Each person has their own belief. There were (people) who believed in faith…and there are (people) who are hurt by others, and there are (people) who are loved by others. Some are given money and gold, and some are hit with a blow (so big) that they won’t have children. My sister-in-law was like that. She had a pan fall out of her hand (a sign of bad luck) and was cursed (with regards to) children, and the four (children that she gave birth to to) died two days after (their birth). (This continued) until they made her a talisman, (after which) she was able to give birth - blessings and gratitude to G-d. She gave birth to another four, and all of them (remained) alive and got married and had children. Eliyahu Kannush used to come to the synagogue. (Once) he prayed, went home, blessed (the wine for kiddush), ate, and said to his wife, “lay a blanket for me on the floor”. She lay (it) for him, (then) he laid down, and gave his soul to the creator of the world (G-d)(he passed away).

Put henna on us, put henna on us, and bring the happiness to us. We will get engaged and […] and we will put henna on our hands. Put henna on us, put henna on us, and bring the happiness to us. We will get the beloved girl engaged, and bring the happiness to us.

My mother used to embroider…dresses for brides. My father used to sell fabric. My grandfather had a gold shop. And however it was, that’s how they used to support themselves. One night, my mother was asleep, and (two women) came wanting (to steal) a bracelet from her. And she said to the other, “remove the blanket, and look.” (The other woman) said “look, I removed the blanket. There is nothing on her leg.” (The first woman) replied, “cover her, and lets return back.” And my mother woke up in the morning, and told her mother (the story). (My mother) told her, “mother, mother, this is the story, and this is the story”. (My grandmother) said to her, “no! Don’t get inside your own head. You dreamed a dream.” My mother did not work; she stayed home. My father was given a job from the employment bureau. He was a manager of Ilanot, and he was responsible for workers. And for a long time, really, many years. He worked in Ilanot for a long time, until the trees for planting were no more. They said to him, “there is no work anymore”. He was at home for a while, (and then) went once again to the employment bureau. They said to him, “there is no work.”. He said to them “I have nine children at home”. There were nine children, and so on. So until…he told him, “I don’t have…we don’t have work”. I used to return from school and wash stairs and sponge (wash) the house so I could bring (home) money for my mother and father…so we would have something to live on and eat day to day. And this (continued) until…they gave my dad a vegetable shop, and by then we were getting by, thank G-d. Praised be G-d. He would sell (vegetables), (and) the remaining things we would eat at home. In the holiday we would go go out and go pick oranges, and in the afternoon we would go to the packing house, (and) pack the oranges, (and) they (would) send it overseas. A packing house. And when the orange packing house was finished, we would go to Even Yehuda to pick flowers. Flowers - it’s called “flowers”. From there, we would go to do deliveries overseas of flowers. Until I got married (this continued). Then I stopped working.

We boarded the plane, and they brought us to Shaar Haliyah. And from Shaar Haaliyah they took us to Moshav Tzeelim. From Moshav Tzeelim…it wasn’t good there. They took us to Zarait. We couldn’t live there, so we were taken to Yohanan transit camp. From Yohanan transit camp we were taken to Moshav Pedaya, and there were (Palestinian) infiltrators who wanted to kill my father by mistake. An from there we went to Kadima. We lived in Kadima until the last day of my mother and father. We came on a plane, and in the middle of the journey they told us, “the airplane is (too) heavy, and we don’t know what to do.” And they threw all our suitcases into the sea. And we came…we got off the airplane at Shaar Haaliya with nothing, only the clothes that were on us. We didn’t have anything. Yes. That was in the (19)50s. It was really a very, very, very difficult aaliyah (move to Israel). But thank G-d we lived and we sorted ourselves out and everything, we got married, we had children, and we had grandchildren. Thank G-d. Praise G-d. 

There was the Farhud. In the Farhud, they killed some (Jews). Some (Jews) hid, some…when the State of Israel was established, they came and told them (the Jews in Iraq) “there’s the Land of Israel. (If) you want, go to…leave to the Land of Israel”. And my father said to my mother, “Come on! Let’s go to the Land of Israel. The Land of milk and honey.” That’s what they were told. They took the approval (to leave Iraq), they (Iraqi authorities) gave them approval, and we left Kirkuk. When we left on the plane, the stewardess came and told my mother, “you cannot hold him (your baby) in your arms”. My mother said to her, “where should I put him?”. She said to her, “come, put him in…the suitcase compartment. Put him there.” When they got off (the plane), my mother took him from the suitcase compartment.