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There was panic within us too of course, even if we didn’t show it. In the meantime, unfortunately there was another blow. Wealth Tax [8] was implemented. This destroyed a lot of families, unfairly. There was a lot of discrimination. The applications were not fair.
My father worked at the market, he had an independent merchant card. 500 Turkish liras was the tax given to all Jews with this card. The fear of Hitler already existed. This was added on.
For us, for a person of modest means, this was big money of course. My father had 450 liras saved. He never withheld anything from the government. There was the matter we called road money, it was 6 liras a year [money given to the government]... he always paid that too. We paid 9 liras’ rent for the house we lived in.
They were sending those who did not pay the Wealth Tax to Ashkale to break rocks. We tried to persuade our father fervently not to give it but he said, you cannot play games with the government and paid 500 liras to the government. He had 450 liras, I gave 22 liras from my piggybank, and the rest, my older sister took it out of her piggybank and gave it.
My father gave me the money and said go to the tax office, and pay this money. This duty was given to me, I did it and brought the receipt to my father. I was around 16-17 years old.
I did not know the ones who went to Ashkale, but in general they were people who were rich, for example there was the lawyer Franko, Barzilay’s, important shipowners, sellers of sundries and notion, manufacturers... And a short while after we paid this money, this tax was repealed. 500 liras was granted an exception.
My father worked at the market, he had an independent merchant card. 500 Turkish liras was the tax given to all Jews with this card. The fear of Hitler already existed. This was added on.
For us, for a person of modest means, this was big money of course. My father had 450 liras saved. He never withheld anything from the government. There was the matter we called road money, it was 6 liras a year [money given to the government]... he always paid that too. We paid 9 liras’ rent for the house we lived in.
They were sending those who did not pay the Wealth Tax to Ashkale to break rocks. We tried to persuade our father fervently not to give it but he said, you cannot play games with the government and paid 500 liras to the government. He had 450 liras, I gave 22 liras from my piggybank, and the rest, my older sister took it out of her piggybank and gave it.
My father gave me the money and said go to the tax office, and pay this money. This duty was given to me, I did it and brought the receipt to my father. I was around 16-17 years old.
I did not know the ones who went to Ashkale, but in general they were people who were rich, for example there was the lawyer Franko, Barzilay’s, important shipowners, sellers of sundries and notion, manufacturers... And a short while after we paid this money, this tax was repealed. 500 liras was granted an exception.
Period
Year
1942
Location
Beyoğlu/İstanbul
Türkiye
Interview
Nesim Levi