My Last Years In Egypt
- By: Joseph Hakim
I was born in Alexandria in 1931
and I left Egypt in 1957 after
the Suez War called in hebrew -
Mivtsa’a Kadesh”.
During this period - and
before the year 1931 - the
Jews in Egypt have passed
through several situations
from the best to the
difficult one coming to the pick
of difficulties and almost
persecution since end of October
1956 when the Egyptian
Authorities decided to act
violently against them.
The turning point against the
Jews started in fact with
intensity at the end of WWII by
the Islamic organization “The
Moslem Brothers”, behind them a
semi-nazi movement who was ready
to welcome a German occupation
of Egypt at the period of
Al-Alamein - acted as well and
gave the “Brothers” an
ideological help.
Jews were about 80.000 in Egypt
- half in Cairo, half in
Alexandria, very few were living
in Port-Said and some in
small rural cities like Tantah
in the Delta and Beni-Souef in
upper-Egypt.
Most of the Jews were citizens -
or “protégés” - of countries
like France, Britain, Italy,
Greece, some were Egyptians by
nationality and 20000 or more
were of “undetermined
nationality” .
Those 20,000 were born in Egypt,
with fathers or mothers born in
Egypt but were not considered by
the Authorities as Egyptians so
with no rights like others!
The Jewish community of Egypt
was very heterogeneous by
origin, by education, by
fortune!
We were Jews from Yemen, Russia,
Syria, Poland, Iraq, Greece,
North of Africa, Italy etc..
most coming to Alexandria and
Cairo immediately after the
opening of the Suez Canal like
other peoples from all over
Europe - hoping to get a part of
the prosperity the Suez Canal
will bring to Egypt!
Indeed they did, and also they
did a lot to the prosperity of
Egypt itself in agriculture,
textile industries, and import-
export activities and even to
Egyptian cinema industry during
its first years!
Jews in Alexandria had a very
positive influence on finances -
at the stock market - in banking
business (Banque Zilka - Banque
Mosseri), in heavy industrial
equipments (Mosseri-Curiel), in
cotton agriculture and
industries (Dorra - Aghion -
Gohar) some even in arts
(painters- Andree Sasson), in
sport (Maccabi Alexandria till
1949 was one the best basketball
team in Egypt).The “Hopital
Israelite” of Alexandria was one
of the best in town with fine
doctors like Meinzer, Katz,
Shabatay and more)
In Education, we had the popular
Aghion school, the fancy Lycee
de l’Union Juive, Ecole Menache
and Ecole Ben-Maymon.
During the WWII and till 1948
the chief Rabbi of Alexandria
was Dr Moise Ventura one of the
most distinguish personality of
the Alexandrian society. Dr.
Ventura has never hidden his
Zionist ideology, so he was
“invited” to leave Egypt with
the creation of the State of
Israel.
The anti-Semite attitude took a
new turning point when King
Farouk decided to start the 15th
of May 1948 a war against the
small and new-born state of
Israel in order to glorify
himself - (some said that he was
pressed by the British to start
this war. Let’s remember that
the British by an English
general were leading the Jordan
army against Israel at the same
time - so we may consider the
idea that Great Britain was
after the decision of the Arab
countries to start that war
hoping to be back in ”Palestine”
with an eventual Israel
disaster).
During the “Farouk” campaign,
hundreds of “suspected Jews”
were put in concentration camps
in Alexandria and Cairo for
several months some more than a
year. The conditions in those
camps were not very bad - at
least from what I know in
Alexandria.
In Cairo fanatic Moslems
attacked the Jewish quarter
provoking the death of 40 or 50
peoples, Jewish business in
Cairo center were also under the
violence of the Moslem Brothers,
the authorities never did enough
to stop or to prevent those
acts.
The Public Opinion in Cairo - I
mean the Media - was absolutely
under control of the censorship
in spite of the semi-democratic
regime in Egypt during those
years.
Consequently, Jews in Cairo and
Alexandria feeling insecure
decided to leave - most for
Israel -, This new exodus from
Egypt in the modern times was
during the whole year of 1949
when more than ten thousands
left Egypt. Those Jews waited at
least 6 months to obtain the
“exit-visa” after weeks of
enquiring.
