without a trial, on suspicion of being a Zionist.

The Egyptian government began to impose restrictions on Jews,
confiscating assets,
sequestering businesses owned by Jews,
and freezing bank accounts.
Strict regulations were imposed, abolishing civil liberties,
followed by mass arrests without charge.
Nasser also stripped away Egyptian citizenship from anyone he desired.
Jews were all at the mercy of Nasser’s regime. 

There were many Jews who had chosen to leave in 1948 and early 1950.
A good portion would flee to Israel as it became a safe haven for Jews.
Others chose to go back to their country of origin where they possessed citizenship.
The majority remained in Egypt,
hopeful that there would be an end to the crisis, but tensions grew worse.

As it became more and more unsettling,
it was hard to reach the news and find out what was happening.
There was government censure with respect to access to information
and it became very risky for anyone caught reading a newspaper or discussing politics.

I could sense what used to be a normal routine;
such as Grandpa meeting up in a cafe,
conversing with friends,
or reading a newspaper was not happening as it once did. 

I remember we had a small shortwave radio in Grandpa and Grandma’s bedroom,
settled in a tiny corner.
Grandpa would listen to the radio
(primarily BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation) usually in the evening.
I was always perplexed why the sound was so low and muffled
while Grandpa was sitting with his ear very close to the speaker.
It made sense to me later that listening to the news was very risky.
We were living in very fearful and scary times.

Slowly, it became evident that our life was being transformed
especially in the months following Gamal Abdel Nasser coming into power as President of Egypt. 

The announcement of the nationalization of the Suez Canal in 1956 by Nasser
was an inflection point which triggered an ensuing conflict against Egypt.

## The environment

Following the Suez Canal conflict,
the expulsion of Jews was imminent.
Jews were considered enemies of the state
and the Egyptian government undertook major efforts to force us to leave the country.
The situation was under duress
and the organization who helped facilitate our departure on board ships
was the ICRC, the International Committee of the Red Cross.
It was the agency involved in providing humanitarian help during our transition.
Another agency which provided support was the HIAS, Hebrew Immigration Aid Society.
They were very involved with the Jews who immigrated to Israel.
The HIAS would play a major role in our own immigration efforts later
when we applied for status to facilitate immigration to the US.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian police enforced a mandate by serving papers and by harassment toward Jews.
The head of each household was required to report to the government offices after being served papers
and obliged to sign that leaving the country was doing so out of our own volition.
We had to agree to giving up our assets asserting no coercion from the Egyptian government.

Each family was told that only a specific amount of money or “livres”, Egyptian currency,
and a limited amount of personal belongings could be taken out of the country.
I witnessed all of our furniture and belongings being sold at bargain pricing
and very fast as we were limited on what could be carried out of the country. 

We were allowed to take a couple of large suitcases
(I remember the suitcases which were large, all leather,
very heavy looking with wide straps to keep them from opening),
two smaller suitcases, two canvas duffle bags as they called them “fourre tout”,
meaning carry all or stuff all that could fit.
I recall two metal trunks which were used to ship essential, personal items,
and meticulously wrapped glassware.
I remember they were shipped by sea
and it took well over a year for the trunks to arrive in France.
Despite all of the careful wrapping,
much of the glassware did not make the tumultuous voyage,
and most of the glassware did not survive. 

The government forbade jewelry from leaving the country.
We heard many stories and anecdotes on how jewelry was smuggled out of the country.
Some succeeded in getting both money and jewelry out of Egypt
but did so much earlier well before any signs of conflicts.

Despite all the creative ways that people took,
once jewelry was discovered during searches at customs, it was immediately confiscated.
I vividly remember an incident at customs checkpoint before boarding our ship
when Aunt Laura had her wedding band taken off her finger.
This was very hard to witness.

## How we prepared to stay safe

We prepared in anticipation of air attacks.
As we lived directly on the seafront,
we needed to ensure that there would be complete darkness at dusk,
and that no light could be seen from our high rise.
We had to install thick black panels of material on every window
to ensure light could not be seen from the outside. 

Once the attack on Egypt was launched,
air raid sirens could be heard every night at dusk.
This was our warning to gather quickly,
and I remember Grandpa leading us from our apartment into a shelter.
I do not recall where this was located in our apartment building
except that it was in a very dark space.
Grandpa would hold us all together tightly and uttered the “Shema Prayer” softly.
We could hear the rumbling of aircrafts flying which sounded very near,
followed by serial detonations of bombs which resonated quite loud and shook the building.
Daily bombings over the skies would occur every night at sundown
and would last for what seemed endless hours.
This went on until the cease fire which occurred on 29 October 1956.

