Proofread by: Rebecca Lash
Transcribed by: Temi
Interview date: 11/12/2017
Location: Toronto, Canada
Interviewer: Lisa Newman
Total time: 50:53
Note: LN = Lisa Newman, SK = Simon Keslassy. Some initial background communication with camera operator has been omitted from transcript
Simon Keslassy: Born in Tangier, Morocco, 1946. Arrived in Toronto in 1971.
Lisa Newman (00:16):
And you are.
Simon Keslassy (00:17):
Simon Keslassy.
Lisa Newman (00:17):
and you were born.
Simon Keslassy (00:20):
in Tangier November the 10, 1946.
Lisa Newman (00:24):
You just had a birthday
Lisa Newman (00:40):
Tell me about your parents. Your father's name was
Simon Keslassy (00:44):
My father was Jacob Keslassy my mother Nina Keslassy Cohen
Lisa Newman (00:50):
Cohen was her maiden name? Yeah. And they both also born
Simon Keslassy (00:55):
In Morocco. My father was born in Essaouira or Mogador and my mother in Tangier
Lisa Newman (01:04):
Uh huh. Do you know how they met?
Simon Keslassy (01:07):
Uh, they met when, my father made a migration from Mogador two times a year. It was a mass immigration of Jews from Mogador to Tangiers. Most of them, they were jewelers. Okay. And, uh, they met at private parties and-
Lisa Newman (01:25):
Why did they make that immigration?
Simon Keslassy (01:28):
Uh, because Tangier at that time was an international, um, city. Okay. And there was a lot of opportunities in Tangiers business wise.
Lisa Newman (01:42):
And how did your father become a jeweler?
Simon Keslassy (01:45):
My father became a jeweler by, uh, by his blood. My grandfather was a jeweler. My great grandfather was a jeweler. So it's coming in the family. And you yourself became a jeweler? My brother, I have two brothers. They were jewelers and myself a jeweler.
Lisa Newman (02:07):
Uh, how far back in Morocco has your family been there? As far as you know?
Simon Keslassy (02:13):
Well, as far as I know my family, they were in Morocco since the the expulsion of the Jews of Spain, because we are Sephardic and most of the Jews in Morocco. Okay. But they were coming from Spain. So my roots is from Spain. I think the name of Keslassy according to the pres, the old president of the Moroccan Jewish community in Tangier. Uh, Mr. Abram, Laredo, made um, investigations about the names of the Jewish people in Morocco. Keslassy came from a city of Oviedo in Spain.
Lisa Newman (03:05):
Have you ever been there?
Simon Keslassy (03:06):
Nope.
Lisa Newman (03:08):
Did your family go back to Spain?
Simon Keslassy (03:11):
Uh, I have a sister in Spain. Okay. Whose husband is a rabbi in Malaga. In Spain. We go often to Spain by, uh, we go more often to Morocco.
Lisa Newman (03:22):
And your sister's name is.
Simon Keslassy (03:25):
Sultana, Tani.
Lisa Newman (03:26):
And you mentioned also brothers. How many brothers
Simon Keslassy (03:29):
We have, I have three brothers. Okay. Uh, three sisters and myself. [LN: What are their names?] Um, my, my oldest sister is Esther. My brother is Shamiah, Samuel Mayer. My other sister is Tani and Nina.
Lisa Newman (03:50):
And what were the names of your grandparents?
Simon Keslassy (03:54):
Uh Shamiah and Sultana
Lisa Newman (03:56):
Ah, so your brother is named for [SK: my grandfather] Your grandfather. Tell me about your grandfather. Did you know him?
Simon Keslassy (04:09):
No. He died. He died before I was born. [LN: and your grandmother] Uh, no. My grandmother, uh, died on 1951, but I don't, I was five years old. So even my mother, she passed away in 1952. I was six. The date, one day before my, uh, my birthday. She, she died on nine, 900 November, 1952. [LN: What did she die of?] She died over having a baby [LN: the one after you] Yeah. Yeah. Nina. [LN: And who raised you?] My aunt, not my, uh, I was raised by my sisters, but my sister was raised by my aunt, my father's sister.
