Robert Sidi
Cleaned by: Julia Pappo
Transcribed by: Rev
Interview date: May 23rd, 2019
Interviewer: Henry Green
Location: Toronto
Total time: 58:31
Robert Sidi: Born in May 1951 in Beirut, Lebanon. Arrived in Canada in 1970.
Henry Green (00:15):
What is your name?
Robert Sidi (00:16):
Robert Sidi.
Henry Green (00:18):
And was this your name at birth?
Robert Sidi (00:20):
Yes, it was.
Henry Green (00:21):
And where were you born?
Robert Sidi (00:23):
Beirut, Lebanon.
Henry Green (00:24):
And when were you born?
Robert Sidi (00:26):
In 1951, May.
Henry Green (00:28):
So, I wanna begin by just saying Sephardi Voices very much appreciates you taking [crosstalk 00:00:34]-
Robert Sidi (00:33):
You're welcome.
Henry Green (00:35):
... to be interviewed. So let's begin with... Tell me something about your family background. Your parents, your grandparents.
Robert Sidi (00:44):
My grandfather a- arrived in Lebanon, uh, from Bulgaria through a... through Palestine. It was Palestine at the time. And that would be at the turn of the century, around 1900. He was in the army in Bulgaria, uh, decided to leave the army and emigrate to Palestine. Spent a couple of years or so in Palestine and then headed to Lebanon where he decided to settle down.
Robert Sidi (01:17):
My f-... He met my grandmother, who is also from, uh... who was also from Bulgaria. She happened to be, actually, a cousin of his, a direct cousin of his. He met her in Turkey when he had been sent on some, uh, prospecting to find a wife. He didn't expect to see his cousin there. Met her, fell in love with her. They married, came back to Lebanon, and my father, who is the eldest, was born in 1914.
Henry Green (01:49):
And this is the paternal side or maternal?
Robert Sidi (01:52):
This is the paternal side.
Henry Green (01:54):
And on the maternal side?
Robert Sidi (01:55):
On the maternal side, my- my mother's family had been in Lebanon or in the Middle East for as long as I- there had been in Jews in- in the Middle East. My grandmother comes from Palestine, from Safed, and my grandfather and his ancestors were all from, uh, Lebanon and whatever that area was called way before that. And, uh, my father met my mother and, uh, soon after they, uh, they got married.
Henry Green (02:32):
So, do you remember your paternal grandparents or your maternal grandparents?
Robert Sidi (02:37):
Very much so. I remember my maternal grandparents more than, uh, than my paternal grandparents. Uh, I remember my grandfather who, uh, died when I was relatively young, but I remember him well, and I remember my grandmother because she used to come and stay with us, on my father's side, uh, regularly. And we used to play cards together. And, uh, my maternal grandmother, who probably was and still is the- the favourite member of my family, along with an paternal aunt who now lives in Israel, was my best friend. And I remember my, uh, my pat-... my maternal grandfather because we also worked at bringing them to Canada after we had emigrated to, uh, to Canada.
Robert Sidi (03:27):
When we left, my fa-... my grandfather on my paternal side had, uh, had been dead several years, and my grandmother went to Israel with my aunt and that's where she died. My aunt, uh, now lives in Haifa. She's 91.
Robert Sidi (03:45):
On my mother's side, my grandfather and grandmother decided to stay in Lebanon and did not heed any of our warnings or, uh, um, our efforts to get them out. They ultimately get out... got out, came to Canada with the proper papers, did not like it here and went and settled in Israel where my grandmother died at, I think, 86, 87 years old. And my fa-... my grandfather died at 101 or 102.
Henry Green (04:19):
[inaudible 00:04:19] What was the na- uh, the... your- your grandparents on your father's side, what was your grandfather's name?
Robert Sidi (04:27):
[Niseem 00:04:27].
Henry Green (04:27):
And your grandmother?
Robert Sidi (04:29):
Regina.
Henry Green (04:29):
Regina. And these were the names that they went by?
Robert Sidi (04:32):
These were the names that they went by. Actually, my grandfather had a business that was called Niseem CD, uh, Incorporated.
Henry Green (04:40):
And on your mother's side, what were their names?
Robert Sidi (04:43):
Isaac, Isaak, [Ishak 00:04:46], and, um, my, uh, my Tata, we used to call her Rosa. Yeah. I don't know what her real... Maybe it was Rose, but we used to call her Rosa.
Henry Green (04:56):
So one of the things you mentioned was that your grandmother, uh, was like a friend to you. Uh-
Robert Sidi (05:04):
Yes.
Henry Green (05:05):
Can you tell me some stories about her, things you remember?
Robert Sidi (05:10):
Well, my, uh, my grandmother could not read or write and, uh, I was the eldest of her grandchildren. So very quickly, uh, we had a connection. And because I had the opportunity to go to school and read or write, we befriended each other and I became her accomplice, uh, in- in, uh, in reading for her and even make some attempts at teaching her how, uh, how to read.
Robert Sidi (05:44):
We just were very close. I mean, I- I spent several nights at her place. She didn't live too far from us. And, uh, we had a special connection. I would like to think, uh, like no other connection she had with her other grandchildren, but that may not be true.
Henry Green (06:00):
And when you would read to her, would it be, um, short stories, business documents? What would you read to her?
Robert Sidi (06:08):
Uh, mostly the news. Uh, sometimes because I was not a great, uh, reader of Arabic, I would read in French to her, which she understood. She didn't speak it very well, but she understood French. And sometimes I would, uh, I would translate. And sometimes I would, uh, just read her, uh, stories. But we worked on, uh... It became at the end a pretext for us to just have fun together. Yeah.
Henry Green (06:36):
Did- Did she take you anywhere? She would take you to candy stores and-
Robert Sidi (06:40):
No, not very much. Not- Not very, uh... I do not have, uh, memories of that. We used to go... They used to spend... Like, a lot of people from Beirut, they used to spend the summer in- in summer resorts. In small towns that... You mentioned that you had traveled in Lebanon. You would-
Henry Green (06:59):
Up in the mountain.
Robert Sidi (06:59):
Up in the mountain. You would know some of them. And- And the Jewish community went to a specific, uh, area there. It's called [Pamdouin 00:07:07] or Aley, that you may have visited. They used to rent a place there for the summer. When- When I used to go up and- and spend time with her there, yes, we would go to the café together and- and things like that, and she would sit down and smoke her, uh, Nargile and- and treat me to some sweets.
Henry Green (07:30):
Did, um... What language would you speak to her?