The morning after the air raids and bomb attacks,
I remember going to the quarter where Nona Rosa, Aunt Laura, Tino, Andre and Adrienne lived.
It was near the downtown area of the city where the government infrastructure was located,
and obviously an area targeted by the bombardiers.
The site was devastating, with lots of destroyed buildings and debris.
We would rush there to make sure everyone was safe.

I remember we had just recently installed a telephone,
which was quite novel at that time,
but It was very risky to carry any conversation by phone during these turbulent times. 

Now that I look back,
I know that there was hardly much time for our family to prepare until we left.
From the time we were served papers by the government,
and living through the active conflict,
we barely had a matter of days to accomplish what seemed impossible.
It is absolutely astonishing. 

## Preparing to leave

I described in an earlier segment that Nono (Grandpa) Samuel, Nona (Grandma) Rifka,
and two of Grandma Rachel's brothers, Uncle David Sades, Uncle Isaac Sades and their spouses
had already immigrated to Israel.

Grandpa Soly, being the eldest of his siblings,
had to essentially take charge of Nona (Grandma) Rosa,
his sister, Aunt Laura, and her three children, Tino (Albert), Andre and Adrienne,
as well as our family.
Grandpa Soly took on the responsibility for everyone’s wellbeing and safety
while navigating the bureaucracy until our departure. 

There were many government hurdles to overcome during our transition
which were not easy feats.
Under normal circumstances, it would be overwhelming,
but imagine leaving all behind with barely the clothes on your back,
little money with young children ranging from teenage years to barely a toddler
towards an unknown destiny.
It was an unpredictable chapter for which we had little control. 

The police checkpoints seemed to be everywhere,
with intense interrogation, checking documents,
inhumane treatment as far as being treated as second class citizens,
little to no dignity when it came to frisking
(ripping clothes off)
to determine if jewelry or money was being smuggled,
and no regard for one’s personal belongings when searching and rummaging through luggage.
Much of our belongings were left totally discombobulated.

All of this was coupled by confiscating jewelry
and anything of value the officers came across.
We had no say and were totally at the mercy of the government officers and customs patrol. 

In the hangar with checkpoint passthrough,
we could hear at times a lot of yelling, crying of adults and young children,
and fighting while this was unfolding. 

The process at customs was very unpleasant,
with no regard for the individual whether elderly, young, man or woman.
The officers were ruthless.

I will pause here and hope to continue this chapter of family
and life in Egypt and our voyage across to France.

Thank you for your interest.

Historical Background


I was born in 1949 née Edouard [my birth name] in Alexandria Egypt at a pivotal time in Egypt’s modern history. Two important events occurred around that period: 4 May 1948, the establishment of the state of Israel and 26 July 1956, Gamal Abdel Nasser, President of Egypt announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal which triggered the "Suez Canal Crisis'. This resulted in a major war conflict against Egypt launched jointly by France and the United Kingdom in collaboration with Israel to overtake control of the Suez Canal on 29 October 1956. 

The political unrest at that time was the start of a decline of the Jewish community in Egypt. 
A great majority of the Jewish people were preparing to seek refuge in a country that would accept them. 
There were about 60,000 Jews living in Egypt during this period. At the time surrounding the Suez Canal Crisis, close to 40,000 Jews would leave the country between 1956-57 and France welcomed 5,000 Jews. We were part of that group as we were French protected without Egyptian nationality. Many families chose different countries in Europe, the UK, Italy, Spain, Australia and North and South America.

A good portion possessed a French passport and others were stateless as residents of Egypt. We were of the latter category, with the exception of my paternal Grandmother Rosa who had an Egyptian identity. 
I never saw formal documents for Grandma Rosa to ascertain why this was the case, except that this must have been by virtue of marital status. I was always interested to find out why Grandpa Boroda’s identity papers stated Tunisia as his country of origin, I later found out from my cousin Tino [oldest cousin] that the origin of Tunisia came from my paternal Grandfather, Abramino Boroda, (Grandma Rosa, née Shoushana's husband). It was the custom in Egypt to confer your nationality of origin, not where you were born.. 

Alexandria was a melting pot with many immigrants from various countries including sefardic Jews from around the mediterranean sea and the Balkans. There were many other Jews that also immigrated from the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Syria, and Iran. 
We often heard testimonials from Grandpa, Grandma, family and friends on how they lived comfortably in Alexandria which was a very diverse cosmopolitan city.  Reminiscing on life in Egypt and learning about what life was like in the 40s and 50s became even more evident when we lived in France and later in the United States. 

As time went on, I realized how difficult it must have been to uproot your family and leave everything behind. I became more interested in learning about this part of the world which I only knew and experienced for a small period of my life, yet it left me with vivid memories. 
In reading further about what it was like, I found out that Egypt had a very rich influence from Europe and Britain. Major languages were spoken; French, English, Arabic, Spanish and Italian, and there were even more languages spoken than these few. 
I witnessed that in many conversations multiple languages were spoken, but within our household, we spoke primarily in French which was our native language. 

