Lebanon's Jewish Community

[MARTYR]

The Last Jews of Saida

August 2, 2009, by Joshua Hersh



A road trip to the South this weekend brought me and some friends up close to the remnants of one of Lebanon’s prouder former Jewish communities. For some reason the Jews of Lebanon have been a hot journalistic subject around here recently, at least ever since this article in Ha’aretz reported that a group of Lebanese Jews in exile were planning to fund the restoration of Beirut’s once-noble synagogue near downtown. (For more on that story, seen Ben Gilbert’s sharp follow-up in GlobalPost. Ben is also the highly capable editor of the regional business magazine Executive, which recently featured “The Jews of Lebanon” on its cover; this has resulted in the curious sight of a giant photograph of a menorah sitting in doctor’s office waiting rooms and on the desks of bank executives all across town.)

What we found on the way south from Saida was something less prominent, but perhaps more telling: the scattered ruins of Saida’s Jewish cemetery.

Saida, like many Middle Eastern cities, still has a neighborhood known as the Jewish Quarter. (In fact, back in the old city we had briefly puzzled over a martyr poster of a little boy — below that of a deceased resistance leader — that said, in bold script, that it was “paid for by the youth of the Jewish Quarter,” which seemed like an odd juxtaposition. Turns out the boy, tragically, fell into the sea near town and drowned.) According to Kirsten E. Schulze’s book, “The Jews of Lebanon: Between Coexistence and Conflict,” the Jewish presence in Saida dates back at least a thousand years and those who remained in the 1960s and early 1970s had a fine relationship with their Lebanese neighbors. By 1975, though, there was only one Jewish family left in town, that of Josef and Jamila Levy.

Schulze:

Josef Levy worked as a tailor. He made uniforms for the Lebanese army, and consequently had good relations with the local and national administration. In 1975, when the civil war broke out, Zaki Levy [Josef's youngest son] was finishing his secondary education. He had gone to the Freres Maristes school and had to travel through the troubles to Beirut to the French Embassy in order to take his final exams. “When I came back from Beirut the whole city was on strike and shut down.” He then left for France to study pharmacy.

Josef died two years later. Many members of the Levy family drifted away from Lebanon, but Zaki returned, and stayed there through the Israeli invasion and occupation of Saida in the 1980s. For the Levy family, the Israeli occupation was something of a boon time, but also the beginning of the end.

The Levys lived in a spacious second-floor flat on the edge of the area in Saida referred to as the casbah, located on the seashore across the street from the customs building and above a fish0mongers and barbershop. In fact, the two shops were owned by Palestinians who were good friends of the Levy’s…. The Levy’s reaction to the Israeli invasion is reminiscent of others among Lebanon’s Jews. They were pleased to see Jews and happy to received kosher meat from Israeli soldiers.



After the IDF withdrew from Saida, and facing warnings from the Israeli government about threats of terrorism against them, the last members of the Levy family relented, and moved to Tel Aviv. They locked the doors of their home on the way out.

What remains today, if the cemetery is any indication, is a sorry legacy. The cemetery sits on a sandy dune alongside a busy roadway and across the street from the main (and massive) landfill for the city of Saida, which adds little by way of ambiance

Meanwhile, an impenetrable fortress of thick and sharp thorn bushes has grown throughout the cemetery, making walking into the place virtually impossible, and enveloping the tombs with prickly spears. Many of the tombstones themselves have been toppled over, and in some cases scavengers have shattered them to get at the inscribed marble contained within.



It’s had to know if the state of this particular site says anything about the Lebanese — or the Saidanese — people’s present feelings about Jews so much as it speaks to the general Lebanese antipathy to their own history. The relationship between the Lebanese and their memories — especially the bad ones — is ambiguous and fraught, and for good reason: an awful lot of bad stuff went down here. In Beirut, one of my favorite buildings is the Barakat Building, a residential complex at a main intersection along the former Green Line. It is an ornate, French imperialist style building with beautiful intricate columns and wrought-iron balconies, but during the Civil War it was favored for its prime sniping location, and so now it lies in ruins. It symbolizes, perhaps more than the cliched Holiday Inn, Lebanon’s curious mix of glamor and wretchedness that has never been fully confronted by the population here.

There have been reports that the building is being preserved in order to be converted into a Museum of Memory about the Civil War, but if that’s the case, so far the city has only taken steps backward: considered primarily an eye-sore, the building’s facade has been concealed by a massive canvas with a pretty picture on it. What lies beneath — the gruesome history that is plainly evident — is so far only being covered up. The cemetery in Saida, in ruins but at least left there for anyone to see, just might be more dignified.

