BASSATINE NEWS  the ONLY Jewish newsletter reporting directly from Egypt
A Community Chronicle put out by the Jewish Community Council (JCC) of Cairo since 1995

OUR EMAIL CHANGED IN SEPTEMBER 2014 AND IS NOW jcccairo@gmail.com

CHAAR HASHAMYIM (ADLY) SYNAGOGUE IS OPEN DURING ROSH HASHANAH, YOM KIPPUR AND SUKKOT

BASSATINE NEWS ISSUE No. 38

THE PASSING OF NADIA HAROUN - March 2014


"Cette pauvre communauté n'en finit pas de finir...." (MM)

Dear All,
On Behalf of my family and the entire JCC I would like to thank those who sent flowers, letters, telegrams or emails of condolences and in particular all those who came to my sister’s funeral. Without wonderful friends like you it would have been much more difficult for us to suffer through this very difficult period. It is in times of sadness and grief that such personal words, and friends, are so valuable.

As you will understand, it is going to take some time before our family and the JCC can get back to normal after this senseless tragedy. So, please don’t take our lack of contact or social activities during this period as any more than us taking the time we need to try to get back on track.
Sincerely Grateful,
Magda Haroun – JCC President

PASSOVER 2014

For the JCC and our tiny community these have been a very difficult 11 months. In that short period we lost both our long-time serving president, Carmen Weinstein, and our newly elected vice president Nadia Shehata Haroun. The latter was the JCC's youngest member. Understandably we shall not be celebrating Passover at Adly Synagogue (Chaar Hashamayim) this year in view of the community being in mourning for its very recent loss. We shall however keep you informed regarding the next high holidays. Thank you for your understanding.

INTERDENOMINATIONAL IFTAR AT CAIRO SYNAGOGUE - July 2014


In yet another bold initiative JCC President Magda Haroun celebrated iftar on the 11th day of Ramadan at Chaar Hashamayim Synagogue in downtown Cairo. Quoting The Guardian's Patrick Kingsley "At a heartwarming event at one of Egypt's last remaining synagogues, an imam broke fast with several minority representatives." Imam Mohammed Abdallah Nasr later spoke from the bima saying that Christians, Muslims and Jews all worship the same God.

"The decision to break fast today was planned two weeks ago--before knowing about Israel's current bombing of Gaza. Hopefully this civilized event in Cairo's largest synagogue will send a strong message to the world."

LA FIN D'UNE BELLE HISTORIE D'AMOUR

DARE TO DREAM

JCC president Magda Haroun featured recently in an Ona Academy award winning project mini-documentary now available on You Tube. A must watch...

Also watch interview on BBC

AHRAM HEBDO INTERVIEW - October 2014

L’Egypte comptait 60 000 juifs avant le déclenchement du conflit arabo-israélien. Aujourd’hui, il n’en reste plus que 9. Malgré les pressions qui pèsent sur eux, ils ont choisi de rester en Egypte. Leur périple est jalonné de souffrances et de défis.

« C’est peut-être à moi d’écrire la fin de l’histoire de la communauté juive d’Egypte. C’est triste. C’est un destin auquel je dois faire face. Depuis ma jeunesse, je n’arrête pas d’assister au départ de mes parents, mes proches et mes amis vers l’étranger. J’étais alors incapable de justifier cet état de fait », commente Magda Haroun, 62 ans, doyenne de la communauté juive en Egypte. Cette dernière s’apprête à préparer les linceuls de certaines juives égyptiennes, qui veulent mourir dans leur patrie, conformément à leur dernier souhait...

FOR REST OF ARTICLE CLICK story

PHOTOS FROM THE PAST


Photo from the 1930s when Palestine's Carmel wine (Richon le Zion, courtesy of the Rothschild family) was sold in various groceries across Egypt. Here we see the agent's store at No. 32 Manakh Street, Cairo where east meets west. Notice smiling young boy on the sidewalk next to the taxi wearing traditional galabeya and the fashionable cosmopolite Cairo couple to the right. This replicated again with a tarboushed effendi next to the galabeya-clad man hovering over the taxi motor. The billboard above Gabriel Haddad's furniture gallery is in French while the one sporting the name Societe Carmel Oriental is in both French and Arabic.


Below is a photo of a laisser-passer one of many issued to stateless Jews leaving Egypt in the 1950s. This one-way travel document was issed on 26 January 1950 to 18 year old student Allegra Sofer and was good for travel to France and Italy.



CHECK OUT EARLIER ISSUES OF BASSATINE NEWS

Issue 1  | Issue 2  | Issue 3  | Issue 4  | Issue 5  | Issue 6  | Issue 7  | Issue 8  |
Issue 9  | Issue 10  | Issue 11  | Issue 12  | Issue 13  | Issue 14  | Issue 15  | Issue 16  |
Issue 17  | Issue 18  | Issue 19  | Issue 20  | Issue 21  | Issue 22  | Issue 23  |
Issue 24  | Issue 25  | Issue 26  | Issue 27  | Issue 28  | Issue 29  | Issue 30  | Issue 31  |
Issue 32  | Issue 33  | Issue 34  | Issue 35  | Issue 36  | Issue 37  | Issue 38  |

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C O N T A C T

Jewish Community Council (JCC) of Cairo
# 13 Sabil El Khazindar Street
Midan al-Geish, Abbassia, Cairo
Egypt

tel: +20 2 2482-4613 - tel/fax +20 2 2736-9639
mobile: 0122 2115915
from outside Egypt call
+20 122 2115915
or
e-mail: jcccairo@gmail.com

Shaar Hashamayim Synagogue @ 17 Adly Street, downtown Cairo
open daily 10:00 to 15:00
Friday 10:00 to 17:00
Sunday closed

Ben Ezra Synagogue in Fostat (Old Cairo)
open daily 09:00 to 16:00

For visits to other Cairo synagogues or Bassatine Cemetery contact JCC


The JEWISH COMMUNITY COUNCIL of ALEXANDRIA (JCCA president: Youssef Ben Gaon) can be reached by email at:
alexandriajewishcommunity@yahoo.com
and by telephone on +20 3 484-6189 or +20 3 486-3974 or by ordinary mail at
No. 69 Nebi Daniel Street, Alexandria, Egypt

please note the Jewish Community Council of Alexandria is an independent entity separate from the Jewish Community Council of Cairo


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