Robert Sidi (07:31):
Mostly in Arabic and I would, uh, throw in the... because it was very difficult for me to speak only Arabic. Some words would not come to me in Arabic, so I would mix in some French words.
Henry Green (07:42):
And your, um, your... Were they, uh... were they kosher [inaudible 00:07:48]?
Robert Sidi (07:49):
Were they?
Henry Green (07:49):
Kosher.
Robert Sidi (07:51):
No. No. No. Uh, they were not com-... they were not as secular as- as, um... Actually, I wouldn't say they were secular at all. But they were not kosher, no. But tha- they celebrated, they went to a synagogue. Uh, my grandfather, the- the times I used to, uh, spend the night with them, in the morning would always, uh, put on his [tefillium 00:08:12] and- and- and say his prayer. Um, they- they did not go every Shabbat to- to- to synagogue, but they- they were more practicing. And we celebrated the holidays always at my... on my mother's side. Usually at my uncle's, because my aunt was a great cook and- and that's where we would celebrate.
Henry Green (08:34):
Your- So if we... if we talk about your parents for a second, so your- your parents, how did they meet? Do you know how they met?
Robert Sidi (08:42):
It was arranged. It was arranged. Uh, the- the- the family must have decided at some point that it was time for my f- father to, um, to marry. He was already 38, 39. He had ab-... he didn't seem to have an inclination for it, but, uh, they introduced him to my mother and, um, he fell in love with her and they married. But it was an arranged marriage.
Henry Green (09:09):
And your father's name is?
Robert Sidi (09:10):
Albert.
Henry Green (09:12):
Albert. And when was he born?
Robert Sidi (09:13):
1914.
Henry Green (09:15):
And your mother's name?
Robert Sidi (09:16):
Sally.
Henry Green (09:17):
And Sally was born when?
Robert Sidi (09:19):
1930.
Henry Green (09:21):
1930. So there was a fair age gap between them.
Robert Sidi (09:23):
Exactly. Exactly.
Henry Green (09:25):
And then they had how many children?
Robert Sidi (09:26):
Two children. Myself and a younger brother, Andre, who is five years younger than me.
Henry Green (09:32):
So you said you were born in '51 I think-
Robert Sidi (09:33):
That's right.
Henry Green (09:33):
... so he would've been born five years-
Robert Sidi (09:33):
'56.
Henry Green (09:38):
'56. Okay. So, um, so let's... Let me try to understand a bit about then your life. Okay? You were growing up in the '50s in Lebanon, '50s and '60s I guess. And, um, it's after Israel was created as a state. Israel was created in '48.
Robert Sidi (09:55):
'48.
Henry Green (09:56):
So was- what was Jewish life like for you as a child growing up? You talk about your grandparents putting on toss- [tefillin 00:10:04] or something. But did you celebrate Shabbat, uh, in your home?
Robert Sidi (10:08):
No, we did not. We were a secular home.
Henry Green (10:10):
Secular.
Robert Sidi (10:11):
Completely secular, yeah.
Henry Green (10:12):
Uh, what about Rosh Hashanah or, uh, the Jewish new year?
Robert Sidi (10:15):
We would celebrate it usually at, uh... either at my uncle or at my grandmother.
Henry Green (10:21):
What about Passover?
Robert Sidi (10:23):
We did not keep, uh... We did not fast at- at, uh, Yom Kippur, we did not, uh, go to [Matzot 00:10:29] in- in, uh... No, we did not.
Henry Green (10:29):
So ate bread during the fast-
Robert Sidi (10:32):
We ate, yeah. Right, right.
Henry Green (10:33):
But you would have a Seder at- at your, um-
Robert Sidi (10:36):
We would have-
Henry Green (10:36):
... [crosstalk 00:10:36]
Robert Sidi (10:37):
Yes, definitely. A long Seder-
Henry Green (10:39):
Okay. So-
Robert Sidi (10:39):
... for our supper.
Henry Green (10:40):
... tell me what that was like. What was that... Who would come and what was it like?
Robert Sidi (10:43):
Well, it was... it was mostly the... It was only the family and-
Henry Green (10:46):
How big was the family?
Robert Sidi (10:48):
Um, it depends-
Henry Green (10:50):
[crosstalk 00:10:50]
Robert Sidi (10:50):
Yeah, exactly. It depends at what stage, because in the meantime my- my uncle had had children who are all younger than me. They would be closer in age to my... to my brother, even though younger than my brother. So there were the kids, but at one point there were not the kids, or they were babies. So they had, uh, one, two, three... three kids, the two of them, my grandparents, and then, uh, my father, myself and, uh... So a dozen people.
Henry Green (11:16):
A dozen people.
Robert Sidi (11:17):
Yeah, a dozen people. My uncle, uh, uh, uh... My uncle and my, uh, my mother spoke Hebrew. So yeah. They spoke-
Henry Green (11:27):
How did they know Hebrew?
Robert Sidi (11:28):
They were brought up, um, speaking Hebrew. They went to schools, you know, and- and, um, my mother spoke, I'm told, fluently Hebrew. And I've seen her speak Hebrew. A- And my- my uncle, uh, uh, uh, knew all the rites and- and- and would read, uh, for us kids, a little bit too long. But, uh, we were there and we had great food and- and we- we did whatever we had to do. We raised the, uh, the napkin when we need to raise the napkin and, you know, hide our eyes and say, "Next year in Jerusalem," and things like that. And- And- And- And, I mean, I- I- I have only memory of... a convivial memory of it, not really a-
Henry Green (12:10):
Did your mother cook?
Robert Sidi (12:12):
My mother cooked. She thought she cooked very well.
Henry Green (12:14):
So, uh, uh, let's say at the Seder where your aunt or mother, grandmother, people cooked, what kind of food would you have?
Robert Sidi (12:22):
Mostly Middle Eastern food.
Henry Green (12:24):
Such as?
Robert Sidi (12:24):
Um, rice and chicken. Uh, vegetable and rice. Uh, um, meat in- in, uh, in- in- in special... the- the- the so called [Saniyeh 00:12:34]. My- My aunt was a... was a really, uh... still is a very, very good cook and she would do the- the things that you would see perhaps today in- in most of the Middle Eastern restaurants. The [kibbeh 00:12:47], the, uh, the- the chicken, whether on- in sauce or on skewers, things like that.
Robert Sidi (12:54):
There probably were a few things that were specific to, um, to Jewish cooking, like some stuffed, um, Zucchinis with yogurt sauce and things like that. But in general we ate like Lebanese families ate. Although, there were some specific things that was Muslims ate that other did not, and the same is true for Christians and Catholics and...
