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Anat Rishon Lezion My sister in law
On both sides, your parents are Libyan? Yes
They were both from Tripoli? Yes, Libya
from Tripoli
Do you still do something at home that... Of course!
What do you make?
Couscous, khreime
mafroum
vegetable patties
Everything
semolina cake
Semolina cake
Kukla
Say it the correct way with ayin
it isn't with the letter ayin
Do you know Lybian music?
Yes
Also jokes
also skits
Really? In Arabic?
Yes
Can you say something?
Not on camera
Now because of the camera I can't think of anything
You can understand that much?
Understand and speak Arabic
Really?
I am the first generation in Israel
I have known you 20 something years and I didn't know that you know...
Yes, I know Arabic
I am the first generation
If Lybia was a safer place
would you go there to see it?
Of course, yes
Does your mother want to visit?
I think she does
I really want to go
Would your mother, or father when he was alive
go back there?
To live? Yes
Actually my father's family was a very wealthy family
and they came here because
They were thrown out, no?
No, they abused the Jews there
It wasn't a situation of...
My grandfather, because he was so rich stayed in Libya
He died there
He died there? Yes
Would they return to Libya if it was a safer place?
I think they would
They lived at a very high status
So why did they come?
Because of the abuse?
Because of the anti-semitism
Sad
Yes
It's too bad they didn't also bring their money
You are have Lybian and half...
Fully Lybian
Yaniv Holon
What do you still do at home that is connected to Lybia?
Only food, nothing more than that
Give an example
Couscous, mafroun, Khreime
All kinds of Lybian dishes
What about music?
Do you know any music? No
Only modern music
What about your parents?
No
They don't listen to Libyan music
Nothing specific
They may put on one or two songs
but not more than that
Is there a famous singer
My grandfather
of blessed memory, would make cakes
special cakes from Tripoli
Almond cakes
I asked about music
Music? No, there is nothing
Would you or your parents
if the situation there was better
would they visit?
My parents were born in Israel so I doubt it
They have nothing in Libya
What's your background?
Half from Tripoli
Half Sphardic
Sarit Tel Aviv
Which was more dominant in your home?
Libyan
What did they do at home that was connected to Libya?
Food? Music?
Food
My grandmother also speaks Arabic
Which foods?
Khreime
pilpel shuma
I forgot the name
Couscous
Couscous, mafroum
Chershi
That's what I can think of now
In your home...
Aseda
I don't know that one What is it?
It is one of the foods I love most
It is very fine semolina
with salty fish on it
and a tomato sauce
Did they listen to music from...
No
Did they listen to Arabic music at all?
No
My grandmother was a little aristocratic
she speaks Italian
so she is more influenced by the
European side of the Libyans
So she didn't listen to Arabic music
Did anyone in your family ever go back there
to visit where they came from
No
but lately
we received a bunch of papers
that says we have property there
that belongs to our family
that at some point and some how we can take it back
That's it
Does anyone in your family want to visit there?
I don't think it is possible
Even if possible, it is a problematic place
It is a hostile region (to Israelis)
Let's say it was a more normal place
Would any of you visit or go to live there?
I would assume my grandmother would
She would go back? Yes
Not forever
She would go back to visit
Does she miss it? Does she talk about it?
Yes, she had good memories there
Yes, she talks about it a lot
She speaks a lot about how it was
Although lately she has opened up and talked about her dealing with the Nazis there
What happened?
Because she just started receiving reparations
The Nazis came to her village
they shot her brother
they shot other people
They took them away
My great grandfather hid people
A crazy story
Was it only towards the Jews they did this?
That's what she says, yes
It was a village of only Jews
Her father was the Rabbi
Do you know the name of the village?
No, I don't remember
Same questions. Did they do anything at home?
The Libyan side is stronger
Amir Tel Aviv
We ate mostly Libyan food
but also foods from other ethnicities
Sometimes from my Bulgarian side
My mother cooks foods from all ethnicities
mostly from Eastern ethnicities
but sometimes she would make something
like Polios or foods like that
His mother is Bulgarian
his father is Libyan
My grandparents
are no longer alive
on both sides
When they were alive, would any of them
have visited?
I don't think so, there lives were very entrenched in being in Israel
I don't remember anyone ever saying they wanted to go back there
But my grandmother did speak Arabic
She didn't know Hebrew
Only Arabic
Do you understand Arabic?
Here and there some words
It was also Egyptian Arabic
which is different than the Arabic we studied here in schools
It was different
What else did you want to know?
I have a different question
Everyone uses the word "Tripolitan"
but the Jews were not only in Tripoli
so why do people say "Tripoli" meaning Libya?
Why don't you say Libyan?
The word Libya doesn't roll off the tongue
I don't know
I think saying Tripoli....
Maybe saying Libya is too "Arab"
so people use the word Tripoli
so it doesn't sound too Arab
My grandmother lived in Tripoli
in a part of Tripoli
It wasn't...
There were Jews who lived outside Tripoli, right?
Could be
I don't know
I am sure there were
I don't know why they use that term
To tell you the truth, for me it makes no difference
From ages 4 to 9
I lived in South Africa
my entire family lives in South Africa and my father worked there
So when we came to Israel
and I started school
and suddenly everyone is asking me "What is your ethnicity"?