Lisa Newman (05:04):
And what kind of place did your family live in?
Simon Keslassy (05:09):
We used to live in a big apartments in Tangier. We had a big, huge apartments. Okay. So [LN: Was it a wealthy family?] Yeah, we would have worked in furniture. My father was a jeweler and he was a pretty wealthy.
Lisa Newman (05:26):
And what you were part of a Jewish community? Synagogue?
Simon Keslassy (05:32):
Um, part of, uh, since I came to Canada, [LN no] in Tangier, we, sure, uh, we used to go to my father's synagogue. Okay. [LN: Which one?] Uh, synagogue Benatar, um, that synagogue, have a history because most of the people that they were attending that synagogue, they were people from the South of Morocco that immigrate to Tangier, they used to call the synagogue, the forastero synagogue, forastero does it mean the strangers in Spanish [LN: immigrated from the South end? From the North?] Yeah. No, not to the North. From the South. From Morocco to Tangiers. And they had their own synagogue, the call it synagogue Benatar. [LN: But your family came from Essaouira which is] South, south of Morocco, near Marrakesh around 300 kilometers from Marrakesh.
Lisa Newman (06:38):
And how often would you go to synagogue? As a family in Morocco?
Simon Keslassy (06:44):
Every first of all every Shabbat. Every Friday night. Every Shabbat holidays. Okay. Uh, myself, my family almost every day.
Lisa Newman (06:57):
Were your family Cohanim, Leviim, did, you know?
Simon Keslassy (07:01):
Not my mother. She was a Cohen but we are Keslassys, but, uh, even Morocco, I'm just going to let you know that in Morocco, we didn't have that, that sections that we have in Canada the Reform the Orthodox and the Conservative. Morocco, we were Sephardic. Okay. And we were respectable okay. In the religion. Okay. And I will say myself that we were in the section of traditionalist. Okay. We have a lot of traditions that we respect until today. My kids, they respect, my traditions that we have in Morocco. And we are [classed] here as an Orthodox, we are in the Orthodox section, but the Morocco, we didn't know until we came here, that they had that Reform and the Conservative. Morocco, we never heard about those two kind of religion in the Jewish faith.
Lisa Newman (08:08):
It's a very important, difference from Ashkenazi.
Simon Keslassy (08:09):
yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Lisa Newman (08:13):
Did you, uh, go to a Jewish school at all?
Simon Keslassy (08:17):
Yeah. In Tangier, yes. The Alliance Israelite Universelle.
Lisa Newman (08:21):
from what age?
Simon Keslassy (08:23):
From six to 17.
Lisa Newman (08:30):
And the language that was spoken there?
Simon Keslassy (08:32):
At the school, we were speaking in French. Okay. Uh, some courses in Hebrew, we still have two hours a day in Hebrew studies, but most of the seven hours studies, they were in French. [LN: And you told me that you weren't allowed to speak] Spanish in the school, uh, [LN: would happen if you did?] They give us a fine. [LN: So you spoke French with your friends?] In the school, [LN: in the school] but in the streets, Spanish. At home, we speak Spanish though. We were speaking Spanish. [LN: And with whom would you speak Arabic?] With the Muslims, uh friends. Okay. I used to play, like I told you before I used to play basketball in, uh, in the national one in Morocco and my, uh, people on my team, I would say 75%, they were Muslims. Okay. And I used to speak to them in French, Spanish, and Arabic. And when I used to run my father's, uh, business in Morocco, my customers, they were Muslims. So I spoke to them in Arabic. [LN: And I was asking if there were Christian Arabs] No, it's no such thing. Christian Arabs. They were Christians, Spanish, Christian, French, Christian, English, Christians, Americans, a lot of, uh, mixed nationality, but there's no such thing, uh, Arab Christians in Morocco.