Henry Green (13:22):
Did- Did, um... Do you- you remember, for example, at Seder if, uh, you found the Afikoman or something? Did- Was it something that you did? Um-
Robert Sidi (13:32):
No. No, I- I have no memory, uh, of that. Yeah.
Henry Green (13:36):
What about in the house? Did you have help in the house?
Robert Sidi (13:39):
We did. We had a live in maid. Yeah.
Henry Green (13:40):
A live in maid. Muslim or Christian?
Robert Sidi (13:44):
Uh, for us, we- we've had altogether I would say three that I... yeah, I think three. One was Muslim, one was, uh, Christian, and one was Kurdish. Yeah. Yeah. The last one was Kurdish.
Henry Green (14:01):
And, um, what language did you speak to them?
Robert Sidi (14:04):
Arabic.
Henry Green (14:04):
Arabic.
Robert Sidi (14:06):
Yeah.
Henry Green (14:06):
And what language did you speak to your parents in the house?
Robert Sidi (14:08):
French.
Henry Green (14:10):
French.
Robert Sidi (14:10):
French.
Henry Green (14:10):
So, could you, uh... What school did you go to?
Robert Sidi (14:15):
I went to a school called College de la Salle, which was a Catholic, uh, school, but I mean, it had a large, uh, student body that was Muslim and- and, uh, we were... All in all we were not that many Jews at that school. I- I, um, I seem to remember we were about four or five, maybe six.
Henry Green (14:34):
And was it run by priests or nuns?
Robert Sidi (14:35):
It was run by brothers who are of the De la Salle order, which is an education or a teaching or... yeah.
Henry Green (14:42):
So, uh, at this school you- it was primary or also secondary, or just primary?
Robert Sidi (14:47):
Yes. Yes, it was all the way-
Henry Green (14:49):
All the way. So-
Robert Sidi (14:49):
All the way.
Henry Green (14:51):
So for example, they would have, uh, prayer at the school.
Robert Sidi (14:54):
Yes. Yes.
Henry Green (14:58):
What did you do during this time? Did you go out, or what?
Robert Sidi (14:59):
Uh, uh, d- during, uh... yeah, there was a chapel at- at that particular school, and a beautiful chapel. For the first years I was, um... I was given the choice of not attending. I mean, not for the first year. I was given a choice of not attending. And in t first years until maybe age 10, okay, maybe, uh, maybe 11, I used to go voluntarily. Because, uh, I- I kinda liked the ritual. I liked the, uh, the drama of it, kind of. You know? It- It appealed to me. I never participated in it and there was never any attempt at having me, uh... I- I mean, I knew the- some of the prayers in French, but there was never any attempt of- of having me, um, recite the prayers or take part in confession or communion or anything like that. There was no pressure.
Robert Sidi (15:59):
And then, um, I don't know whether it was 10 years or 11 years, all I decided I was no longer interested. So I would have, uh, free time. And that was the case for all the visits to the chapel.
Henry Green (16:12):
And did your, um... in that free time, the other Jewish students, would they also... Was there time to play with them or there was sort of-
Robert Sidi (16:23):
Well we... There were also Muslims. Quite a few Muslim students. So we would do our thing either in a... in some... at the... at the library or we'd do our own thing in our classes. Um, it was not very long. I mean, there was a half hour prayer every morning and we just did not attend and- and that was that.
Henry Green (16:44):
And what about, um, then these classmates that you had?
Robert Sidi (16:48):
Right.
Henry Green (16:48):
Were there, uh, uh, activities, sports, cultural activities? Were there clubs? Can you talk about this [crosstalk 00:16:57]
Robert Sidi (16:56):
Yes, yes. I mean, we- I was a member of most of the clubs. I participated in most of the activities. Actually, I was... I was head of some clubs. I was head of- of one club, uh, uh, and- and I participated in- in most of the activities. I should point out that I went to summer school as well and there I, um... It was a... It was... It was, um, a- a school of Jesuits. And so, there also there were prayers usually, but in open air. Before the meals they would have these prayers and I would sing my heart out at those, because I liked the songs. But they... Again, they never... There was no- no pressure. They- I was the only Jew at that particular, uh, school of several hundred students.
Robert Sidi (17:43):
And, um, I befriended, uh, the head of the school. I was the youngest student. My- My parents wanted to get rid of me in summer, 'cause I was causing too much trouble. And, um, and I enjoyed that very much. And- And these... The whole experience in summer was different, because the Jesuits was considerably more active in- in, uh, Scouts organizations, an- and we did all sorts of nature. And I developed there my love of nature that I have to this day.
Henry Green (18:17):
So at these different clubs there, Muslims, Christians, Jews is a part of these clubs.
Robert Sidi (18:21):
Yeah.
Henry Green (18:22):
So did you go, uh... These people, did you socialize with them outside? Did the Muslims or the Christians come to your home? Could you go to their homes?
Robert Sidi (18:32):
Yes. For some reason, uh, and- and I- I do not know why it happened or how it happened, we had very few Muslims come to the house. I- We did have. I did have a Muslim friend who would come to the house. Um, but most of the other friends that I have... Not- I didn't have that many, but the few that I had were- were- were Christians. I mean, my best friend was Armenian and, um, we- he was at the house all the time and I was at his house all the time. I had two very good Armenian friends. I had another friend who was, uh, Presbyterian I think, because his father was British and his mom was Lebanese, and we were, uh... we were close.
Robert Sidi (19:19):
Yeah, we socialized, but not only at the house. We socialized at the beach a- a lot. I- I went to a beach. I went to two beaches and- and, uh, they were... I had Muslim friends, Christian friends. But, I mean, the real friends, I've had only two real friends. I mean, good friends.
Henry Green (19:38):
These friends that you had, um, basing what you're... if I'm hearing right is that... is that the... in terms of your Christian friends, you went to their house, they went to your house.
Robert Sidi (19:49):
Yeah.
Henry Green (19:50):
The Muslim friends was much more infrequent.
Robert Sidi (19:53):
Much more infrequent, yeah. You see, it was also... I think it was also because, uh, the- the Christian students that went to this particular school lived nearby and- which is where also I lived. And the Muslim had to travel further. So after school, uh, because of the distance... But there- there had to be other reasons as well.
Henry Green (20:18):
And it was a private school.
Robert Sidi (20:21):
It was a private school, yeah.
