Egyptian Jewry and Zionism

Avinoam was born in Gedera in 1890, to a father who had come to Israel as a Bilu from Russia. He studied engineering in France. In 1914, when he wanted to return home, he could only find passage to Alexandria because of the war. He went to relatives in Upper Egypt. In 1917 he was appointed teacher of mathematics at the Lycee Francaise in Alexandria. After a year he started work with a local engineering company where he stayed until 1958. In 1945 he was sent by the company to Baghdad. ; Pninah joined Avinoam in Alexandria after their marriage in 1922. The Jewish community there was flourishing including approximately 10,000 temporary Jewish refugees who had fled the Turks in Palestine. After the war, they returned home. In Alexandria they were aided by Baron Felix de Menesh, Egyptian and British authorities as well as by the Jewish leadership in Eretz Yisrael. A Hebrew newspaper "Chadshot Haaretz" was published but it had a low readership. There were few relations between the various ethnic groups. Bugrashov founded a school to teach the refugee children Hebrew. In 1917, after the Balfour Declaration, Jews became more interested in Zionism. Avinoam was active in a Zionist organization from 1939, when emissaries from Palestine started work in Egypt, organizing the youth, founding Hechalutz Hatzair. Felix Green, representative of JNF and the Zionist organization's candidate was elected to the Municipal Council of Alexandria. ; Matalon asks him about the boycott of German products, initiated by the Zionists and Bnei Brith, but practiced also by non-Zionist Jews. When soldiers of the Jewish Brigade came to Egypt, the local Jews established clubs for them, and the soldiers did a lot to foster Zionism. The Menesh family and other rich ladies opened Menorah a club for British Jewish soldiers which was followed by the establishment of Hatiqvah, a club for Palestinian Jewish soldiers. The clubs were also visited by Polish soldiers of Ander's Army and Jewish soldiers from South Africa. WIZO was founded at the beginning of the war. The official Jewish community in Alexandria was not Zionist, but Avinoam used to help when asked to - e.g. in matters concerning the Jewish hospital. ; They talk about members of the community. Avinoam was on the executive committee of the Lycee Juive, founded in the 1920's, where Hebrew was taught. Discussion about the level of teaching. Near the synagogue in Alexandria there was a hall where prominent Jewish persons gave lectures, also on Zionism. The Zionist federation in Cairo was larger. In the years 1940-1945 the Zionist movement in Alexandria was well organized, with a secretary and an executive committee. The names of members were listed, and they all had to pay a membership fee. Apart from this they collected funds for Keren Hayesod and JNF. Asked about elections within the movement, who had the right to vote, etc., the answers are not clear. Avinoam was also a member of Bnei Brith, and he talks about some of the other members. In 1942 a home for children in need was established in Alexandria, named after Pninah and Avinoam's baby daughter who was killed by bombs shot into a train going to Palestine. The crèche, founded by Pninah and 10 other ladies who collected the necessary funds, had 80 children aged 2-5 and served as a model, even for the Egyptian authorities. It functioned until 1956.