Good morning,
DIGGING THROUGH THE FAMILY ARCHIVES
In my effort to cull the detritus of pictures, documents, and mementos I’ve retained over the years, I’m attacking the boxes in the garage with gusto. To many, maintaining these neatly stacked boxes for years and years might seem a bit ridiculous, but to me there is a sense of memory that fills the space. It’s not only the boxes, but Lauren’s miniatures and snow globes, Brad’s scripts and weird art collection, and Jake’s debate outlines and wrestling memorabilia. Even older, yet just as palpable, are the memories left behind by my parents (mostly my mother, as my father had little attachment to objects of any kind) and my grandfather. Amidst the memories are letters from my mother, notes between my sister and me, and my grandfather’s papers.
Today, a few words about my Sephardic grandfather, whom I knew well. He collected everything. He always carried with him inspirational passages and song sheets he knew pretty much by heart. He saved bank statements, postcards, stamps, and letters. Some of it is mundane and some of it fascinating.
EDDIE REPRESENTS THE SEPARDIC SIDE OF THE FAMILY
As you may know, most American Jews are “Ashkenazi,” coming from Germany, France, and later Eastern Europe. Sephardic Jews are those who are descended from Spain and Portugal, who emigrated to the Middle East. I’m ¾ Ashkenazi and ¼ Sephardic. People often ask me where I got my Sephardic blood. It’s through my mother’s father.
EDDIE—A MAN OF THE 20TH CENTURY
My mother’s sister, Seemah, and I have been putting together some stories about our shared ancestry and, in particular, the adventures of her father, Eddie Abrahams. His life entailed circuitous travels and various adventures that eventually brought him to the United States. This is the first of three Musings over the next three months and is the driest—the best stories—in India, as a seaman, in the Jewish Legion and running a speakeasy and gas station in New York are much more interesting. But first, a little background on where he came from…
Eddie was a child of the 20th century, born at the outset of the century and dying in the latter years of the century. He was born in 1901, always calling himself “last year’s model,” as his age was easily ascertained by taking one year off of the then-current year. He died in 1988. While his personal story is interesting, his story also encapsulates the notion of the “wandering Jew,” but in a non-European context.
Records of Eddie and his ancestors are sparse. We are only able to go back to his parents. Prior to that, one must look instead generally to those people during that era, prior to his parents entering the scene.
THE BAGHDADI JEWS
The “origin story” of Eddie starts before his upbringing in Calcutta. The Jews in Calcutta were part of a diaspora that originated in Basra, Baghdad and other areas of what was then part of the Ottoman Empire. They migrated to areas around the Bengal Sea (between India and Southeast Asia) to such places as India, Burma, Singapore, and Shanghai. Many ultimately found their way to Australia. I know of family members who lived in Singapore and Australia, one of whom was a news anchor on Singaporean television. They had the surname Manasseh. They now are unknown to us.
The bulk of the Baghdadi Jews found themselves in Mumbai, Calcutta, and other cities in India. Some found their way to Shanghai and other places in Asia. They quickly adopted a culture that incorporated their Middle Eastern heritage, while adopting Indian culture and a fierce loyalty to the British Empire. Many were polyglot, speaking myriad languages that connected with their heritage and their travels. Eddie spoke English, Hindi, Urdu, Arabic, Farsi, some Hebrew, and some Yiddish. His intelligence and facility for languages were learned on the street, as he had no formal education.
But the story of the Baghdadi Jews, who migrated to what is now Iraq, has earlier roots. Most of these people migrated to the area from the Iberian Peninsula in the 16th century, after the various expulsion decrees in Spain and Portugal. They found their way to the Middle East in the 16th and 17th centuries and began trading with Persian Jews and Indians in the 17th century. They thrived as traders throughout Europe and the Middle East, including the spice trade with the Persians. No less than Suleiman the Magnificent declared of King Ferdinand of Spain, who expelled the Jews, “You call him king who impoverishes his states to enrich mine?”