[MARTYR]

JOL Exclusive: Tour Sidon’s Historic Jewish Neighborhoods

April 28th, 2008



It is Easter Monday, and the weather is so beautiful, it hurts to stay inside! I am resolved to find where the synagogue is - come rain or come more of this blissful sunshine!! Better hurry, Old Saida won’t stay the same for long, massive restoration work is taking place inside the old souqs.



It is not hard to get into the old Jewish Neighborhood of Saida. From Falafel Ikkawi Shop, walk straight, go right for 100 meters, then through the low entrance of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, most probably the oldest church in the world, you walk through the carpenters’ alley, and left, the arches that lead you inside the Jewish Neighborhood. I ask about the synagogue and two elderly Sidonians point it out, but they hush their voices when they say, but it’s closed. I say, “Closed?” and they clarify, “there are refugee families who live there, and it is in bad shape, there is nobody taking care of it anymore”. I make sure they see the camera, and to introduce myself - nonetheless, the same smile, and the same “Ahlan, Ahlan” you get whether you are a native Sidonians or a Martian!! So much for prudence! The residents of the alley are very friendly, and the children (age 3-7) are overly friendly you can easily mistake them for street muggers, they’re all over “Ammo” (Uncle, and that would be me), and I had to buy my way through by taking their photos, individually and in groups. The little beasts with colored balls would only set me free after I swore I will bring them back the photo-prints.



Another inquiry and a very nice man lead me to the door of the synagogue, and left me there, unsure of what to do! I though he must be kidding me, then a quick reality check, this is not the Temple of Solomon; this is a small place of worship. Another divine miracle, the next door neighbor of the synagogue shows up, and I ask him, is there a man in the house? Negative; I took a photo of the door, broken hearted, I turned away. Something told me, Ask, Ask, and I say – “It is not proper for me to barge into people’s homes (alone.. that is…), can you please ask them if they mind me going in and clicking two photos, and then I’ll be gone?” – That was it, one knock at the door, and the most beautiful child I have ever seen opens the door, followed by her mum. “Tfadal” – meaning “Do us honor” – and I’m in. Sandals have to be taken off at the door. Spotless white marble floor, and arches and a dome in fading blue, crumbling walls, are drenched in humidity. The neighbor points out the Stars of David and the wooden panels. Needless to say, the family living in the synagogue is way below poverty line.



The woman asks: “but what good are these photos?” - I asked her “do you know what this place used to be?” – She does. I told her, “let us show those who left it that it is still there, and that it is still theirs, awaiting their return, and that we are not barbarians. Take care of this place, for it is still a house of God.” One would expect a refugee woman living in a crumbling synagogue with a sick child and 2 infants to be ignorant, but she gave me the knowing proud nod, of “Yes we shall.” I walk out proudly; it is still a house of God, a roof, though wet, for little proud angels.



On the other side of Sidon, not very far from the Land Castle, is the Shrine of Prophet Sidon. I found an old man in the distance under a tree - I was contemplating how to jump of the wall and how I would land into the huge bush of tall grass, praying that snakes are not irritated, I was in shorts and sandals. The man yells, pointing me to a hidden path. I ask him about the story of this place, and he says, “everyone claims this to be their own, Muslims say this is a shrine of Prophet Sidon, and Jews say it is for the Brother of Prophet Joseph (Youssef) Son of Jacob - regardless, we share the same prophets, and this is still a holy place, but for some reason, it has more significance for the Jews - when they lived in Sidon - than for us now. Why? I don’t know.”





The eloquence is not my own, I give you my word; I am only responsible for the translation.

I did my reporter’s duty, and clicked a few photos, mercifully, the snakes were kinder than the kids of the neighbourhood, and they let me be.

[Mrwizard]

A Lebanese Jew !! ...can u imagine the combination !? ...and the result ? business wise at least ?!
they should come back !!

[Abdallah K.]

Originally Posted by Mrwizard

A Lebanese Jew !! ...can u imagine the combination !? ...and the result ? business wise at least ?!
they should come back !!

My dad used to be extremely close friends with a Lebanese Jew business man in Lebanon..the Guy had a Mansion in Saida and, A peice of Land near the Raouche and a 3 floors in an apartment building in Beirut for him, and he lives alone with no kids or wife

[Mrwizard]

Originally Posted by Abdallah K.

My dad used to be extremely close friends with a Lebanese Jew business man in Lebanon..the Guy had a Mansion in Saida and, A peice of Land near the Raouche and a 3 floors in an apartment building in Beirut for him, and he lives alone with no kids or wife

See!! what im talking about ! ....

