We came to the…they brought us to Tira. Even then…we had a tent. Little kids. My brother was (there), and my father wrote him (his age) as 80 years. We were in the…in the tent. They gave us eight beds, and gave us mattresses. I used to go…one day I went…to work. They caught me in the street. They said to me…it was an army car. They said, “you have to come with us”. I came…they wanted a certificate of immigration. They came and took it from my house, and straight away took me to the army. They ran tests on me, and took me to Tel Nof. I stayed there for almost three months. In the end, my mother came and said, “no, she is forbidden to go to the army.” (She said) “She will become a whore.” My mother didn’t agree (for me to go).

Is that what people used to think?

That’s how. Yes, whoever goes to the army…someone came. My husband came. He was in Pardes Hana…we had already moved to Tira. A neighbour came. He (my husband) came wanting to see the people who were with him. They said, “look what (type of) girls are here! Take one of these girls.” He came, and wanted me…he asked for me (my hand in marriage) from my parents. My brother didn’t agree. He said, “no. That man is sick. I don’t want to marry her (to him).” When we came…I got married. We went to Pardes Hana. My husband was in Pardes Hana. We stayed…I gave birth to my oldest son in Pardes Hana. Afterwards, my husband wasn’t working. I said to him, “let’s go to Tira. Maybe you can work with my father.” We came, (and) we bought a hut for 50 shekels, and we came. In the end, my husband went to work with my brother in building. A man came and said to him, “if you want the hut, come look what (kind of) hut it is. (It’s) nice, solitary, has a plot of land you can plant crops. So…

When did you decide to sell (it) and move to Tira?

My husband came to me and said “look, Carmela. There’s a plot of land here. Let’s go to the hut and buy it. Look, go to your family and let them give you money. 11 shekels.” I said to him…I went to my brother. He said, “with pleasure. I’ll give you (the money)”. I brought it from my brother Yitzhak. He gave me 11 lira and we bought the hut. There was water, electricity…but then I gave birth to my daughter, in the shack…we were still in the transit camp. And I gave birth to my daughter…she was six months old, Mazal. I brought her to the hut and we stayed in the hut for 40 years. I told him, “hey! Let’s go and buy housing…”. He wouldn’t agree (to buy it). In the end, I went all the way to Eilat, until he agreed to buy a house. I bought a house, and afterwards he came after me as well.