I wanted to tell a little about my grandfather Shimon (of blessed memory).
Grandfather was born in Turkey to his parents Shoshana (Susamber) and Meir, and to his siblings Yaakov, Yakir, Rosa, Mina, and Sarah. Today, only Rosa and Mina are still alive.
In 1944, when he was 23, my grandfather immigrated to Israel by ship. At that time the British ruled the country and did not allow Jews to enter easily. Grandfather was forced to board an illegal immigrant ship.
His parents and siblings joined him later. They then decided to send him and his brothers to Kibbutz Ma’oz Hayim.
My grandfather’s family name was Baskal, but representatives of the Jewish Agency decided that the name was not Israeli enough and informed him and his brothers Yaakov and Yakir that from then on their family name would be Oren. Life in Ma’oz Hayim was not very good for them. Kibbutz life did not suit them because they had been merchants in Turkey, and they decided to return to Jaffa. In Jaffa they were given an abandoned Arab house, and later they moved to Bat Yam.
My grandfather had a girlfriend who was killed by the British during “Black Saturday” at the old central bus station in Tel Aviv, and he was wounded in the shoulder. At that time, all the members of the Nash Didan community (“Our People”), which was also my grandfather’s community, were arriving in Israel. Because his girlfriend had been killed, they decided to introduce him to someone who was also from the community. It was very important to members of the Nash Didan community that their sons marry women from the community, and this is how my grandfather Shimon met my grandmother Shoshana, of blessed memory, a native-born Israeli who was also from the same community.
The reason my grandfather and his family left their homeland was hatred of Jews. Grandfather chose the Land of Israel because it was the only place where a Jew could feel at home.
It took Grandfather time to learn the language. Until he immigrated to Israel, he spoke only Turkish and Aramaic. Grandfather was very happy with his decision to immigrate to the Land of Israel!