The more I learn about the history of my own country, Egypt, the more I am incredulous. We in Egypt grew up hating Jews; a hatred that our teachers at school inculcated, hatred constantly reinforced by the media.
But after I fled Egypt, my encounter with others who were forced out or escaped from my country, including Egyptian Jews who were ethnically cleansed, opened my eyes to facts that we in Egypt were deprived of: the unequalled contributions of the Jewish community prior to their near total ethnic cleansing. The details of the crimes Egypt's authorities committed against its Jewish community is the subject of an article to come. Here, I will outline the enormous contributions of the Jewish community to my country prior to its dispersion; stunning facts that our teachers and media hid from us.
In essence, the Jews of Egypt founded Egypt's modern economy, and nothing less. I will start with the retail sector. All the large department stores in Cairo and Alexandria, except for one, were founded by Jews: Cicurel, Shemla, Gategno, Ben Zion, Da'ud Ades, Hannaux, Orecco, Salon Vert, and more. These stores were no less impressive than Gallerie La Fayette in Paris, Marks & Spencer in London, or Bloomingdale's in the US.
Beyond the retail sector, Jews are responsible for the introduction of modern industry in Egypt. They established:
Suarez Company, the first public transport company in Egypt.
Kom Ombo Agricultural Company, one of the largest agricultural companies in the country, if not the largerst.
Delta Railway Company, which played a significant role in the transport sector.
MISR Publishing House, one of the most influential publishing houses in Egypt's cultural scene.
Credit Foncier Bank, one of the banks that played a vital role in the Egyptian economy.
Philips Egypt, which introduced modern lighting technology to Egypt.
Rivoli Shoes, one of the leading companies in the footwear industry.
Lecico Company, one of Egypt's largest manufacturers of ceramics and tiles.
Old Opera House Theater, which had a pivotal role in Egypt's cultural life.
Studio Misr, which played a key role in the development of Egyptian cinema.
The Jewish presence in Egypt was not limited to the business sector; there were Jewish personalities in various fields who significantly impacted the country's cultural, artistic, economic, and scientific trajectory. Among them were:
Da'ud Husni, one of Egypt's foremost composers, who composed eleven songs for Om Kalthum, mentored Asmahan, and introduced the first operetta in the Arabic language, Cleopatra.
Murad Bey Farag Lichaa, a lawyer for Egypt's Khedive, a prolific author and poet in Hebrew and Arabic, whose writing Ahmed Shawqi, the prince of Arab poets, showered with praise. Noteworthy: Farag's writing indicates that he was both an Egyptian patriot and a passionate Zionist, proving that the two are not mutually exclusive.
Victor Nahmias, one of Egypt's foremost journalists, who had a significant role in the Egyptian press.
David Haham, a chemist who contributed to advanced scientific research.
Maurice Antoine Samuel, a poet and writer who left a lasting mark on modern Egyptian literature.
Togo Mizrahi, a pioneer of Egyptian cinema.
Laila Murad, Rakia Ibrahim (Rachel Avraham), and Sylvia Sidney, Jewish Egyptian actresses who gained fame both locally and internationally.
Camilia (Lilian Levi Cohen), a famous Jewish Egyptian actress who was murdered under mysterious circumstances.
In essence, a Jewish community of only 80,000 souls out of 25 million Egyptians in the first half of the century is not only responsible for the founding of Egypt's modern economy but contributed far beyond its size to its culture and social progress.
I would add the following facts: Kataoui Pasha was a finance or communications minister. The Kataoui and Mosseiri families were responsible for bringing finance houses from abroad to invest in Egypt. It is also important to emphasize that this list is incomplete; the contributions of Egyptian Jews to Egypt's history, culture, and economy are far greater than what can be captured in a single article.
How shameful
How did Egypt's rulers thank them? Denial of citizenship, denial of employment, massacres, property confiscation, mass arrests in the 1960s, parading of Egyptian Jews in public places such as Ramses Square for mobs to abuse them while shouting "YAHOOD" (Jews) and throwing stones at them, and detention and torture in Egypt's notorious prisons for years.
The calamities that befell Egyptian Jews, as well as Jewish refugees from Arab countries, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, must not be forgotten, if only for the sake of peace. Details of the crimes against Egypt's Jewish community, will be the subject of a follow up article.
At the end of my article, I can find no better words than those of the late, great Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate: "To forget the victims is to kill them a second time."