To this day, remnants of the Spanish and Portuguese heritage of these people can be found in many Sephardic synagogues to this day. Andrea and I were married in Sephardic shul, with Ladino (a mix of Spanish and Hebrew) spoken and sung in the service. My parents and my grandparents similarly were married in what was called the “Spanish and Portuguese” synagogue in Manhattan.
THE ROOTS OF MY SEPHARDIC FAMILY Sadly, Jews trying to trace back their genealogy much before the 20th century will have a hard time, given the lack of detailed record keeping in many areas, exacerbated by the Holocaust. For someone trying to reach back to trace the lineage of Middle Eastern peasants is even more difficult, as the area was part of larger empires that long ago faded into the mists of history. As a result, the late-19th century is as far back as we can go for any meaningful details regarding our family.
Eddie’s parents were Abraham Khazzam and Seemah Manassah. Eddie was born Ezra Shalom Khazzam. So how did he get the name “Eddie Abrahams”? His first name was an Anglicization of Ezra. Abrahams was the result of Eddie’s response to the question posed by authorities many years later, “what is your surname?” Since many Jews of the time were referred to as “son of,” as in “ben-Abraham.” He and his brother George thought this meant their father’s name. Hence, Eddie and George Abrahams.
Both Abraham and Seemah were born in Basra in the late-19th century. Eddie’s brothers were born in the 1890s. It is a reasonable guess Abraham and Seemah were born in the 1860s or early 1870s. They had four children—Joseph, George, Eddie and Miriam. Abraham was a peddler.
The relationship between the Jews and the Arabs always has been fraught. While they coexisted, that coexistence was not always easy. In Mesopotamia, the Jews were second-class citizens, not made to feel welcome. Eventually, Abraham and Seemah followed the example of many of their other neighbors when they decided to emigrate to India. There, relatives and friends found greater acceptance and opportunity under British rule.
OFF TO INDIA
Seemah and Abraham were preparing to leave for Calcutta with their four young children, having already purchased tickets on a ship. Abraham went to town to sell his remaining goods and tools of the trade, when several Arab men surrounded and killed him. They took his wares, his tools and all his money. The family found out what happened only after Seemah sent the two eldest brothers to find their father. What they found was a shallow grave, their father buried with his hands tied behind his back. There is a version of the story claiming they saw a toe sticking out of the ground, leading to the exhumation of the body.
After this gruesome event, Seemah packed up her children and emigrated to the Jewish community in Calcutta. Her baby girl, Miriam, died on the voyage to Calcutta. Because of religious laws, observant Jews would not allow burial at sea. Even though the baby had died, Seemah held the baby and pretended to nurse her until they got to the next port, where she arranged to bury the child.
It is a Sephardic custom to give a baby girl a tiny bracelet and earrings after birth. These were on the child at burial. She was taunted by Arabs who said they would dig the baby up for the jewelry. This second act of cruelty, on top of the murder of his father, should have soured Eddie to Arab people. But quite the opposite was true. Throughout his life, Eddie always had friends of Arabic descent, whom he called his brothers and his cousins.
Seemah Manasseh Abrahams was very orthodox and, consistent with the superstitions of the day, would never allow photographs to be taken of her image. There is only one known photo of Seemah, taken in a group of people. Apparently, my mother had it but its whereabouts are now unknown.
Seemah became a midwife in the Jewish community in Calcutta. She was well known and loved by those she helped. She typically would not accept payment for her services, but traded for food, clothing, and household goods. Her granddaughter (my aunt), also named Seemah, met relatives in London who spoke with great praise about her grandmother. They confirmed that Seemah would never take money for her midwifing services. His mother was run over by a taxi while running to help a woman give birth, shortly after Eddie and his brother George emigrated to America.
Eddie was something of a stoic, accepting whatever life presented. That said, upon hearing of his mother’s death in 1938 or 1939, after the family had moved to Oskawana (more about that later), Eddie ran out in the street crying. It was the only time my Aunt Seemah recalls Eddie so emotional.
More of Eddie’s story as a seaman, a hobo, manager of a speakeasy, and gas station owner, in a later Musing.
Have a great day,
Glenn
Love the family history! Can't wait to learn more.
I always love your legacy musings.