Matilde Dzivre

This is my sister Matilde Dzivre, nee Saltiel Abravanel. The photo was taken in Thessaloniki in the 1940s. Matilde was born in 1917. She speaks French, Spanish and Greek. When we were children we used to share the same bedroom. Matilde had a bed of her own but Eda, my younger sister, and I used to sleep together in the same bed. When our mother went to the hot springs she would take Matilde or Eda with her and leave the other one at home with me. I was calmer, I was getting along better with either of them and my father had a preference for me, so I stayed behind. Things with me were calm, nice and I didn't fight with any one. Matilde and Eda used to fight; they pushed each other. They were not very disciplined. I don't know why they fought but they did. On Saturday we went to the movies, so I took peanuts and piled them and prepared them, to take them with me to the movies and all of a sudden Matilde would take everything and, of course, there was a huge quarrel. Matilde used to play the piano. She was stuck to her piano. At least 8 hours a day she played, this is what she wanted to do. She wanted to be a pianist but nothing ever came of it. Matilde had to marry first since she was the oldest, and this is why all the attention was given to her. Matilde always had to be very well dressed, by the famous fashion dressmakers, and her underwear was hand-embroidered and this and that?

Photos from this interviewee