Solomon Abravanel and Marie Modiano

Marie Modiano, nee Abravanel, my sister-in-law, was very close to her brother Solomon and to my husband Leo, because they didn’t have a big age difference. Marie was born in about 1896, my husband in 1900 and Solomon in 1904. 

Marie liked nice clothes and was very much into fashion. She used to buy shoes either from Karidas store on Egnatia Street or from Lux on Ermou Street. Before World War II the wealthy women had maids to fix their hair because there were not any hairdresser’s yet. 

Marie was the only sister among seven brothers so you can imagine she was taken good care of and she never had to do anything. She just sang and played the piano. Afterwards, when she married Henri Modiano, she had so many maids that she did not have anything to do. 

After World War II we used to go to Peraia for the summer vacations and we got so tanned, almost black. At that time tanning had become in fashion because before the war it was very unusual. 

Henri died in the 1960s and after his death Marie came and lived with me and my husband. She died many years after Henri. They buried her at the Jewish cemetery in Salonica, near the Agno Factory. I used to take flowers there because all my beloved were there: Marie, Henri, my friends Loulou and Albertos, my father-in-law. And then my husband, Leo. But now I can’t go there anymore. I close my eyes and remember them.