Lisa Newman (10:10):
And what were the relationships generally between Jews and Christians and Jews? Sorry. Yeah.
Simon Keslassy (10:16):
And Arabs? Yeah. I, you know, I think, uh, the relation between Jews and Muslim in Morocco, they are unique in the world. Was unique. And until today, with some confrontations. I wouldn't hide it. There were some confrontation, but minors. Okay.
Lisa Newman (10:36):
Unique. In what way though?
Simon Keslassy (10:39):
Like we had a bad experience in the, when there was the six day war. Okay. And the Yom Kippur. I wasn't there, but I heard. Okay. But, uh, otherwise the relations that were very good until today anyway.
Lisa Newman (10:55):
And did your parents have Muslim friends that they would go to their house?
Simon Keslassy (11:02):
Yeah. Yeah, sure. They want to go to my father's house. My father used to invite a lot of his friend. They were Muslims, a lot of jewelers that they were Muslim. They used to come to my father house for dinner or sometimes for, uh, holidays. Okay. They used to come. I remember I was young, but I remember that.
Lisa Newman (11:25):
And do you study for a Bar Mitzvah? Yeah. How did you prepare for that?
Simon Keslassy (11:31):
I was prepared by a friend of our family. He was a teacher in the seminary, like a Yeshiva in Tangier, okay. And where, matter of fact, his son today, he live in Toronto is the vice president of Ryerson university. And his his father, who was the one who prepared me for the, my Bar Mitzvah in Tangier. Uh, when I was 13 years old. [LN: Tell me about your Bar Mitzvah]. Well, my Bar Mitzvah, in Morocco, in was a custom in Morocco for the Bar Mitzvah. First of all, the night before we used to have a ceremony of, um, the Arbit [ph]. Okay. Well, my, uh, family will invite all the, the close friends and family and we do my friends, all my friends. Okay. They used to sleep in my house that night, that evening. Okay. So they, after we go to the synagogue okay. To celebrate and to call in the Torah. And after we had breakfast to spend all day at home with us, and this is the first time that we smoke a cigarette, the day of, our Bar Mitzvah in Morocco, most of the bar mitzvah boy, the first cigarette that we smoke is the date of the Bat Mitzvah
Lisa Newman (13:01):
And what for the actual bar mitzvah, did you read from the Torah or just say the blessings? What did you do?
Simon Keslassy (13:08):
Some, some of them, they reading, the Torah and some of them, the blessing. And you, what did you do? Uh, I didn't read from the Torah. I was the blessing and a speech that I was prepared by the teacher on Hebrew and Spanish. We have a special, uh, um, special, uh, ceremony that we go when we go to the Torah after the Torah, we read the Torah. Okay. We are, um, a darush, uh, that, uh, we used to
Simon Keslassy (13:47):
Said to the, in this inside of the synagogue until today, we have, we still have that custom in Spanish and in Hebrew. Until today we have that in Canada too.
Lisa Newman (13:58):
Is that like what we might call a Dvar Torah
Simon Keslassy (14:03):
Yeah. But the special one mentioning a lot of things about the Bar Mitzvah and our parents and grandparents mentioning
Lisa Newman (14:12):
Do you remmeber anything of what you said?
Simon Keslassy (14:13):
Okay. I have to find out the, you know, I have, uh, my, my, uh, my son's, uh, speech when he did it in Toronto. So I have to find it.
Lisa Newman (14:25):
And are there any other particular customs about Bar Mitzvah that you remember?
Simon Keslassy (14:32):
No, that's it that's the custom that we have
Simon Keslassy (14:38):
Smoking. It was very, very, very special a custom in our time. I don't know if they're doing that in Toronto right now. Okay. That I can tell you, but in Morocco, that was the first custom is to smoke the first cigarette in our life. [LN: And any girls at that celebration?] Sure. Yeah, sure. Mixed sure. Yeah. Especially people from, uh, the classroom in the school, they used to invite them to be invited to do the Bar Mitzvahs. Yeah.
