Egyptian Jewry and Zionism

Devorah's husband, Chaim, made aliyah in 1905 and was one of the founders of Degania A. He got malaria, and after unsuccessful treatment was sent by the kibbutz for rehabilitation near Cairo. He settled in Egypt until 1949 where he represented Palestinian firms such as Tnuva, Hachsharat Hayishuv, Rasco, etc. With the outbreak of World War II, many Jewish soldiers from all over the world and from Palestine came to Egypt and were assisted by the local Jewish community. The Zadikoff and Weissmann families were especially active. The Cairo Jewish community opened a club for Jewish soldiers, offering hot meals and warm showers. Avraham Katzenelson of the Va'ad Haleumi visited the club. During the El Alamein attack, sergeant Eliahu Cohen and some helpers came to prepare and organize the transfer of Jews to Palestine. Many of them got visas and left, Devorah's son among them. At that time emissaries from Palestine came to organize and work with Jewish youth. They established a youth club. In 1944 Lord Baron Moyne was assassinated by the Lehi. An Egyptian lawyer defended the two accused, Eliyahu Bet-Zuri and Eliyahu Hakim. The president of the Cairo community and Nachum Effendi, Chief Rabbi of Egypt, used their influence on King Farouk, who promised them that Bet-Zuri and Hakin would be released after their trial. But owing to British pressure, they were hanged. ; During the war, many leaders from Eretz Yisrael visited Egypt and contacted the Zadikoffs: Chaim Weizman, Moshe Sharett, Menachem Ussishkin, Ya'akov Tsur, Eliahu Eilat, Eliezer Kaplan. The latter asked Chaim Zadikoff to remain in Cairo and persuade rich Jews to invest in the purchase of land in Palestine. Devorah is asked to remember active Zionists - she remembers Musseri, Castro, Najar. People from Palestine helped in the work of the many Jewish institutions in Egypt, e.g. two nurses who looked after mothers and babies. Until the Israeli War of Independence, the Egyptian authorities did not interfere in the work of Egyptian Jewish institutions, and Devorah does not remember any antisemitic incidents, except at the time of El Alamein. Her husband was on good terms with many Egyptian officials and was respected by Egyptian tradesmen to whom he sold Tnuva's products. When all the Jewish soldiers returned to Palestine, before 1947, one called "Moshe and a half" remained in Egypt and was suspected of spying for Egypt. ; When the State of Israel was declared, the Zadikoffs were in Israel; they returned to Cairo, because their son was there still studying, and also for Chaim to destroy all documents concerning Jews who had bought land in Israel, because the Egyptian authorities demanded that assets abroad should be declared. On May 15, 1948, Chaim Zadikoff and his son were arrested, together with other male Israelis, and taken to prison and later to a concentration camp near Cairo. Wives were allowed to visit once a fortnight, and they brought their husbands food and utensils to cook for themselves. Devorah stayed in her home, very lonely, supported by members of Hechalutz. She retained her radio and telephone by bribing a policeman who visited her daily, and wrote important messages on papers hidden in her parcels to her husband. Near the "Jewish" concentration camp, there was one for Arab refugees and prisoners from Israel, and they decided one day to fight the Jewish prisoners. ; An Egyptian military commander intervened and separated the two groups. There was another incident, when a rumour spread that Communists, Arabs and Jews, were to be deported to Altour (?) near the Red Sea, a terrible camp for murderers. The prisoners' wives approached the Egyptian Jewish leadership who assured them that they had been promised by the Egyptian authorities that their relatives would not be sent. But they were sent. The names of those sent (about 60) was with the police, and it turned out that Dr. Agion and Yossi Levi were among those. Devorah describes how Dr. Agion, a non-Zionist, was arrested and his important work within the camp. The Egyptian authorities took no measures against anti-Jewish demonstrations, burning of Jewish shops. Devorah's son was released and deported by ship to Italy. From there he travelled to Israel. Her husband was taken to the airport and released there. In July 1949 Chaim and Devorah left Egypt.