Tag #123826 - Interview #97983 (Janet Arguete)

When I became a young woman, around the 1940’s, it was the period when antisemitism was prevalent in Bursa.  They called us “Chifut” [Jew].  When we returned home from school we would walk without looking around.  All of us (my cousin Ester Carktas, myself and the other Jewish girls) were attractive girls.  That is why we were very scared of being approached or made improper advances to. “Citizen, speak Turkish” [4] was one of the most important events of our time.  There was a fine of 5 units of money for people who did not speak Turkish.