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THE WEB OF TUNISIAN JEWS

     MY COUSIN EPHRAIM



My cousin Ephraim was tall, well-built and strong. He was born in Gafsa and his family had moved to Tunis, to the Hara - the Jewish ghetto - a few years before World War II.
During the nazi occupation he was among the Jewish forced laborers. One day these workers were repairing the railroad tracks under the Germans' supervision. Ephraim took off his shirt in order to work better. A young German officer who was overseeing him, became jealous of his well built body and, stepping closer to him, slapped him in his face. My cousin, in his natural way, reacted instinctively and said:
- "Makesh Rajel, Nahy Qmejtek Oo Ahbet Ma'ya!" (You are not a man, take off your shirt and come down to fight in front of everyone.) The officer having no respect for Jews and feeling provoked by Ephraim's words pulled his gun and wanted to shoot my cousin. By chance, a colonel who had just arrived on the scene and had witnessed this sad incident said:
- "Halt! Ein deutscher Offizier fürchtet sich nicht vor einem Juden!
Zieh dein Hemd aus und schlag dich mit ihm! Das ist ein Befehl!" (A German officer is not afraid of a Jew. Take off your shirt and fight with him! This is an order!) My cousin said to his Jewish colleagues with a smile:
- "Hada Nhabtou Bdarba Wahda!" (This one, I will put him down with a single blow!) His buddies feared for him and cried out:
- "Qeelek Mel Ablah! Hud Yoktlek!" (Stay away from this problem, he can kill you!). With his well known composure and a smile, Ephraim responded:
- "Ashbeekem Khaeefen, Shoofoo! Shoofoo!" (Why, you are afraid, look! Look!) Ephraim has actually put the German on the ground in a flash. He said to him:
- " Yazeek, Walla Nzeedek?" (Do you have enough or should I give you more?) The colonel stepped in and declared my cousin the winner. Ephraim looked at his colleagues and said:
- " Did you see that? What did I tell you?" Then the colonel walked away with the young officer. The Jews, who didn't trust the nazis told my cousin:
- " You are foolish, they will play a trick on you". Ephraim, phlegmatically as usual calmed them down and said:
- "Lah Matkhafooshee Hadoo A'sker Cardoona, Manajmooshee A'lina" (No, don't fear, these are cardboard soldiers, they cannot get us." Two days later two German soldiers came to the construction site with a note in their hand and cried:
- "Ephraim Shimoni!" My cousin said:
- "That's I!" One of the soldiers said:
- "Kommen sie mit uns!" (Come with us!) The soldiers took my cousin with them.
All his co-workers blamed themselves for having let him fight and were convinced that they would never see Ephraim again. Several days later a Volkswagen arrived at the site. Ephraim, well dressed, was driving the colonel. The Jews were looking at each other with astonishment. The day the two soldiers had picked-up Ephraim, they had led him to the German colonel. He had said to Ephraim:
- " I like strong and courageous men like you. Do you know how to drive a car?" My cousin had answered:
- "Certainly!" Le colonel hired him as his driver and body-guard. From that day on, my cousin had a German pass with the inscription: "driver and body-guard" (ein deutscher Ausweis: "Fahrer und Leibwache") The colonel trained him for his new job. When the Jewish Committee learned about his position they gave him various tasks, such as delivering messages, carrying food for the Jewish forced laborers, etc. The German colonel came to like the Jewish restaurants and the good life in our country and eventually became a good buddy of the Jews, thanks to Ephraim. The latter was free to go where he pleased, when he was not on his job. In the evening he used to drive home with the car.
About 1947 Ephraim was made a prisoner by the British and interned in a camp on Cyprus. His young brother Menashe was with him. In 1949 he arrived in Israel, where he served in the Israeli army as body-guard. My cousin passed away naturally in 1976 in the moshav Betzet, Hagalil Hama'aravi.
Zihrono Lebraha! Amen!

Emile Tubiana

EmileMTubiana@aol.com


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