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Taking into account our family name Beraha, which translates from Hebrew as ‘blessed’, I think that my ancestors came from Israel through Anatolia. Most probably, they left right after the Diaspora. So, they came as far as the Bulgarian town of Kazanlak. [The Sephardim of the Balkans in fact are the descendents of the Iberian Jews; also see Expulsion of the Jews from Spain] [1]
My ancestors from Kazanlak are distinguished in their education and wealth. For example, my paternal great-grandmother graduated as a midwife and was very rich. It is said about her that a quarter of Kazanlak, which had some 16,000 inhabitants at that time, passed through her hands. I don’t know her name. In any case, she left a big inheritance to her children: Yuda, Sarah and Emidar. I don’t know anything else about them. My great-grandfather’s name was Daniel Beraha. Unfortunately, I know nothing about him either. They spoke Ladino. They weren’t religious.
My ancestors from Kazanlak are distinguished in their education and wealth. For example, my paternal great-grandmother graduated as a midwife and was very rich. It is said about her that a quarter of Kazanlak, which had some 16,000 inhabitants at that time, passed through her hands. I don’t know her name. In any case, she left a big inheritance to her children: Yuda, Sarah and Emidar. I don’t know anything else about them. My great-grandfather’s name was Daniel Beraha. Unfortunately, I know nothing about him either. They spoke Ladino. They weren’t religious.
Location
Kazanlak
Bulgaria
Interview
Rafael Beraha