Lisa Newman (15:14):
What else do you remember about Alliance and your experiences there?
Simon Keslassy (15:18):
Well, yeah, Alliance was, uh, was funded in Morocco on 1861. Okay. Uh, in the first Alliance was in, Tetouan was, uh, 60 kilometers from Tangiers on 1862. Okay. They funded the Alliance Israeli in Tangier. That was the second school in Morocco. Okay. And after they were in Casablanca Marrakesh, but the Alliance, the first was in Tetoun after Tangier and after the rest of Morocco.
Lisa Newman (15:53):
And what was it like to go to school there?
Simon Keslassy (15:57):
Like used, like when you go to school here in Canada. Okay. What, the, uh, the only thing I remember my school in my classroom, we used to have 50 to 60 kids in the, in the in the classroom was a school. We used to have a school for boys and the school for girls. The Alliance had two school, one for boys. And one for girl, the schools, the boys, we were around 500 when I when I was at the school and for the girls the same around 400, 450. When I, um, I grew up, I was 19 years old, I think. Yeah. I used to be the vice president of the association of the school, of the Alliance in Tangier. And, uh, we are a club, a social club that we named after the Alliance in Tangier.
Lisa Newman (17:00):
And was that mixed boys and girls?
Simon Keslassy (17:03):
Yeah, sure. Everything in Morocco, everything was mixed boys and girls. We didn't have that. That's what I call a [LN: separatio] That separation. Okay. [LN: but the schools were separate] uh, the primary school? Yes. Okay. The secondary, no, there were boys and girls together.
Lisa Newman (17:25):
At what time did you get involved with basketball and how did that come about?
Simon Keslassy (17:30):
Because I used to play basketball in the school at the Alliance. We are a team. And after for, you know, uh, I went to the team of, In Tangier, and I said that I would like to play with your team. So they train me. Okay. And after I went to as, uh, one, the players of the team, the national first in Morocco, the national team, no, the national division of Morocco, first national division in Morocco.
Lisa Newman (18:01):
How many years did you play?
Simon Keslassy (18:02):
Well, I play from 1965 to 1969 in the first division of Morocco
Lisa Newman (18:11):
And what made you stop? What made you stop?
Simon Keslassy (18:16):
Uh, because first of all, um, I was planning already to come to Canada and, uh, you know, and, uh, I said, you know what? I did already so many years in basketball. I want to play tennis, eh, in Tangier, so I left the basketball.
Lisa Newman (18:37):
So tell me about thinking of leaving Morocco, why and how that came about.
Simon Keslassy (18:43):
Okay. Uh, the, the only way that, uh, myself we're thinkig to live Morocco is to have prosperity in life. Okay. Because when I got married, I had my first son born in Tangier and I didn't see a future for my son. He in Tangier, on business way on myself and everything. And, uh, we decide because I have already my sister living in Toronto. Okay. And my s and my brother, they came on 1950 on 1957 and 1967. So we were looking for, for new ventures and we came to Canada, but I didn't leave Morocco because politics that's for sure.
Lisa Newman (19:33):
But your family had had this business for generations. What was changed? Why would your son not have the same kind of opportunity that you had?
Simon Keslassy (19:47):
Uh, because first of all, uh, I would say on 19, yeah, 1960, one 80, I believe. So. Uh, the Alliance of Israelite of Universelle. Okay. Was coming down, down, down on numbers of kids. And after they decided to close it, so it wasn't because of people, they were leaving Morocco, they leave, they will leave. And the population came very, very, uh, restrained. Okay. We, in Tangier, don't forget, we had around 25,000 Jews in Tangier. Okay. And when I left Morocco, okay. I think we were around 2000. So
Lisa Newman (20:39):
Why did so many leave?
