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My name is Reyna Buko Lidgi. I was born in Sofia on 16th March 1929. I am a Russian Philology graduate and I have worked as an interpreter and a teacher. I don’t have brothers and sisters and I have never been married. My mother tongue is Bulgarian but I also speak Ladino, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Polish, French.
My ancestors may have come from the town of Leon in Spain, but I am not sure [1] [2]. I have made this assumption according to some pieces of information form the Yearbook of the Jewish Organization. [‘Yearbook of the Jewish Cultural-Educational Organization’. The first issue of the Yearbook was published in 1966. On its pages appear materials devoted to the past of the Bulgarian Jews, scientific announcements about the history of the Balkan Jews, about their customs, way of living and culture. There also appear articles on historical, linguistic, ethnographic, demograhic and cultural topics. They are a serious contribution to the present and the past of the Bulgarian Jews.] They are Ladino [3] [Sephardi] Jews. I don’t have any information about my great-grandmothers and grandfathers. My memories begin with my grandmothers and grandfathers – the parents of my parents.
My parental grandfather’s name is Aaron Lidgi. I don’t have information about when he was born. I don’t know him because he died in 1929 in Bregovo village (Vidin region). My appearance has been planned after his death as a continuation of the family. He used to be a middleman of wheat and grain crops. His mother tongue was Ladino. I have no information about how religious he was. He had three sisters but I don’t know them and I don’t have any information about them.
My ancestors may have come from the town of Leon in Spain, but I am not sure [1] [2]. I have made this assumption according to some pieces of information form the Yearbook of the Jewish Organization. [‘Yearbook of the Jewish Cultural-Educational Organization’. The first issue of the Yearbook was published in 1966. On its pages appear materials devoted to the past of the Bulgarian Jews, scientific announcements about the history of the Balkan Jews, about their customs, way of living and culture. There also appear articles on historical, linguistic, ethnographic, demograhic and cultural topics. They are a serious contribution to the present and the past of the Bulgarian Jews.] They are Ladino [3] [Sephardi] Jews. I don’t have any information about my great-grandmothers and grandfathers. My memories begin with my grandmothers and grandfathers – the parents of my parents.
My parental grandfather’s name is Aaron Lidgi. I don’t have information about when he was born. I don’t know him because he died in 1929 in Bregovo village (Vidin region). My appearance has been planned after his death as a continuation of the family. He used to be a middleman of wheat and grain crops. His mother tongue was Ladino. I have no information about how religious he was. He had three sisters but I don’t know them and I don’t have any information about them.
Location
Bulgaria
Interview
Reyna Lidgi