[Ramy H]

such a nice song... it just has random pics here on the jews of lebanon

[Ramy H]

And something really sad.. if the video info is correct, it says that Lisa Srour (last jew living in the original Wadi bou Jamil passed away a few days ago)

[Elie plus]

i know a couple Jews, one of them lives in the building next door, people call him "Joseph el Yehoudeh" (Joseph the Jew), it pisses me off! Another one is a rising young photographer, i'll omit his name, we conversed more than once online, i know he's a Jew from his family name but i never brought it up in the conversation, for fear of making him uncomfortable.
BTW What does the song say? Where's Chevre when we need him ?

[Mesch]

Lebanese Jews are considered Sephardi not Mizrahi, right?

[Hassoun]

Originally Posted by Ramy H

And something really sad.. if the video info is correct, it says that Lisa Srour (last jew living in the original Wadi bou Jamil passed away a few days ago)

REALLY???? she dies? are you sure

may she rest in peace

i really liked her

[Ramy H]

Originally Posted by Elie plus

i know a couple Jews, one of them lives in the building next door, people call him "Joseph el Yehoudeh" (Joseph the Jew), it pisses me off! Another one is a rising young photographer, i'll omit his name, we conversed more than once online, i know he's a Jew from his family name but i never brought it up in the conversation, for fear of making him uncomfortable.
BTW What does the song say? Where's Chevre when we need him ?

That is stupid! However, I like how there is still connections between our jews now.. albeit a smaller level. Like the hairdresser pour neswan in falougha actually worked in wadi abu jamil for 30 yrs (he is 90 and still cuts hair, just to give you an idea haha). He has soo many stories of his jewish friends, and many still visit and call him frequently... It is interesting, they are there.. but then when you want to "see them" they can almost vanish.. The community is so secretive nowadays which makes it so sad.

Many jews have obviously married outside their faith.. and I stated here before that relatives of mine are married to jewish lebanese too. I feel like the main jews that stayed in lebanon are the ones with last names that are unidentifiable to one sect (ie. halabi, attieh, sayeigh etc). That way they can go about everything, and no one has to know.... However, I was surprised that there are lebanese jews with the last name Cohen that are enrolled in my cousins school... Like its obviously a jewish family name, and no one seems to mind (not that they should mind anyways)...but its cool to see that the apparent reality is that the community could return with ease.

[Ramy H]

And yeah hassoun.. Im not 100% on that information, but that is what laprincesslibanaise on youtube wrote... I hope it isnt true!

And Mesch they are sephardi.. dunno if there are any others

[annie23]

Speaking of jews,how can they know if someone from Jewish origin who's been living abroad and with an unidentifiable Jewish name or family name and no Jewish stamps on his recent passport if he had ever been to Israel long time ago and is recently visiting Lebanon?I'm just curious

[I do]

Originally Posted by Elie plus

i know a couple Jews, one of them lives in the building next door, people call him "Joseph el Yehoudeh" (Joseph the Jew), it pisses me off! Another one is a rising young photographer, i'll omit his name, we conversed more than once online, i know he's a Jew from his family name but i never brought it up in the conversation, for fear of making him uncomfortable.
BTW What does the song say? Where's Chevre when we need him ?

The Song is called "Raise My Head High" (ארים ראשי) by Shai Gabso.




Lyrics

I am now going to present lane
like a child growing lost
My palms are outstretched
Seek the help you continue your journey
On the sides Flowers seemed to lose their identity
Looking for more help from a ray of light
Another sip of water from the springs of wisdom
Bring them hope

I'll raise my head high,
I will lift my eyes to the mountains in the distance
Hear my voice cry, like man's prayer
My heart read whence cometh my help

I am now going through the new landscape
Steps they become so slow
What's there that isn't here asked me a passanger
What's the heart you save
An old city lying on his back all it's past
Looking around for the world
When The present seems so hard
I won't say anything, I'll raise my head to the future

I'll raise my head ...

[Lebneni]

not sure if someone had already posted this somewhere else, but the BBC did a documentary about lebanese jews and even followed some of them to the countries they settled in.

you can watch it here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/arabic/worldnew...afa_jews.shtml

[Ramy H]

Cool.. hasnt been posted before. Thanks!

[Ramy H]

That was an amazing video... I suggest you all watch it if you have the time to spare (its 46 minutes). So educational, and actually really well made. Sad too

[Herzeleid]

Originally Posted by Mesch

Lebanese Jews are considered Sephardi not Mizrahi, right?

sefardi jews are from southern europe, when some moved out of europe most of their descendants lived in morocco or turkey...maybe they are some sefardi in lebanon but most are mizrahi

[Ramy H]

There are sefardi jews in Lebanon for sure.

[melkart]

Originally Posted by Ramy H

There are sefardi jews in Lebanon for sure.

well they are either ashkenazi or sephardic; and they are definitly not ashkenazi. so the only remaining guess would be sephardic. although what do you consider chinese jews to be?