Simon Keslassy (20:42):
I told you [something] is people they left because they were scared. They were, uh, intimidated by the Aliyah and the Zionism and Aliyah that something can happen to the Jews in Morocco and thanks God nothing happened. Okay. And, uh, people, they were scared and they left Morocco. That's the only, the only reason.
Lisa Newman (21:04):
So when you say you looked at your son's future,
Simon Keslassy (21:07):
It was a no education for him in there. I said, what is he going to go to do a French school, to the Christian school? It wasn't a Jewish education, any more in Tangier. So I said to my [inaudible] my wife we will take the decision to come to Canada
Lisa Newman (21:24):
Going back a bit. Let's- how did you meet your wife?
Simon Keslassy (21:28):
Well, my wife uh, dancing in nightclubs and going together for a, uh, wiht a bunch of boys that we're going every Saturday and Sunday to nightclubs and social club that we used. I used to be the vice president and to the beaches in Tangier, beautiful beaches. And this is where I met my wife.
Lisa Newman (21:52):
Can you tell me about the wedding itself? Yeah, I know there are probably a lot of customs.
Simon Keslassy (21:59):
yeah, um, the Moroccan custom for the wedding is, uh, seven days, uh, before the wedding. Okay. And the most important, uh, ceremony is the night before we would call it the night of Beberiska and, uh, the bride she's wearing, um, a special, a, um, dress. Okay. Called Beberiska that comes from originally from, uh, from Spain on today. We celebrating that night. Okay. On the day of the wedding,
Lisa Newman (22:34):
You told me that your wife has,
Simon Keslassy (22:35):
Yeah. My wife had two, two garments from, uh, this special evening. Uh, I think those garments that dated around 130 years, they dated from 130 years was given to my wife by her aunt that she had a beautiful collection in Morocco.
Lisa Newman (22:57):
So we're going to try and show a picture of that. [SK: Yeah] And then what else, what other customs about the wedding?
Simon Keslassy (23:10):
Let me see. Moroccan custome, is it the night before. Okay. Ah, We used to, and the night of the Beberiska we used to put and, we still doing it on the hand of every guset, uh, henna is like, I don't know, henna okay. In the hand with, uh, the hand of the Fatima. Okay. Does it mean good luck for everybody
Lisa Newman (23:37):
So not only, not just for the bride?
Simon Keslassy (23:39):
No. No. For everybody. For every guest.
Lisa Newman (23:42):
Wow. And did the bride also?
Simon Keslassy (23:45):
Yeah. Yes. Yes. And, uh, most of those ceremonies, uh, is more for Oriental, uh, evening. Okay. We, uh, we have, uh, Moroccan music, uh, uh, Sephardic music, Spanish music.
Lisa Newman (24:09):
Where was your wedding? Where was it?
Simon Keslassy (24:10):
in Tangier
Lisa Newman (24:11):
but in what kind of buil- in the synagogue or,
Simon Keslassy (24:14):
no- uh, we got married in my grandmother's house. It was a big penthouse. Okay. Where I have, uh, I don't know, three hundred guests and, uh, my wedding, because my connections with the government in Morocco that time. Okay. My wedding was attended by a, or we call it here, the Lieutenant governor of, uh, of Tangier. Okay. The members of the government. Okay. Of that of Morocco, and plus the [friends/ French?].
Lisa Newman (24:49):
Are those connections that your father had as well?
Simon Keslassy (24:52):
No. Uh, those connections, the, the, I made it myself because I was when I was playing basketball and they used to be, as I told you a journalist list for the, one of the biggest newspapers in Morocco writing for the sports section, in Tangier,
Lisa Newman (25:10):
do you have any of the columns that you wrote?
Simon Keslassy (25:12):
Uh, I don't think so.
Lisa Newman (25:16):
How many years did you do that?
Simon Keslassy (25:18):
for almost five years.
