1900-1950, My Grand-Parents Generation
The Hadjadj Family
David Hadjadj
David Hadjadj and his wife Zerdouda Draï had 6 living children together.
They both were originally from Constantine, but moved to the small city of Bordj-Bou-Arreridj, probably for his job. Like I said he was a cobbler, and maybe he wanted to start something new there. They were never rich or well-bred, but Zerdouda had worked as a maid for a rich French family when she was younger, and had been really influenced by this experience. She spoke some French, and started to appreciate the quality of things and the nice way of life she saw there.
She made herself, her husband and her children wear European clothes, she always dressed a nice table when she could and always liked good quality materials.
Their children were Rose (Zizette) born in 1900, Albert (Abraham) born in 1901, Blanche (born in 1905), Alice (born in 1908), Armand (born in 1910) and Charles (born in 1918). They had at least 2 more kids, probably born between 1901 and 1908 and between 1910 and 1918, but they died very young .
They both were originally from Constantine, but moved to the small city of Bordj-Bou-Arreridj, probably for his job. Like I said he was a cobbler, and maybe he wanted to start something new there. They were never rich or well-bred, but Zerdouda had worked as a maid for a rich French family when she was younger, and had been really influenced by this experience. She spoke some French, and started to appreciate the quality of things and the nice way of life she saw there.
She made herself, her husband and her children wear European clothes, she always dressed a nice table when she could and always liked good quality materials.
Their children were Rose (Zizette) born in 1900, Albert (Abraham) born in 1901, Blanche (born in 1905), Alice (born in 1908), Armand (born in 1910) and Charles (born in 1918). They had at least 2 more kids, probably born between 1901 and 1908 and between 1910 and 1918, but they died very young .
Rose (Zizette)
Bordj-Bou-Arreridj, 1930
David Hadjadj made Rose quit school at a very young age, because he had heard that one Jewish girl in the city had eloped with her teacher, and he feared it would be a bad influence on his daughter. Poor Rose (everybody called her Zizette) was therefore almost illiterate. She was a great cook though, and everyone marveled at her Purim pastries which looked that they had been baked by a chef. She ended up marrying Alfred Saffar, a mail man. They lived with their children in Borj-Bou-Arreridj, a small village near Constantine. They had 8 children together: Irène, Marcel (who died when he was 4 or 5), Lucienne, Roger, Jules, Edmée, René, and Claude.
Albert (Abraham)
Gisèle Hadjadj
Albert was the first son of the family, and took his role quite seriously : He took on his father’s business, but made it flourish. He got contracts with the French army, and soon the small company became a plant, filled with Arab workers. He decided to move to Algiers in 1918, and the whole family moved with him. He was the one who was in charge of marrying his sisters off, and he dealt with the negotiations about the dowry. He lived in his parents condo, but he was the actual head of the family. After a few years in Algiers, he married a woman named Alice Abib, whose mother lived in the same building than Alice and Henri Fitoussi. She was a very beautiful woman, much younger than himself (they were 13 years apart). But they loved each other and until World War 2 they had a great life together : they went to the opera, they had a car, she wore furs and so on. They had 3 children together: Suzon (born in 1936), Gisèle (born in 1937) and Alain Jacques (born in 1941). Unfortunately Alice died from typhoid fever in 1941, a mere few months after giving birth to their third child, and although Albert was devastated, he soon realized that he needed another wife.
Her sister Zizette offered to marry him to with her own daughter Irene. It seems shocking now, but it was more common at the time to marry in the family. And, in doing so, Zizette was making sure that Albert's three children would be loved and taken care of.
Irene refused, but Lucienne, her younger sister (15 at the time), said she was interested : she had been very impressed by the lifestyle he had been leading with his first wife, and dreamed to live the same way. They were married a year later, and Lucienne took care of her 3 step-children/cousins with great care.
They seem to have been quite happy together, although Albert wasn't always faithful to Lucienne, which always provoked a great deal of drama within the family.
Her sister Zizette offered to marry him to with her own daughter Irene. It seems shocking now, but it was more common at the time to marry in the family. And, in doing so, Zizette was making sure that Albert's three children would be loved and taken care of.