Henry Green (20:22):
And what area-
Robert Sidi (20:23):
Well I- I should... I should... No. It- It- It- It was really private in some ways, but they allowed in a lot of students that couldn't afford the tuition in there. People who could afford the tuition went to that particular school and they allowed other students to, uh... They- They had a quota of some sort. I- I- I cannot give you details about it, but they would allow students who would be, uh... who could not have afforded the school otherwise.
Henry Green (20:52):
So the... So the lessons were in French.
Robert Sidi (20:55):
Uh, and Arabic.
Henry Green (20:56):
And Arabic.
Robert Sidi (20:57):
And English later on, yeah.
Henry Green (20:59):
English later on. So you would learn, say, Math in Arabic and in French?
Robert Sidi (21:03):
Yes.
Henry Green (21:04):
Both?
Robert Sidi (21:04):
Yes.
Henry Green (21:04):
So you then could, um, read, write, and speak these- these languages.
Robert Sidi (21:10):
Yes. Although-
Henry Green (21:11):
Arabic you-
Robert Sidi (21:12):
Arabic I- I was not a very... I was not very good at it.
Henry Green (21:16):
Now, what area of the city did you live in?
Robert Sidi (21:19):
Uh, it- it was, um, it was central. It- it was called [Clemenceau 00:21:26] and it was near several embassies. It was near the French embassy, which had a- a beautiful, beautiful, uh, uh compound. A beautiful compound. We were near, uh... not far from the AUB, the American University. Not far from there. And near the main street of- of, uh... the main night strip, so to speak, and- and the strip where most of the cafes were and- and the movie theatres were. It was called Hamra.
Henry Green (21:59):
And you were about, what, less than a half an hour walk to the ocean? 20 minutes?
Robert Sidi (22:03):
Uh, yeah, half an hour I would say.
Henry Green (22:05):
Half an hour walk.
Robert Sidi (22:05):
Yeah, half an hour walk. Yeah.
Henry Green (22:07):
So you- that's what you'd do with your friends.
Robert Sidi (22:08):
Exactly.
Henry Green (22:13):
Or bicycle.
Robert Sidi (22:13):
Yeah. And we- we did bicycle or- or tricycle, yeah. And- And- And-
Henry Green (22:15):
[crosstalk 00:22:15]
Robert Sidi (22:15):
Yeah, exactly. The school was about 15 minutes and the beach was another 15 minutes.
Henry Green (22:22):
And this would be very secular, right? Going to the beach.
Robert Sidi (22:25):
Oh, absolutely. Yes.
Henry Green (22:26):
Girls would go to the beach. We were talking about the beach, going to the beach. So your- your primary school is one in which you're close to home. Um, you're- you're in a fairly affluent area. Um, does, uh, your... Are your parents members of any kind of social clubs? Do you know, or...
Robert Sidi (22:47):
Uh, uh, my father was. My mother did not like clubs very much, but she would accompany him. My father, uh, was a member of cultural... a cultural club. It was called [inaudible 00:22:57]. And he was also an avid, uh, bridge player. And really avid. I mean, it was a passion of his. And he was very, very good at it.
Henry Green (23:07):
And did he play at home also, or-
Robert Sidi (23:09):
Uh, we would have games sometimes at home, but mostly at clubs.
Henry Green (23:13):
And your mother, did she play [inaudible 00:23:16] or-
Robert Sidi (23:17):
Nothing.
Henry Green (23:17):
No?
Robert Sidi (23:18):
She really, really did not like it. She did not like playing cards, she had absolutely no desire to do it.
Henry Green (23:26):
Your- And did your father play, uh, [inaudible 00:23:28] or backgammon or-
Robert Sidi (23:30):
Backgammon, yes, but mostly- mostly bridge. He- He was mostly passionate about bridge. But he could play. I would beat him, but he could play. I would beat him at a very young age, so he was not a very good player.
Henry Green (23:41):
And- And, uh, um, what- what kind of business did your father do?
Robert Sidi (23:46):
My father was an architect and engineer.
Henry Green (23:49):
So what, he had his own private business?
Robert Sidi (23:50):
He had his own private practice, yes. And- And, uh, a successful one for years.
Henry Green (23:56):
And your mother?
Robert Sidi (23:57):
My mother never worked.
Henry Green (23:59):
So she would stay at home.
Robert Sidi (23:59):
She stayed at home. She stayed at home.
Henry Green (24:01):
And- And, um, your father, did he frequent like cafes and, uh-
Robert Sidi (24:07):
He-
Henry Green (24:08):
... you know, and would you ever go with him to these cafes?
Robert Sidi (24:10):
Yes. Yes. Uh, my father liked... Difficult to explain, and I thought a lot about it. My father liked popular cafes, and by that I mean, uh, cafes that did not attract, uh, a- a- a certain level of- of- of clientele. He really liked popular cafes. He did not like cafes that- that attracted, um, higher type of people. He, uh... My mother did. My mother was more of a socialite than- than my father. And yeah, he would take me to these cafes, and- and they were a lot of fun for me. And he swam at beaches that, uh, most of his friends and most of his, uh, acquaintances would never go to. He like them there. He liked popular places. Like popular I mean by more for regular people.
Henry Green (25:17):
So your mother, would she be wearing more like European fashion?
Robert Sidi (25:22):
Oh, very much so. Very much so. You mean at the beach?
Henry Green (25:25):
Or- Or just-
Robert Sidi (25:26):
Oh no, yes. Every... Yeah, everywhere on the street. Yeah.
Henry Green (25:29):
[crosstalk 00:25:29] the mode, the fashion of the day.
Robert Sidi (25:32):
And my mother was very fashionable.
Henry Green (25:34):
And-
Robert Sidi (25:34):
She- She was-
Henry Green (25:35):
[crosstalk 00:25:35] clothes that would be made for her, or no?
Robert Sidi (25:37):
Sometimes they were. Sometimes they were, yeah.
Henry Green (25:39):
So your dad was more of the... of the people [inaudible 00:25:42]
Robert Sidi (25:42):
My dad didn't care very much.
Henry Green (25:43):
Okay. That's-
Robert Sidi (25:44):
Didn't care very much. Yeah. I mean, he- he, um... Maybe my mother dressed him, but I... he didn't care very much for it, no. No.
Henry Green (25:53):
Do you remember what your bedroom looked like?
Robert Sidi (25:56):
Yes. I slept with my brother and my father had designed custom furniture for us, so we would both our two desks and with a drop down leaf. And I loved my, uh, my room very, very much. Uh, although I- I had to stay in it with my brother.
Henry Green (26:16):
(laughs) And you were the older one.