In schools, French was the main language taught. I attended l’école [school] Saint Gabriel, for primary studies, as did Albert, Sam et cousin Adrienne. I do not know what school my other cousins, Allegrina and Benny attended. 
The system was such that once you completed primary studies you had to take an admission test to be accepted in secondary classes at the collège Saint Marc. This is where Tino, our oldest cousin, and cousin André, his younger brother, attended their early studies in sciences and completed Pre Med until leaving Egypt. Cousin Eli also attended St Marc. Tino and Andre would both have to repeat studies and later entered medical school in France as much was the case with all of us coming in to a new country. This happened to me when I arrived in France and later when I came to the US. The second major languages spoken in Egypt and taught in schools were English and Arabic. 
Grandma Rosa only spoke Arabic, and would use some Spanish and Italian from time to time. We mainly heard her speaking in Arabic in conversations when Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt Laura, and Uncle David [Doudou]. In later years, when we were  living in France Grandma Rosa learned enough French words so she could converse with us. Arabic was not routinely spoken in our house, but definitely more prominent among friends and family. It was always interesting to also hear a lot of commingling in Spanish and Italian.

I never met my Grandpa [Nono Samuel] or Grandma [Nona Rifka also called Rebecca] Sades née Misrahi. They left Egypt for Israel in early 1948 before I was born, nor did I know Uncles and Aunts on my maternal side for the same reasons. I read several of their letters that were all written in perfect French. It made me realize that French was also the main language spoken. On my maternal side, Ladino, a form of Spanish dialect, also known as (Judéo-Spanish) was the other prominent language spoken, due to my maternal side’s origin from Spain. Ladino seemed to be the main language carried out in conversations which Grandma Rachel spoke with her brothers, David, Isaac and their spouses and her sister Aunt Mary. and her husband Uncle Isaac Anaf. It seemed that Ladino was also a major influence among many of Grandpa and Grandma’s friends as this language was used quite often in conversations. Grandpa spoke it as well. As I mentioned, Egypt was this melting pot from different origins which made it very multilingual.

A family that played an important role which I remember very briefly in Egypt was the Cassutos’. “Nona Cassuto”, as we called her, but not related, was very close to my maternal side. I vaguely remember her house, and visiting her. Nona Cassuto had a son Joe married to Rosie. Rosie was US born and her family was from New York. Rosie met Joe while visiting Egypt and they married in Alexandria. Joe worked for an international company “Japan Cotton Trading” which did import/export between Egypt, Europe, Asia and the US. Joe and Rosie would move to the US in the early 40s before any political tensions between Egypt and Israel. 
In the early 50’s as Nasser came into power, it became difficult and next to impossible to share information with Israel such as family news, events, pictures etc… Under Nasser’s regime the Egyptian government intercepted mail and packages going out or coming into the country.  Being that the US was a neutral country, the Cassutos’ helped facilitate getting news through from Israel to us or vice versa. 
For example, in order to communicate with Grandma Rachel, Nona Rifka would send out letters from Israel to New York, in turn the Cassutos’ would rewrite the letters on US airmail (Aérogramme) stationary, and mail to Grandma in Egypt for it to get through. Complicated process! but unfortunately this is how things are when you live under an autocratic government, not as simple as the USPS. It was not until we arrived in France that mail coming from Israel could reach us and vice versa. 

As far back as I can recall I learned that living in Alexandria was almost like being in a French city. We were surrounded by French culture and as I mentioned, the language primarily spoken was French. It was spoken everywhere; in stores, large and small, patisseries (pastry shops), theaters, banks etc… We enjoyed much of the French culture and influence. 
Elegance and haute couture was very prominent. Grandma always wore tailored and fine dresses, (always accessorizing) and Grandpa wore fancy shirts (starched collars and cuffs) and ties, sports jackets, or tailored suits complimented by a hat. Night life was very habitual. It seemed Grandpa and Grandma were frequently meeting up with friends. The days were leisurely, with lots of gatherings in outdoor cafés, beautiful sunshine as would be expected on the Mediterranean sea, authentic foods from multicultural backgrounds, and lots of Tawla games (Means Backgammon table game in Arabic) which Grandpa Soly was a real champion at. You could also smell chicha (Arabic for hookah) smoked in many areas of the city. All in all a pretty active scene. 

Back in our apartment, I remember that we had live-in babysitters. It was so much more fun when we had one that was less strict with us. We had so much fun, and practically would drive her crazy, as we could get away with much more. Managing three boys and a baby could be rather overwhelming. So we did cycle through many live-in babysitters who did not last too long. One babysitter however did stand out as we grew up knowing her, and she appeared to be more part of the family so it seemed. 

