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In Dupnitsa all Jews are Sephardi [see Sephardi Jewry] [1]. Our ancestors were chased from Spain in the 15th century [see Expulsion of the Jews from Spain] [2]. My paternal kin are the Pilosofs. My ancestors on this side settled in Dupnitsa [a town located 50 km south of Sofia]. I know from my paternal grandfather that the Pilosof kin originates from Dupnitsa and is a very large kin. From Dupnitsa it spread to many cities and foreign countries. I have heard that there are many Jews with this name in Bulgaria, Greece and Israel. My father had a cousin called Mois Eliezer Pilosof. He used to be a teacher in the Jewish school in Dupnitsa. Then he moved to Sofia and from there he left for Palestine as early as the 1920s, and later, after the establishment of Israel, he became the mayor of Haifa. Another relative of my father, Benmair Pilosof, took part in the brigades in Spain [during the Spanish Civil War] [3] at the time of Franco. After that he settled in France.
My paternal grandfather’s name was Sabat Moshe Pilosof. Some of his relatives used to be called ‘moskofim’ [Moscowians]. I’ve heard that some of my ancestors went to Russia and later came back. My grandfather was born in Dupnitsa. In his youth he was an associate in a shop in the village of Cherven Briag [Red Coast], which is eight kilometers from Dupnitsa. He worked there for many years. I remember how he regularly sent us milk and fresh cheese, made there. When they couldn’t sell the cheese they used to send it to us. Every Saturday my grandfather returned to Dupnitsa. It seems that there weren’t many work places in Dupnitsa, and therefore he worked in other places. When he finally returned to Dupnitsa, as an elderly man, he started to help in a shop in Dupnitsa.
My paternal grandfather’s house was in the Jewish neighborhood, which was situated in the area of the Dupnishka [Jerman] River [4], which crosses the town. There were various houses there. Both the rich and poor Jews lived there. Most of the houses were one-floor ones with adjoined yards. My grandfather shared a yard with three of his brothers. The houses were either detached from one another, or opposite each other. One of my grandfather’s brothers lived next to him, and their sister lived on the opposite side of the street.
My paternal grandfather’s name was Sabat Moshe Pilosof. Some of his relatives used to be called ‘moskofim’ [Moscowians]. I’ve heard that some of my ancestors went to Russia and later came back. My grandfather was born in Dupnitsa. In his youth he was an associate in a shop in the village of Cherven Briag [Red Coast], which is eight kilometers from Dupnitsa. He worked there for many years. I remember how he regularly sent us milk and fresh cheese, made there. When they couldn’t sell the cheese they used to send it to us. Every Saturday my grandfather returned to Dupnitsa. It seems that there weren’t many work places in Dupnitsa, and therefore he worked in other places. When he finally returned to Dupnitsa, as an elderly man, he started to help in a shop in Dupnitsa.
My paternal grandfather’s house was in the Jewish neighborhood, which was situated in the area of the Dupnishka [Jerman] River [4], which crosses the town. There were various houses there. Both the rich and poor Jews lived there. Most of the houses were one-floor ones with adjoined yards. My grandfather shared a yard with three of his brothers. The houses were either detached from one another, or opposite each other. One of my grandfather’s brothers lived next to him, and their sister lived on the opposite side of the street.
Location
Bulgaria
Interview
Sabat Pilosof