I was born in Jerusalem in 1936. In the immigrant refugee camps. I was born in the first immigrant refugee camps. I was three years old (when my family) took me to Baghdad, and I was five years old (when) the Farhud happened. My sister, (who was) younger than me…every two years my mother was giving birth. We were…I was two years old (when) my sister Margit was born…and we came to Baghdad, and the Farhud happened. After the Farhud, another younger sister was born. She wasn’t (yet born) in the Farhud. We were not rich. We were not rich. But thank G-d my father was a landlord, and was a man (an upstanding family man) all his life until his last day. My father was born in 1901, and died in 2001.

I remember the Farhud as though it were (happening) now. I remember what was (what happened), what they screamed, what they said, what happened, how my father fought. I remember it all. I remember myself from when I was about five years old, in the Farhud. The Farhud has not changed from that time in my mind. Before the Farhud, we knew the Farhud was going to happen. My father destroyed a wall, tiles…and built, between two walls, he put…valuables. And what remained from the wall, he went up to the ceiling, and escaped at the time of the Farhud. I remember, women were screaming “Oh, you who brings salvation closer! Oh, you who is high without (needing) stairs! G-d!”. My father stood on the wall, organised the tiles and the molotov cocktails. We were the first house in the neighbourhood. The first house, the first house. My father was waiting for the rioters to come. A few rioters came, and they (were) screaming, “we brought (caught) the infidel Jews!”. A little boy. My father was waiting for the group (of rioters). And one of them had a boy’s (severed) leg with traditional anklets in his hand, shouting “we brought (caught) the infidel Jews! We brought (caught) the infidel Jews!”. And he was flaunting the stones, the tile, the molotov cocktail…he knew what he (was) doing. I was five years old, and they put me under the bed. I became sad and I escaped to go help my father. And my mother was behind me, (and) pulled me and took me (back). My father wasn’t very…he learned to fight in Jerusalem. And he was very, very smart. The Arabs…learned that this house was powerful, they couldn’t overcome it. And the whole neighbourhood…most of them…they (the rioters) didn’t do anything to them (the residents of the neighbourhood). The policeman of the neighbourhood…with guns. He said to him (my father), “what’s your name?”. My father was very smart. He told him, “Saleh.” Saleh is a name of Jews and also of Arabs. And immediately, he (the policeman) fled to another place. And when the gunshot was fired, dad was far (away) from the gunshot. In the morning, my dad dressed us in kerchiefs, and Arab clothes, and we went to our family in another place. I remember the song. “The holiday in which we were plundered on the day of the holiday, the Arabs and the looters came, and they took whatever you want (everything you can think of. The holiday in which we were plundered on the day of the holiday.” (When) the State of Israel came into existence, they tortured the Jews. Any Zionist was oppressed, and any communist (was oppressed) even more. And many people went to prison. They charged them as Zionists, they charged them as…especially Zionists…many went to prison. And my brother was also in prison. My older sister, who was 18 years old, came to Israel before the big (Jewish) immigration to Israel. And my brother, who was younger than her, also went one by one, one by one, we were…going to Israel. And unexpectedly, in this big…happened…the big (Jewish) immigration to Israel. And almost all of the Jews of Iraq came to Israel. From the rich to the poor, they all came. Almost all of them came.

We were religious Jews. There were no non-religious Jews. But not like Ashkenazim. Even the flavour of life […] not every Jewish man (would) go (around) putting…a hat on his head. We were Jews with wisdom. There (were) no non-religious (Jews). At home, we would do the kiddush (blessing over wine) on Shabbat. Yom Kippur (was observed as) Yom Kippur, the Jewish holidays (were observed as) Jewish holidays. And Passover was the best holiday. We would read the haggada in Hebrew and in Arabic. And for two nights! Passover (was) two nights (in Iraq). My poor mother had to prepare food (for) the entire house and (for) guests. The Jews, every holiday, every Shabbat…everyone would pray, and do the blessing over wine, and (sing) the Shabbat songs and Eshet Hayil. And (they) would light the Shabbat candles, which were made of oil…oil and a thread (wick). And people’s lives were normal. And everything changed after the Farhud.