My mother

My mother Mari who can be seen in the picture lived between the years of 1890 and 1968.  She was born and raised in Kuzguncuk Daghamam.

Because she came from a religious  family she sang in the temple choir in the synagogue close to their home.  My mother's voice was beautiful in addition to being physically beautiful. So my father and mother met during choir practices that took place on Saturdays.  My father was attracted to my mother immediately, and opened up to her a short while later, however my mother rejected him for a while, but could not resist my father who was so kind and well-known in our community and if I am not wrong, they were married in 1912.  I never asked if there was a reception after the wedding, I do not know.  My father made his living manufacturing and selling "fez"s, and they moved to their own place to prove their families that they could manage on their own, and they were very happy.

Even though my mother was modern and loved to dress up, she would cover her head when she went out since she was religious like her own mother, but she uncovered her head at home, when she was with us.  My mother was a typical Jewish woman, that means, both her kitchen and herself were kosher, when she prepared food in her kitchen, her head was always covered.  She would go to the hamam in Ortakoy every Saturday.  My father was as religious as my mother.  He also observed his religion meticulously, he would daven every morning, observe the Sabbath, celebrate the holidays without exception, and teach them to us.

Photos from this interviewee