Robert Sidi (26:18):
I was the older one, exactly. No, no, uh, we enjoyed, uh, the bedroom very much. I- I loved our- our house, our- our apartment in- in Beirut. It really was very, very nice.
Henry Green (26:30):
Um, so did you have a Bar Mitzvah?
Robert Sidi (26:35):
I did.
Henry Green (26:35):
Can you tell me about this?
Robert Sidi (26:38):
Um, yes. Uh, uh, uh, I- for the life of me I could not learn (laughs) the prayers. I mean, they worked on me for several months and then they-
Henry Green (26:51):
A teacher would come into the house to-
Robert Sidi (26:52):
Yes. Yes. A teacher came into the house. I went to see, uh, the teacher, uh, and the Rabbi and then I- I learned by rote the- the, uh... some of... And- And I kept on... I just... It's not that I... I don't know why- why I just could not grasp the- the- the whole thing. And what ended up happening is that they stood somebody up and I would repeat after him the prayer (laughs). And, um, it- it was fun. It was very nice. There were a lot of people and- and, um, afterwards, as the tradition wanted, uh, uh, they went... I mean, there were people that- that- that, uh, that were, quote unquote, "poor" people that would come to the synagogue. I think it's- it's a Jewish tradition in- in- everywhere. And we invited I don't know how many. It seemed to me like a lot. People that were very colourful people and I enjoyed those very much. And we went back to the house and- and we celebrated there, and i got presents and, uh... And I was told I was, you know... People explained to me the importance of- of the Bar Mitzvah and stuff like that.
Robert Sidi (28:01):
Really it- it, uh, it- it was... I was never interested that much in- in religion, per se. Still am not very much. I mean, I- maybe a little bit more now. Maybe. But never that much, no.
Henry Green (28:16):
But you- you knew you were Jewish.
Robert Sidi (28:19):
Oh yes. Yes.
Henry Green (28:21):
But as a kind of ethnic identity.
Robert Sidi (28:24):
Yes.
Henry Green (28:25):
So it didn't manifest itself in religious kinds of ways, you're saying.
Robert Sidi (28:28):
Uh, uh, we were very Jewish as far as I'm concerned in the sense that it- it was instilled in us. But not- not the religion itself. Uh, i- in- in a certain way my father talked a lot about, uh, Jewish history, but mostly to make us aware of some tradition. Of- Of the fact that we were singled out all through history and that for that we owed... we had a responsibility in some ways. It was not a religious responsibility per se, it was a historical responsibility of knowing who we were. We never, never, ever thought of ourselves as not being Jewish. But the way it manifested itself was- was very odd. There was a sense of pride, a sense of inquisitiveness about it at times. When we met another Jew, uh, the connection was there just on the simple basis that it was another Jew. It was bizarre. I mean, there was no... It- it did not come in any discriminatory way, but, uh, the interest was there.
Robert Sidi (29:38):
But at the same time we were not integrated in the Jewish community of Beirut. We were not. We were kept apart. We never lived in the, uh, so called ghetto. We never participated in activities that were specific activities of the Alliance Israélite Universelle. We did not. I had very, very few Jewish friends. I- And- And- And I had them late, very late, when I was 15 or 16.
Robert Sidi (30:06):
But at the same time, you know, especially on my mother's side, my mother's side was being more religious also. And also, there was a story in our family that- that, uh, became part of my- the folklore of my upbringing. I had a... I had an uncle, my mother's brother, who had to flee Lebanon because he was part of a movement that helped Jews, uh, go to Israel. And some of them from Syria, some of them from elsewhere. And he was quite active in Zion, the Zionist movement. And we- somehow they- my family heard... had wind of- of them... of him being... his- his cover being blown and they snuck him, just in time, out of Lebanon.
Robert Sidi (31:03):
And for that my grandmother always suffered from not being able to see her- her son. And that... So that story was told over and over again, and we couldn't have news from him, uh, because we were always afraid of the mail being opened. And which I'm sure it was. My mo-... My grandmother never managed to arrange for a trip somewhere, Cyprus being the closest place, to meet with him, because she was afraid that, uh, somebody would know about it and- and- and do something about it. So she did not see him for many, many years. Over 30 years. Yeah.
Robert Sidi (31:49):
And my- my- my mother's family was- was really Zionist. I mean, my uncle believed in Zionism and we- we talked about it and he was a- a supporter of the State of Israel.
Henry Green (32:07):
So when you... The- The Seder was at this uncle's place, was it not?
Robert Sidi (32:10):
Yes. Yeah.
Henry Green (32:12):
So Zionism would be part of the conversation-
Robert Sidi (32:13):
Yes.
Henry Green (32:14):
... when you were growing up.
Robert Sidi (32:15):
Yes. But it would be part of the conversation also very often. My- My- My father and mother organized gatherings at our house, which were social gatherings. Which you'd sit... Where you'd sit down and discuss maybe a book if you wanted to discuss a book. But often it turned to politics and- and often it turned to the situation of the Jews in Lebanon and elsewhere, and Zionism and Israel and so forth and so on. Yeah.
Henry Green (32:43):
So they... If your father is- has a sense of Jewish history, which you're being brought up with, you're having... you're having, you know, salons or whatever-
Robert Sidi (32:55):
Yes. Yes, they were actually that.
Henry Green (32:57):
That's [crosstalk 00:32:57]
Robert Sidi (32:58):
I don't like... I don't like the word very much, but that- that probably is what they were.
Henry Green (33:02):
Probably. At that time [crosstalk 00:33:02]
Robert Sidi (33:02):
At that time. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Henry Green (33:04):
That was a social... That's the word. Um, and they were talking about politics. Then Israel was in the forefront and part of this conversation-
Robert Sidi (33:13):
Yes.
Henry Green (33:14):
... you're saying-
Robert Sidi (33:14):
Yes.
Henry Green (33:14):
... and also that- that what does it mean to- to be Jewish.
Robert Sidi (33:20):
Yes.
Henry Green (33:20):
Um, so it- it- it was very much, um, part of your- your identity formation.
Robert Sidi (33:29):
Yes.
Henry Green (33:31):
And- But- But when... So when you were, um... go down the streets as it were, did you have this kind of like sixth sense or this kind of extra gene... I don't know how to explain it.
Robert Sidi (33:42):
Yes.
