For 11 years I learned how to raise my children, and human relations, one hour a week at the Adler Institute in the most beautiful way. Then I studied English for six years once a week. I can read, write and speak. Then I had a knee replacement, which thanks to that I managed to decorate the house with glassware, clay, wooden boxes and lots of bowls and plates and flower vase for seven years. After that I went to study the art of beading. I made necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings. I sold anything you can think of. Everything. Donuts, cookies, food, cakes. My husband worked for the Municipality of Petaḥ Tikva and earned very little. It wasn’t even enough to eat. Slowly the children grew up and got married and we were left alone. Like two loving brothers, we lack nothing, and we thank God for everything. I interviewed and wrote stories of our village elders. We miss nothing, everything is good and beautiful.

I raised my brothers. I am the eldest sister. My name is Sima and they would call me Simḥa (Joy) in Moroccan. I had two brothers growing up, Shimʿon and my late younger brother, Shalom. When I was six, my mother had to give birth and she told me “I am going to bring you a little sister. Sima! Take care of your brothers and the house." I wanted to shower my brothers and there was no water in the taps. When the night came even then there was no water. We went to sleep with the family who lived nearby. When we returned in the morning the whole house was full of water, while the threshold maintained it from flowing outside. My mother and father were expected to be home that day with the new baby. I was very scared of my father's reaction that he might hit me because I'm irresponsible. When they got home, father saw all the mess and hit me, but mother gave me a bag of candy.

My eldest daughter was 26 months old. Then we started building our house. We also worked outside, I was cleaning and my husband worked in tar at The Municipality of Petaḥ Tikva. I gave birth to two daughters and two sons. I raised them without a car, without a phone, without anything. When I had to go to a parent meeting, I would take a ride with someone. We did everything on our own. I would clean people's houses. To help make a living I would also buy fruit from the people of the moshav, Rinatya and Mazor: grapes, apples, persimmons and more. I made compote, jams and liqueurs. My kids grew up, went to school and university. Our youngest daughter went to study art photography at the University of Jerusalem.

I attended primary school and was very studious. The principal approached my late mother and begged her to send me to continue my studies. The principal added and said, "Sima could be a school principal." My late mother did not want to, "she should get married" she told him, "and not study", and so I married at the age of 17. My husband was 22 years old when we got married. My husband was from moshav Rinatya and I was from Safed. As a child, I was stuttering, and did not speak similarly to others. I had a hard time talking and no man wanted me. The Baba Sali, from my late father's family, came to our house for Shabbat. My late father asked him to bless me so I will get married. He blessed me and that very month I got married. My husband's aunt knew me from Safed’s market; she came to my husband and said to him: "There is a nice girl, from a good family, and if you want I will introduce you to her and you will marry her." He agreed. "Even though she has a difficulty speaking – I want her." He came to me and I told him "it's hard for me to speak, you don’t want me – go away and that's it". He replied, "I want you the way you are." He came into my house, and within a month we were married. We lived in Safed for four and a half years. After two years of marriage I was not pregnant. Baba Sali came to our house for the second time and my father asked him to bless me. "I want you to bless my daughter to have a son or daughter." That month I was pregnant with my eldest daughter.