The years 50-52 brought a kind
of calm for the Jews - a
relative calm - since the Moslem
Brothers with some young army
officers were acting in the
underground to destroy King
Farouk personality by all ways
using - as it is current
everywhere - the Jews as one of
the main factors of the regime
corruption!
A date that no one can forget
was the 26th of
January 1952 in Cairo when very
well organized groups attacked
and set fire hundreds of
Jewish business and others
supposed to be Jewish: like
Metro cinema, Shepherd’s hotel
etc... the police staying
passive. All Cairo Center and
“European sites “ were in fire!
Farouk accused the Wafd
Government to be responsible of
the disorders; he dismissed
Prime Minister Nahas Pacha and
named a new government headed by
his pet Aly Maher Pacha!
The same day Alexandria was
about to live this fate, but
governor Mortada
Al-Maraghy prevented the
disaster and arrested the
mass groups at the “doors of the
City”!
Many Jews were killed during
this day - including one of my
relatives at Shepherd’s Hotel
Mrs. Dorra -nee Sasson. King
Farouk regime was vacillating,
the “free” young officers as
they called themselves led by
Nasser became more powerful. Six
months later they decided to try
the July revolution, asking
general Mohamed Naguib to head
them!
This event had a success that no
one dreamed about! Naguib was
considered a hero - and Nasser -
the principal actor - was
certainly not pleased with that!
But the main difference between
the two men was in fact that
Naguib wanted a better approach
with the Occident world and
Nasser dreamed of a pan-Arab
community headed by Egypt - and
himself - in order to share with
Saudi, Kuwait, Bahrain and
others oil countries the
petro-dollars!
Rumors said that Naguib was
willing to have some a peaceful
relationship with Israel
but I don’t know any evidence
about.
A new turning point for the Jews
- not only for the Jews
but for all the Near-East,
Israel Egypt herself - started
when J.F Dulles - secretary of
state of Eisenhower - refused
the loan to Egypt to build the
Aswan Dam “-AL-Sad Al-Ali” in
the year of 1956!
The 26th of July 1956
and after a 3-hour long speech
Nasser declared the
nationalization of the Suez
Canal came - 3 months later -
the Suez war, a doubtful
campaign of Britain, France and
Israel against Egypt.
The result: Thousand of Jews
were put again in camps
with very bad conditions and
kept there several months other
were expelled from Egypt
in no time - a 24 hours delay
All their estates, business,
money in banks were confiscated.
A terrible atmosphere of
insecurity and a total panic for
others that decided to leave
almost everything and to get out
alive.
The second Exodus from Egypt in
the modern times started.
Almost all the Jewish community
of Cairo and Alexandria left. By
the end of 57 beginning of 58 no
more than 4-5 thousands Jews
decided to stay in Egypt!
When the six-day war begun, most
of the men among them were put
in jail in terrible conditions
during for more than 2
years! Some died from
persecutions!
I have don’t have many details
about the years between 57 and
67, all I know is from what I
heard later from the Jews that
came to Israel. Very few
remained in Egypt in spite of
all, I met some of them in Cairo
and Alexandria at my first visit
in January 1981 after the peace
treaty between Israel and Egypt.
They were 50 Jewish men in
Alexandria at this date, the
number of Jewish women was not
known.
My last visit to Alexandria was
in January 92, I found no more
than 7-8 men of the
wonderful and dynamic of what
was Jewish community of this
City !
As a Jew born in Egypt I
consider myself twice lucky:
First:
because I was born there as a
Jew in 1931 - not in Poland, not
in Germany, not in Austria, not
in Greece, not in France. Since
we know what happened to the
Jews born in those countries!
Second:
Because I left Egypt and started
a new life in Israel with all
the advantages to be in a modern
country for the Jews!
I invite every one who wants to
correct things or to ask
questions to contact be at:
Mail Address:
Joseph Hakim Pob. 13089
Jerusalem 91130 -Israel
or E-mail:
goseph1@internet-zahav.net
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