I didn't know
It didn't interest me and no one asked me
Only then did I ask my parents
what our ethnic background is
so they told me that I am a Sabra (Israeli)
What is a Sabra? Someone born in Israel
So we are all Sabras
I never thought about it
I only started feeling the differences in the army
Really? Everyone says the opposite
Because in the army there is the idea of majority...
I was in a unit where the majority were Mizrahi
Not in a combat unit, on a base
And only there did we start speaking about ethnicities
in a much more open way
each one explaining their traditions
stuff like that so I was exposed to the idea of ethnicities much more
I started to feel more belonging to my Libyan side
rather than feeling "Sabra"
You are half Moroccan, half Libyan
What do you still do at home that is connected to Libya?
Avichai Netanya
Mostly food
Like what?
Couscous, tbecha
mafroum
koukla
There is lots of food
Say it with the accent
kukla
Music?
Do you listen to music from the region?
No, not really
Your parents?
I don't think so
I remember my grandmother watch
Al Jazeera because she knew Arabic
but that is more or less the connection
If the security situation was better there
would you or your parents travel there
to visit?
To Libya?
I don't know. Now my parents are going to Morocco to see that side of the family
Nice Yes
To Libya, maybe if the security situation was better
Does anyone miss Libya?
I don't know
I didn't ask my mother
I don't think so Israel is an amazing place
So I guess they are not moving there
For sure not
We are here, this is our country we don't need another place
What's your background?
Me?
I don't remember anymore I am Israeli
Right? I am not Persian
No, I am not Persian
What background are you? I will explain
No, I am not Iraqi
Let's try to guess, What am I?
Moroccan Swedish
No
Tunisian
Romanian No
Take off your glasses maybe I can tell
What do the glasses matter
Iraqi? No
Libyan?
You got it
On both sides
Yes
So the question is
The question from people in Libya
how are things for you here as a Libyan
You were born here I assume Of course
Of course
Of course we were born here
Only they are real Persians (born in Iran)
Do you want to return to Libya?
Not at all What's wrong with you?
Why?
Explain to someone living outside Israel
There is nothing for us there
They were born in Iran
She doesn't know what Libya is
She is part of this country
What is your background?
My parents are Iraqi
You were born here of course Of course
Do you or your parents want to go back to Iraq?
My parents are happy every moment they are in Israel
even with all the difficulties
Did they experience difficulties?
They feel safe in Israel
What?
I think they feel safe in Israel
No, they didn't have any difficulties
Also in Iraq they didn't have any difficulties
Also in Israel
What do we make? Couscous
We are asking about food What is with the drama?
Couscous, sfinj
Why are you asking these things?
It is one of the questions I received
The people in Libya want to know where are the Jews today
We are here in Israel Where else would we be?
In the holy land
Omer Haifa
You eat couscous, mafroum Sfinj
What else?
I don't know What other foods are there?
Kookla
Wow, kookla
So good
Do you listen to music
in Arabic?
Yes
Who?
What do you mean in Arabic? From here
Do you listen to music that comes from Morocco or Libya?
Zohar Argov maybe
He is Yemenite Israeli
No clue
If you could visit, would you?
Libya?
Yes
I would do a tour of where my family came from
Yes, no problem
Would you go back to live there?
No
Why?
This is the holy land I won't leave the holy land
What are your backgrounds?
Ashkenazi
I am mixed
Half Yemenite
half Ashkenazi
Libyan and Egyptian
Moroccan and Iraqi
So you are all mixed
Is anyone Sphardic?
Roots from Spain
Morocco
Not all Moroccans are Sphardic
So no Sphardic so I can't ask that one (different question)
Let's start with Libya
You are Libyan and what?
Egyptian
Rotem Bet Oved
Do you...
and he is Canaanite
What?
Dexter is Canaanite (dog breed)
He is indigenous
He is actually not a real Canaan dog
So Libyan and Eyptian
Do you want to return to one of those places, Libya or...
Egypt
To visit To Libya
You want to visit Libya, why Libya?
It seems to be more authentic more interesting
I went to Sinai in Egypt
So a different place
Do you do anything that
is Lybian?
No, at home my mother does
Like what?
She makes my grandmother's foods
Like?
Couscous, mafroum, chershit
bekha
bezine
Lots of things
Do you make anything Egyptian?
No
What about music?
I don't listen to music from either place
Do you speak Arabic?
No
My parents know it well
The Egyptians also speak Arabic
But I don't speak it
Do your parents want to return to Libya?
No
Not even to visit?
No, it doesn't interest my mother
Why doesn't it interest her?
I don't kow
Maybe it is painful for her to remember her parents
I don't know
Who in your family is Libyan?
My mother's grandfather
Your mother's grandfather Yes
When did he come to Israel?
From Libya he moved to Egypt
and then came back to Israel
In what year? The 1950s
Ruth Jerusalem
Do you still do anything connected to Libya?
I remember the cookies my grandmother would make for my mother
What were they called?
I don't remember
Cookies with lots of butter
I don't know them
That's it
Nothing else? Mafroum?
Couscous?
No
What is the rest of the family?
My family
My father is Ashkenazi
My grandmother also married someone Ashkenazi
Most of us are Ashkenazi
One Libyan
with the cookies
Does it interest you to visit there if it was a safe place?
No
Not at all