While living in Alexandria, we enjoyed a beautiful and tempered climate which was very pleasant. The warm season was tropical and seemed endless. Our life outdoors was the enjoyment of being on the beach. We had many choices of beaches, and of course there were some favorites which we frequented often. Summers seemed to last forever. 

We lived in a high rise building on the corniche, (beach front) in the Ramleh section of Alexandria. Grandma Rosa lived with her daughter our Aunt Laura and three of Aunt Laura's children; my cousins, Albert [Tino], Andre and Adrienne They lived in the downtown Alexandria area in the Manchieh section. 
Grandpa's brother, Uncle David [Doudou], Aunt Esther and cousin Eli lived in the Sporting section of the city. 
On my maternal side, Aunt Mary and Uncle Isaac Anaf along with my cousins, Allegrina, Benny (Benoit) and Rebbie [Rebecca] also lived near Sporting. 

Around 1948, my maternal Grandparents, Nono Samuel and Nona Rifka, moved to Eretz Israel along with Uncles David and Isaac shortly thereafter. I never met my maternal Grandparents, Uncle  Isaac or my Aunts as they had moved to Israel. My cousins on my maternal side were all born in Israel. I only met Uncle David Sades at Stefan's Bar Mitzvah in March 1996, and cousin Sammy Sades, Uncle Isaac's son who I saw for the first time when we visited Israel in 2018. I would like to know more about my maternal side now that I met Sammy and do hope to learn more when I have the chance.

I described a harmonious part of life in Egypt, but I also have vivid memories of the unrest which developed with Arab/Jewish relations. I researched some of the history of the time to better understand the events of the period. This led me to the Egyptian revolution of 1952 with the toppling of King Farouk in a coup d’état by the Free Officers Movement, a group of army officers led by Gamal Abdel Nasser and his close allies. Nasser was the first president of Egypt and was elected with 99.8% vote after overthrowing the monarchy and overthrowing King Farouk. 

In 1952, at barely three years old now that I look back, it was amazing that the years to follow would bring such turmoil. It would be the beginning of changes to come. As I grew to be a little older, I could sense that life around us was changing and that we were living under cautious conditions. 

In my next section, I will share my recollection of what life was like from 1952 to our departure. I will pause here and hope to continue this chapter of family and life in Egypt.

Thank you for your interest.


1949 to 1952


I thought I would start by putting together some thoughts about family
and a life journey from early childhood in Egypt,
adolescent years in France and adulthood in the US.
I hope to contribute to the story by way of email communication
which I will add from time to time.
This first email corresponds with the Eve of Passover 2022.
As I collect my thoughts,
I am reminded that freedom cannot be taken for granted.
I was barely a child growing up in Alexandria,
Egypt in the early 50s and I could not comprehend all that was going on,
except that the events surrounding our daily life got progressively worse under an autocratic leader and government.
We saw our lives completely disrupted and a path to expulsion from Egypt inevitable.
Sadly, we have seen many countries and citizens of all races and ethnic backgrounds
fall in the hands of dictators in our modern times.
Our family’s story and expulsion from Egypt, as difficult as it seemed,
cannot compare to the devastating and brutal events we are witnessing today in Ukraine.
On this Eve of Passover,
we pray for an end to this conflict and for all the victims and their families.

## My childhood

During the early years of my childhood, I saw a transformation from normal life to increasingly more unstable. I saw this through the lens of a child, but remarkably I could remember some of the events that eroded our daily life leading up to our departure and (expulsion) in early 1957. I did not realize how my parents (Grandpa and Grandma) and my Aunts and Uncles were affected or the conditions under which they were forced to leave Egypt. Nonetheless, I could sense from emotions the stress they were experiencing. I knew little of what was about to come, and leaving on a passenger boat to reach the shores of southern France seemed like a fun adventure. I will add to this story and further details on life in Egypt later.

All I remember was that it was dark upon embarking on the ship
and it seemed like the middle of the night.
The boat started to move away from the dock
and I could see people on the dock waiving to the passengers on ship,
and I could hear some crying.
While on board the ship,
I quickly reunited with friends whom I did not realize were leaving on the same boat we were on.
These friends remain close to this day and we keep in touch regularly.
They live in Italy.
Incidentally, and unbeknownst to me, I later found out that other family members left on different boats,
all headed for the port of Marseille, France.
This was our port of entry as immigrants, or refugees, as we were called.
From this part of France,
families were given choices where to go.
We chose Bordeaux for reasons I will explain later. 

I will pause here and hope to continue the story later.

Thank you for your interest.


Nostalgie

Bordeaux, France

Arrival In France

Family Legacy

Historical Background

1949 to 1952

Introduction