Irene refused, but Lucienne, her younger sister (15 at the time), said she was interested : she had been very impressed by the lifestyle he had been leading with his first wife, and dreamed to live the same way. They were married a year later, and Lucienne took care of her 3 step-children/cousins with great care.
They seem to have been quite happy together, although Albert wasn't always faithful to Lucienne, which always provoked a great deal of drama within the family.
Blanche
Norbert Bekache
Blanche and Alice were very close, and got along very well. Blanche was less pretty than Alice, but she was very clever and caring. Her brother Albert arranged her marriage, and she married Charles Bekache in 1930. She had three children with him, Evelyne (born in 1932), and a boy Norbert José. She died giving birth of her third child in 1939. The baby survived, but as his father could not properly take care of him, Zerdouda thought he would be better taken care of in the countryside. He died a few months later of depression. Alice was understandingly very upset about the whole story, and named the baby girl she would have a few months later after Blanche. As the baby grew older though, Alice got so upset each time she called her name that she started to call her after her second first name, Hélène. Soon every one called her Blanche Hélène, or Hélène, and still does.
Armand
Nice Casino, 1950
Armand was the second son of the family, born in 1910. He served in the French Army during World War 2, and was sent to France to fight.
When the Germans defeated the French army in 1940, he knew he would be sent to a concentration camp if the German discovered he was a Jew. So he pretended to be a Muslim (he was speaking fluent Arabic), and was "only" sent off to a military camp in Germany, with his fellow soldiers.
He escaped after a few months by hiding in a coffin, and walked from Germany to Alsace (a French region close to Germany). There, an alsacian woman found him and hid him until the end of the war.
He returned to Algeria after the war, where he had gotten so emaciated his own mother didn't recognize him. He married in 1944 with Hélène Ayoun, with whom he had 3 children : Blanche, Jocelyne, and Jean Jacques. It was not a match made in heaven though, and they quarreled frequently, and at any occasion.
He stayed a few years in Algiers, where he helped in the family business, but didn't get along with his brother Albert. They both soon decided that they were better off not working together, and Albert helped him open a shoe store in Nice (France).
His wife Hélène decided to stay with the kids and her parents in Algiers though, and Armand went off by himself.
After a few years, Hélène decided to join him in Nice, but by them it was too late and Armand realized he rather enjoyed his single life. They got divorced, and Armand led the life he always dreamed of.
Although his stores went bankrupt a few times and he never had a steady job, he lived a grand lifestyle thanks to a few "older girlfriends". He went to the casino, to the theater, or to expensive restaurants with them.
He finally settled with a woman he met at the synagogue in 1955, and they lived together until his death.
When the Germans defeated the French army in 1940, he knew he would be sent to a concentration camp if the German discovered he was a Jew. So he pretended to be a Muslim (he was speaking fluent Arabic), and was "only" sent off to a military camp in Germany, with his fellow soldiers.
He escaped after a few months by hiding in a coffin, and walked from Germany to Alsace (a French region close to Germany). There, an alsacian woman found him and hid him until the end of the war.
He returned to Algeria after the war, where he had gotten so emaciated his own mother didn't recognize him. He married in 1944 with Hélène Ayoun, with whom he had 3 children : Blanche, Jocelyne, and Jean Jacques. It was not a match made in heaven though, and they quarreled frequently, and at any occasion.
He stayed a few years in Algiers, where he helped in the family business, but didn't get along with his brother Albert. They both soon decided that they were better off not working together, and Albert helped him open a shoe store in Nice (France).
His wife Hélène decided to stay with the kids and her parents in Algiers though, and Armand went off by himself.
After a few years, Hélène decided to join him in Nice, but by them it was too late and Armand realized he rather enjoyed his single life. They got divorced, and Armand led the life he always dreamed of.
Although his stores went bankrupt a few times and he never had a steady job, he lived a grand lifestyle thanks to a few "older girlfriends". He went to the casino, to the theater, or to expensive restaurants with them.
He finally settled with a woman he met at the synagogue in 1955, and they lived together until his death.