Henry Green (33:42):
"I'm Jewish," when you were moving about? Was this-
Robert Sidi (33:46):
Yes, very much so. Uh, but not only because of that, but also because, uh, I was treated as such. I mean, although I never felt serious discrimination against me, although I never felt any serious violence or threat towards me, even though I- there were occasions, on occasions, uh, confrontations based strictly on the fact that I was... I was Jewish and people would call me out on that. Uh, that also contributed to what you call my identity formation. Uh, almost by- by default. So there was a positive aspect of it and a negative aspect of it, and the negative aspect of it is I was defined by others and that contributed to my- the formation of my identity. But I was also defined of- by whom I... who I was and who my family was and- and how my grandparents were, where they were, and how my paternal grandparents ended up in Lebanon and so forth and so on. Yeah.
Robert Sidi (34:56):
But it was not ex-... I mean, it was not, um... It may... It- It was not the main component of my identity, or- or the main determining trait of my identity. It was there. It was always there as- as it probably still is today. I mean, today I get upset at things, uh, that- that relate the Jewishness and- and to- to- to sometimes the treatment of Jews or sometimes what's happening even in Israel today. I have opinions about it that- that come from that place long time ago that- where I had participated in conversation at a young age that were formative conversations.
Henry Green (35:42):
Is it... Is it... If I use the French word [French 00:35:46], sort of outside-
Robert Sidi (35:48):
Yes.
Henry Green (35:48):
... I mean, is it... would that be a way of...
Robert Sidi (35:51):
Uh...
Henry Green (35:54):
I try to-
Robert Sidi (35:55):
The- The- The word is loaded because of- of- of the literature.
Henry Green (35:58):
That's right. That's right, but that-
Robert Sidi (35:59):
That- That- That is, um-
Henry Green (35:59):
That's right.
Robert Sidi (36:01):
Yes.
Henry Green (36:01):
But [inaudible 00:36:01]
Robert Sidi (36:02):
Exactly. Exactly. B- Because of that, it- it's loaded, uh, with a meaning that I wouldn't give it.
Henry Green (36:07):
Okay.
Robert Sidi (36:08):
Um, no. No. I- I- I did not feel. I feeled, uh, like the other sometimes, but I did not feel a stranger.
Henry Green (36:16):
A stranger.
Robert Sidi (36:18):
You know? I- I felt Lebanese. I really did feel Lebanese, uh, uh, and I did feel-
Henry Green (36:23):
[crosstalk 00:36:23] then maybe?
Robert Sidi (36:24):
Maybe, yes.
Henry Green (36:25):
More like that?
Robert Sidi (36:25):
Yes, yes. Yes. Him I would... I would... yes.
Henry Green (36:28):
I'm- I'm just... 'cause that's the way he sort of-
Robert Sidi (36:29):
Exactly.
Henry Green (36:29):
... talks about it.
Robert Sidi (36:30):
Exactly. Exactly. A- A- And- And, uh, really it- it must have been no different than being... I mean, yeah, yes it was. I take this back. It- It probably was different than being a Muslim or being a Catholic, uh, in- in, uh, in Lebanon. But there was... You see, Lebanon has so many communities. Okay? And- And it has... in ways that other Arab countries do not. I don't know how many communities. I- I heard the number 14 or 15 separate communities in Lebanon. That fact alone somewhat dissipates or dilutes the otherness.
Robert Sidi (37:14):
Um, if- if- if you have two predominant or one predominant religion, like for example in Morocco, or worse, in Syria... Mind you, in Syria there were also Christians.
Henry Green (37:29):
(laughs)
Robert Sidi (37:30):
But- But in Morocco, for example. And then you had the Jews and it was a large, uh, minority, unlike, uh, in- in Lebanon where it really never represented more than... I don't think it ever represented 1% of- of the population. And- And it- it was dissipated and then you also had the Druzes and you had the Christians and then you had two types or three types of Christians and two types of Muslims, and- and- and- and- and... So it was... it was... it was... You- You were not singled out in the same way, although you were singled out.
Henry Green (38:03):
Right. I understand what you're saying. Did- Did, um... In your... In your family of course you're saying that- that s- some of the family members already going to Israel. Or you too, so you had-
Robert Sidi (38:16):
Yes.
Henry Green (38:16):
... this Zionist connection and-
Robert Sidi (38:18):
Yes. And especially that my uncle, sorry to interrupt, was a twin brother to my other uncle. So there was... there was this... again, this very, very tight relationship and they were separated. And he did not see him also for over 30 years, you know? And that was the- the tragedy, let's put it this way, of my grandmother, and- and- and- and she was very, very, uh, affected by it.
Henry Green (38:43):
So when I think of the 1956, or you're too young. You're five years old. I don't think you-
Robert Sidi (38:49):
'56-
Henry Green (38:50):
The Arab/Israeli war. I don't know if you-
Robert Sidi (38:52):
Oh, the 50... the Suez.
Henry Green (38:53):
The S- Suez.
Robert Sidi (38:54):
Yeah.
Henry Green (38:54):
I [crosstalk 00:38:54] You were too young.
Robert Sidi (38:56):
No, no, no. I- I- It didn't register.
Henry Green (38:58):
[crosstalk 00:38:58] began happening in the '60s, which also affected Lebanese Jews. Did you... Do you... Do you recall any of these?
Robert Sidi (39:04):
Oh yes. Absolutely. It- It- It- There- There's a... In my... My story is hinged at 1967. My story as a Jew, uh, uh, uh, is hinged. There- There- There was a before and after. I only became aware of some of the resentment, the depth of some resentment, whether it was just passing. I never... I didn't stay too long to find out. Obviously not. History has proven that it was more than passing. The- The resentment came to the surface in 1967. People that we were close to, both as a family, as a neighbour, as- as- as friends, uh, behaved in ways that were shocking in 1967. That were shocking to- both to myself but mostly to my parents. Uh, uh, my father and my mother were shaken by the depth of some of the resentment that was expressed against them, uh, during... just before the six-day war. During and- and- and shortly after.
Robert Sidi (40:22):
Uh, uh, people went back and apologized. Many people went back and apologized for the extreme manifestation of- of- of xenophobia. Literally. I mean, we be... Then we became... I'll go back. Then we became [French 00:40:40]. Then we became, uh, interlopers in- in there. And- Which we- we never really felt before. Yes, we were singled out. Okay? We- We were... You felt that you were Jewish. But we never felt really... I mean, things did blow up sometimes at school. Somebody would come and- and insult me and treat me of a dirty Jew, and- but I- I can assure you, every time this happened, there were other people who were not Jewish themselves who would push back on my behalf, or would scold or would defend me.
