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My ancestors came from Spain [1]. I know nothing about my great-great-grandfathers who lived there. I don't know how they dressed, or where they worked, because no one ever told me any stories about their lives. Yet I do have some idea about my grandfathers, who came to the Ottoman Empire. They lived in Odrin [a city in the westernmost part of Turkey]. Then they moved to Bulgaria, and settled in the beautiful city of Ruse, on the Danube coast.
The names of my paternal grandparents are Yako and Sara Samoil. I don't remember them; I've only seen a very interesting photo of them – my grandmother and grandfather in Odrin, both dressed in lavish Turkish clothes. Of course, this doesn't mean they were rich; after all, one could borrow such clothes. They were born between 1865 and 1870.
The names of my maternal grandparents are Mushon and Beya Melamed. They were hospitable and loving people, with a great sense of humor. They had eight children: Robert, Simanto, David, Sharlota, Flora, Estreya, Sofi and Roza, my mother. They spoke Ladino, Romanian, Bulgarian and a little French. They knew Turkish perfectly. Their children also knew these languages. My grandfather alone supported the family. Naturally, they didn't have a cook and a maid. The family had a small shop, in which Mushon Melamed sold vegetables and fodder. My mother’s father had some Zionist inclinations, but I don't know if he was a member of any of the Zionist organizations in Ruse.
They lived on the coast of the Danube, in the Bulgarian neighborhood. This was the site of Bulgaria's first meteorological station. They had very nice neighbors. Their friends were Bulgarians and Jews.
I remember that my maternal grandparents had two houses close to one another. In the beginning, Beya and Mushon lived in one of the houses with their sons, and their five daughters lived in the other. In the house where the boys and their parents lived, there were two rooms and a kitchen. In the other house there were two big rooms. I can't say why the family lived this way. Probably for practical reasons, there were ten of them, after all.
There was a very big veranda, where they placed mattresses and sometimes they all slept outside. They also had a yard with very nice fruit trees. I remember, for example, a big mulberry tree with big fruits. There were also hens. But there was no running water. They didn't have running water in Ruse until the beginning of the 20th century.
The names of my paternal grandparents are Yako and Sara Samoil. I don't remember them; I've only seen a very interesting photo of them – my grandmother and grandfather in Odrin, both dressed in lavish Turkish clothes. Of course, this doesn't mean they were rich; after all, one could borrow such clothes. They were born between 1865 and 1870.
The names of my maternal grandparents are Mushon and Beya Melamed. They were hospitable and loving people, with a great sense of humor. They had eight children: Robert, Simanto, David, Sharlota, Flora, Estreya, Sofi and Roza, my mother. They spoke Ladino, Romanian, Bulgarian and a little French. They knew Turkish perfectly. Their children also knew these languages. My grandfather alone supported the family. Naturally, they didn't have a cook and a maid. The family had a small shop, in which Mushon Melamed sold vegetables and fodder. My mother’s father had some Zionist inclinations, but I don't know if he was a member of any of the Zionist organizations in Ruse.
They lived on the coast of the Danube, in the Bulgarian neighborhood. This was the site of Bulgaria's first meteorological station. They had very nice neighbors. Their friends were Bulgarians and Jews.
I remember that my maternal grandparents had two houses close to one another. In the beginning, Beya and Mushon lived in one of the houses with their sons, and their five daughters lived in the other. In the house where the boys and their parents lived, there were two rooms and a kitchen. In the other house there were two big rooms. I can't say why the family lived this way. Probably for practical reasons, there were ten of them, after all.
There was a very big veranda, where they placed mattresses and sometimes they all slept outside. They also had a yard with very nice fruit trees. I remember, for example, a big mulberry tree with big fruits. There were also hens. But there was no running water. They didn't have running water in Ruse until the beginning of the 20th century.
Location
Bulgaria
Interview
Yako Yakov
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