Tag #123016 - Interview #90376 (Lazar Abuaf)

Since the government declared the “Citizen, speak Turkish” [12] law that mandated the public to speak only Turkish, our family always spoke to us in Turkish and sent us to Turkish schools.  As I said before, these events were only on the annoying level.  For example, when we spoke Ladino (Judeo-Espanyol) in the street, there were people who were against it and would say “Pis Yahudi” [Turkish for “dirty Jew”] or “Chifit” [Turkish for “Jewish Gypsy”].  The Jewish school in our neighborhood was closed, reason unknown to me. I started my education in a public school “23rd Elementary School” (without tuition).  My father enrolled me at the Art School in Sultanahmet after elementary school since I was artistically talented.  I would go to school with the tram from my home.  I learned ironworking there, that is to say, to manufacture tools and machine parts from iron.