1900-1950, My Grand-Parents Generation
The Elbaz Family
Maurice (Mouchi)
Mouchi Elbaz was born in 1907 in Ghardaïa, an oasis in central Algeria.
He was the second of a family of six children.
He lost one eye at age 8, when another boy in his school threw a steel pen-holder in his right eye. He taught himself to read and write at a very young age, but did not go to school after Elementary School. Like all the Jews in Ghardaïa though, he was very observant, and knew every prayer of the Jewish liturgy by heart.
At age 15, he went to France with his brother Daoud in order to find a job. We don't really know what happened during this trip, but they somehow got to St-Fons (a suburb of Lyon), where they both found a job in a chemical plant.
He was the second of a family of six children.
He lost one eye at age 8, when another boy in his school threw a steel pen-holder in his right eye. He taught himself to read and write at a very young age, but did not go to school after Elementary School. Like all the Jews in Ghardaïa though, he was very observant, and knew every prayer of the Jewish liturgy by heart.
At age 15, he went to France with his brother Daoud in order to find a job. We don't really know what happened during this trip, but they somehow got to St-Fons (a suburb of Lyon), where they both found a job in a chemical plant.
Living in France
Daoud (left) and Mouchi Elbaz
After a few months their father, Yaakov Elbaz came to France to look for them.
His boat arrived in Nice, a sea port in France, where he started asking around about them.
The only problem was he spoke only Arabic, and on top on that was dressed in the Arabic fashion of Ghardaïa, with a white long Djellabah and a red large Kippah on his head.
He must have started acting a little crazy (he didn't want to eat anything because it wasn't Kosher, he didn't speak French at all..), because he ended up in a mental facility, where he had to stay a few months before his sons were able to bring him back to Ghardaïa. Daoud went back to Ghardaïa with his father, where he became a shopkeeper in spices and dates, while Mouchi stayed in Algiers, working as a salesman in a hardware store.
His boat arrived in Nice, a sea port in France, where he started asking around about them.
The only problem was he spoke only Arabic, and on top on that was dressed in the Arabic fashion of Ghardaïa, with a white long Djellabah and a red large Kippah on his head.
He must have started acting a little crazy (he didn't want to eat anything because it wasn't Kosher, he didn't speak French at all..), because he ended up in a mental facility, where he had to stay a few months before his sons were able to bring him back to Ghardaïa. Daoud went back to Ghardaïa with his father, where he became a shopkeeper in spices and dates, while Mouchi stayed in Algiers, working as a salesman in a hardware store.
Marrying Julie Chouraqui
Julie Chouraqui was a single child. Her parents, Aïzer Chouraqui and Cécile (Simha) Chouraki, were from Boghari, and both came from wealthy families.
Cécile's parents were wealthy enough that they could afford sending their children in a private Catholic French school (were Simha got her name changed to Cécile), and Aïzer was a wealthy spice store owner.
As soon as World War I erupted, both Aïzer and his brother Mardoché enlisted. Mardoché died in France a few months later, but Aïzer survived.
During the time where he was enlisted (he was a Zouave), he asked his wife to supervise the store, which she did until one night where robbers came and stole everything.
They were ruined, and after a few months came to live in Algiers with their daughter Julie.
Julie and Mouchi met through a matchmaker in 1929, and both agreed to get married the following year.
They went for their honeymoon in Tiaret where they lived for a few weeks with Mouchi's aunt Sultana Partouche, who was very rich.
Mouchi and Julie lived in Algiers, in a small apartment in a Muslim neighborhood (the Casbah), where they had 9 children. On top of that, Julie's parents came to live with them, because Cécile had severe
Parkinson's syndrom, and needed constant care.
During World War 2 Mouchi wasn't enlisted, since he had lost one eye. He kept his job, because he was working for a Jewish store owner, and as business flourished he was even able to rent a bigger apartment ( a 3 bedroom apartment !) , unfortunately still in the same neighborhood, where they stayed until 1962.
Cécile's parents were wealthy enough that they could afford sending their children in a private Catholic French school (were Simha got her name changed to Cécile), and Aïzer was a wealthy spice store owner.
As soon as World War I erupted, both Aïzer and his brother Mardoché enlisted. Mardoché died in France a few months later, but Aïzer survived.
During the time where he was enlisted (he was a Zouave), he asked his wife to supervise the store, which she did until one night where robbers came and stole everything.
They were ruined, and after a few months came to live in Algiers with their daughter Julie.
Julie and Mouchi met through a matchmaker in 1929, and both agreed to get married the following year.
They went for their honeymoon in Tiaret where they lived for a few weeks with Mouchi's aunt Sultana Partouche, who was very rich.
Mouchi and Julie lived in Algiers, in a small apartment in a Muslim neighborhood (the Casbah), where they had 9 children. On top of that, Julie's parents came to live with them, because Cécile had severe
Parkinson's syndrom, and needed constant care.
During World War 2 Mouchi wasn't enlisted, since he had lost one eye. He kept his job, because he was working for a Jewish store owner, and as business flourished he was even able to rent a bigger apartment ( a 3 bedroom apartment !) , unfortunately still in the same neighborhood, where they stayed until 1962.