Robert Sidi (41:16):
But in 1967 something happened. Something dramatic, drastic happened. There was a- a break point in there. And somehow allegiances were drawn and they attributed to us an allegiance to the enemy and we became the enemy. The- They- They... You know, they were not totally wrong in assuming that we supported Israel (laughs). Let's not lie about it. But we were also incredibly distraught at the thought that there was going to be a war. You know? Of course we wanted Israel to win, but we- we really would have hoped that something would have been worked out. It- It didn't happen and it was not meant to be.
Robert Sidi (42:06):
And yes, I mean, they were not wrong, but we were not spies by the same token. We were not people acting against the interest of Lebanon. We had no way of acting against the interest of Lebanon. But deep inside we felt that the survival of Israel, the existence of Israel, was at stake. And no, we did not have split allegiance for that. At least not in my family, and I suspect in many, many other households, Jewish households, it was the same.
Robert Sidi (42:38):
But at the same time, for friends, longtime friends, friends who had kept me when I was a baby, uh, friends who were close friends of my family, to have behaved in the way they did, I mean, I remember some of them. We lived at a... on a dead end alley, uh, in a lane in there, that end street. And there were several villas and houses in there, and- and we lived in a three, uh... three or four story high building. People were going onto their terraces and playing the radio and playing the propaganda that was playing in those days on the radio, whereby we killed... we downed that many planes and we killed that many soldiers, Israeli soldiers. And the- the- the- the Egyptian army is moving, and stuff like that. All this inflammatory, uh, rhetoric that... They- They- They played it loud and they were celebrating some of the news as it was happening. Okay?
Robert Sidi (43:37):
And this was directed at us. It was not... They were not just celebrating among themselves. There was a direct connection to us. We- We- We never went onto our balcony anymore. We- We- We felt-
Henry Green (43:56):
There was a sense of intimidation.
Robert Sidi (43:58):
There was a sense of anger. I don't know if they meant to intimidate us. They were angry at us. And- But that was not only in- in- in our neighbourhood. That happened at school. I was at school the- the day the- the war broke out and they- they had to send us back. But by the time they sent us back, the news had already come out and the news was that the Egyptian army was moving on to Tel Aviv. And there was celebration in the classroom, but the celebration directed itself at me. It- It was not just celebration and an attempt to not hurt me by- by not looking at me. No. No, no. I mean, they looked at me. They- They- They taunted me. But that was the- the only time, the first time, I- I encountered anything like that.
Henry Green (45:04):
Did you... Did you have fear when this happened?
Robert Sidi (45:06):
Yes. Yes.
Henry Green (45:08):
And there were other Jews in the class too.
Robert Sidi (45:09):
No.
Henry Green (45:10):
You were the only Jew-
Robert Sidi (45:12):
There was one other Jew, uh, who- who was also a very good friend of mine.
Henry Green (45:17):
And he also felt-
Robert Sidi (45:18):
Oh yes, absolutely.
Henry Green (45:20):
And did the, um, uh, La Salle brothers tell you to leave, or did... how did you-
Robert Sidi (45:26):
Well we- we- we all left at the same time.
Henry Green (45:29):
All- All the students.
Robert Sidi (45:30):
All the students.
Henry Green (45:30):
Oh, they didn't let [inaudible 00:45:33] go home or anything. They just-
Robert Sidi (45:34):
All the students were let out.
Henry Green (45:35):
All of the-
Robert Sidi (45:36):
Okay. And- And my friend, my Armenian friend, uh, walked me home.
Henry Green (45:41):
Walked you home. And then what happened the next day? Did you go to school?
Robert Sidi (45:44):
No. We didn't go to school for several days. I cannot tell you how many.
Henry Green (45:48):
But you didn't-
Robert Sidi (45:49):
But we didn't go to school. But I can tell you that in one corner of our living room, I don't know why that corner, where we had good reception for the BBC, which were they trying to scramble. Okay? But somehow my, uh, my father had, uh, jigged, uh, s- s- some antenna or something. And what my father explained to me... and I remember the sense of pride and joy at that time, which- which is... which may contradict everything I- I've been saying so far, uh, but that- that's... It's complicated.
Robert Sidi (46:29):
My gra-... My- My, uh, father had heard several hours, very few hours after the- the war broke out, that the Egyptian air force was non operational, which turned out, as you know, to be the truth. So this war lasted three hours, it did not last six days. And my father figured that one out, but he certainly would not be able to call... Because we were afraid. We- We were the first house to have a phone in the neighbourhood, so people would- would come... The same people who were tau- taunting us from across, would come and use our phone. But we- we were afraid of- of- of use... of using it.
Robert Sidi (47:13):
Uh, so- but my father needed to share it and he didn't wanna go onto- to the street. But in the house my father was explaining to us that we needed not worry. The- The war was over. If Egypt did not have an air force, Israel was gonna win and it was gonna win quickly.
Henry Green (47:34):
Did your father go to work during these days, or did he-
Robert Sidi (47:36):
No.
Henry Green (47:36):
... stay... He stayed in the house.
Robert Sidi (47:38):
He stayed in the house.
Henry Green (47:38):
And what about your help, your... You had what, Kurdish help then?
Robert Sidi (47:42):
Yes. No, the- there were very... We- We didn't... There- There was no problem there. At that time, in '67, we had a Kurdish maid. And she was an- an adopted... We- We in a way adopted her, uh, um, which is something that- that happened in Lebanon. Sometimes some very poor family would offer you, uh, the help of one of their child, uh, so that they would be fed and- and- and- and kept. And this young Kurdish maid had come to us through a friend, and the mother had brought her to us. And she must have been 15 or 16. And, uh, we really adopted her and- and, um, I- I- I taught her to, uh... a few words to read and she was... she was very close to us. There- There was not any issue there.
Robert Sidi (48:42):
And the Kurds were... Again, that's another community. You don't know what their allegiance are, but it certainly was not to one side or the other. They always managed to... The Kurds always managed to survive. Look at them now. You know? And we will... we might... Maybe over coffee I'll talk to you about how I feel about the Kurds and how-
Henry Green (48:59):
(laughs) So the war lasted six days.
Robert Sidi (49:03):
Yes.
Henry Green (49:03):
And then you went back to school.
Robert Sidi (49:04):
Went back to school.
Henry Green (49:05):
And had things changed now?
Robert Sidi (49:07):
Uh, yes. Uh, uh, it... Things had- had- had settled a little bit. That- That sort of, uh, uh, uh, uh... I don't know what to call it. It was... It was general hysteria. I mean, countries, societies, communities have known to be victims of hysteria. Uh, uh, uh, and that's what it was. And- And they- they had time to reflect and they had time to- to- to walk back some of this. And I had many people come to me and apologize on behalf of other people, although they themselves had participated. And some people who had participated and- and- and admitted to it openly into this- this sense of, uh, uh, aggression, uh, did apologize, uh, to me. And the neighbours. The neighbours tried to make amends.
Robert Sidi (50:06):
And- And we really, really did not lose any neighbour after this. Something happened. They were very, very sorry that it had happened. They were angry also at- at how misled they had been by the information that was controlled. And- But it will... it never came back to what it was at the beginning.
Henry Green (50:31):
So po- '67 and what year did you leave?
Robert Sidi (50:35):
'70.
Henry Green (50:35):
So what happens in those three years that push you to leave?
Robert Sidi (50:39):
Okay. You have to remember, like many, many Jews who left Lebanon, unlike Jews who escaped literally Syria or Iraq, many of the Jews left with great sorrow and regret. Not a sense... I mean, they- they left because the felt they had to leave, because the writing was on the wall. And some of them delayed and delayed and delayed. My grandparents delayed, my uncle delayed. My father, my aunt, we all delayed. Life was very pleasant. Life was... We felt good. We felt... I never liked Lebanon very much. Again, I- there was something about Lebanon that never agreed with me. And I knew that ultimately I was not gonna come back, uh, after I had gone, because I was... I was set to go to England to study. And I, uh, I was supposed to leave in 1970 to go to England to study. And I knew that I would not come back. Something in me told me that it- it was... it would not be the country for me. But it was not something about being Jewish or not, it- it was about something. I cannot explain it.
Robert Sidi (52:11):
My mother had always wanted to leave Lebanon. Not because she was Jewish, because I think she wanted a certain freedom. I think for her a move away from Lebanon would help her emancipate. This is all guesswork, because I never discussed it with my mother.
Henry Green (52:33):
Emancipate in a sense of feminism?
Robert Sidi (52:35):
Yes. She was not a feminist by any... by any, uh, definition. Uh, uh, but you could feel that she was a... She- She was a dynamic woman who needed to do things, who needed to earn her money, uh, and- and do her things. That's it. I mean, that's- that's her... that was her makeup. And that's why she always had it in the back of her mind that we should leave. That the future was... Sometimes she would explain it that the future of her children, uh, um, was to be found elsewhere. But deep inside I think she wanted to go to a place where she would be not so bound by social constraints. And- And she went from being a very, very, uh, glib socialite to being a woman very quickly, uh, uh, intensely seeking to go and- and- and find a different identity elsewhere. That is my explanation. And she proved it. She proved it very quickly. She was considerably more successful than my dad in Toronto.
Henry Green (53:56):
So let's go back to '67, '70.
Robert Sidi (53:58):
Yeah.
Henry Green (53:59):
Do you remember hearing your parents having discussions? Your mother saying, "Let's go," and your father saying, "Oh, let's wait longer"? I- Whatever.
Robert Sidi (54:07):
Yes. Yes. These discussions started before '67. They were intensified in '67. And my- my mother... And- And other things happened too. My father was arrested twice.
Henry Green (54:17):
Why was he arrested?
Robert Sidi (54:20):
For no reason. He was stopped by a checkpoint by a- a- a- a- a road block.
Henry Green (54:27):
Pre '67 or post '67?
Robert Sidi (54:28):
Post '67. Post '67. And he was asked for his identity card and in Lebanon people start... had started, and long before that, always moving ar-... having their identity card. And our- on the identity card in Lebanon they indicated the religion.
Henry Green (54:46):
[inaudible 00:54:46]
Robert Sidi (54:47):
It says in Arabic, yeah. [Arabic 00:54:49]. No. Yeah. [foreign language 00:54:52] or something like... And in French it-
Henry Green (54:55):
[inaudible 00:54:55]
Robert Sidi (54:56):
It was [Israelite 00:54:57]
Henry Green (54:57):
Israelite.
Robert Sidi (54:58):
Which is interesting.
Henry Green (54:58):
Interesting.
Robert Sidi (54:59):
Yes. Which is interesting. Which is also is... it could be a topic of conversation. Uh, and he got scared. He- They- They let him go. They asked him questions and stuff like that. They were not looking... They were looking for something. I don't know what they were looking. Uh, ultimately these roadblocks landed several, uh, uh... ended up with several people being kidnapped. But that was much later on. That was not in '67. That was in the '80s.
Robert Sidi (55:27):
Uh, but I don't know what these people were looking for. Some of them were looking for money. Uh, by that time there were a lot of Palestinian who had moved from, uh, from other, uh, Arabic- Arab countries who needed money. Who- Who were... You know, it- it's, uh... So they would stop people on... especially on the road from the airport into the city, and rob them. It- It happened. But in this particular case he got scared, so he started thinking a little bit more about it, and my mother of course started being more insistent about it, and then one day he decided, somewhat to placate her I suspect, to apply. And he did.
Henry Green (56:16):
And were these... Do you... Did you ever participate in these conversations? Did you say, "Oh, uh..." take a side?
Robert Sidi (56:23):
Yes.
Henry Green (56:23):
(laughs)
Robert Sidi (56:24):
I, uh... By then I was estranged with my parents. I- I really wanted to be on my own. There were several reasons why I ended up at the, uh, school in Brummana, which is a distance from Beirut, with my own room. One of them because I wanted to be away. I wanted to be on my own. I wanted to, uh... I was very young, but I wanted to- to have my own place, which was unthinkable in those day, uh, uh, in Lebanon. It didn't happen like it happens here.
Robert Sidi (56:57):
And, uh, one way of doing it was to go to a school outside of Beirut where they would... they rented me a room. And I had my mind made up. I had made an application to go to England and I was gonna go to England and study in England. And then one day I discovered that we were going to Canada.
Henry Green (57:17):
(laughs) So they basically, what, called you up and said, "We're going to Canada"?
Robert Sidi (57:19):
No. We- We happened to be at, uh, at my grandmother's place and my grandmother spilled the beans.
Henry Green (57:26):
Ah.
Robert Sidi (57:27):
You know? And I said, "W- W- Wait a minute." (laughs) "What's this about?" You see, you have to remember something... Uh, not remember something, I have to tell you something. Uh, it hap-... It was lightening fast. Uh, from the time my father applied to the American embassy, the Canadian embassy, and the Australian embassy to the time where we were approved by the Canadian embassy, I think it was a matter of weeks. Yes. And I can tell you the story, uh, later. And it brings up a name of somebody that I know you know.