Lisa Newman (25:24):
So when you began thinking of moving, yeah. What did you do to begin to, to make a plan? How did you find out what to do?
Simon Keslassy (25:38):
Well, I made my, uh, my application to [JIAS]. Okay. And we were admitted. So when we came to Canada, I was looking for a job. And, uh, I started as a manager in a big factory and Jewish fellow hire me as a, uh, manager of his factory, [Peerless] jewelry. Okay. I stayed there for almost 14 years. I was running the place for 14 years. And after I opened my own with my brothers here in Toronto,
Lisa Newman (26:13):
you chose Canada because.
Simon Keslassy (26:17):
my brother and my sister, they were here before me.
Lisa Newman (26:21):
How long had they been here?
Simon Keslassy (26:23):
Uh, my sister, she came, I believe on 1950-7 and my brother in 1967.
Lisa Newman (26:32):
And remind me their names, that brother,
Simon Keslassy (26:34):
my sister, my oldest one, Esther and my brother Mayer.
Lisa Newman (26:42):
And what, by the time you came were there more children?
Simon Keslassy (26:47):
Uh, I had, uh, my last one, my daughter, Nina. She born here in Canada on 1974.
Lisa Newman (26:55):
So how many children have you?
Simon Keslassy (26:57):
I have one boy was Jack born in Tangier and Nina. She born here and I have a keinehora, five grandkids.
Lisa Newman (27:08):
And where are they? Where do they live?
Simon Keslassy (27:10):
In Toronto.
Lisa Newman (27:11):
All in Toronto. You're lucky. Did your wife, uh, have work, uh, outside the home? Did she work in Morocco?
Simon Keslassy (27:26):
No. She never worked in Morocco.
Lisa Newman (27:29):
And here?
Simon Keslassy (27:30):
Yeah, she worked here because she liked the fashion, uh, the fashion, uh, field. And she worked for 22 years at Holt Renfrew.
Lisa Newman (27:43):
What did she do there?
Simon Keslassy (27:44):
She's a manager [lead]
Lisa Newman (27:52):
And, um, these days I know you're often traveling and you're very active. Are you doing those together? Yeah,
Simon Keslassy (28:05):
Sometimes I go by myself, but most of the time she come with me to Morocco.
Lisa Newman (28:10):
Are there still relatives of yours in Morocco?
Simon Keslassy (28:20):
Uh, no.
Lisa Newman (28:24):
When you go, what do you do when you go to visit
Simon Keslassy (28:28):
First of all, I'm going to Morocco twice a year. Okay. Once on vacation, nothing to do with politics, nothing to do. And, uh, the second trip is I always invited by the Royal palace to attend the ceremonies of the King of Morocco's. Uh, day who, was for Hassan, the late Hassan, the second was [March the 3rd]. And now is for Mohammed the fifth, Mohammed, the sixth, I'm sorry, on July the 30th.
Lisa Newman (29:05):
So when you say the government invites you, what do they do?
Simon Keslassy (29:09):
It's a reception, okay. Two days of reception. Okay. That, uh, I have to go on behalf of Jewish, Moroccan, Jewish community in Toronto. They invite me as the president of the Moroccan Jewish community.
Lisa Newman (29:24):
And they, uh, have accommodation for you.
Simon Keslassy (29:28):
Yeah, sure. Uh, I'm treating as a king over there, and every guest of the Royal family who goes to those, a ceremony, they treating, they were very well.
Lisa Newman (29:46):
Are there other Jews that are invited like you? from where?
Simon Keslassy (29:48):
Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Matter of fact, last year, this year, I'm sorry. I had the pleasure to meet one of member of the parliament. The Israeli parliament was invited by the government of Morocco. His name is, um, Shimon Wiyah [ph] is an MP of the Knesset.
Lisa Newman (30:14):
And what about other Morocco? Moroccans?
Simon Keslassy (30:17):
Yeah, every years I had the pleasure to meet different presidents of different association. Uh, originally from Morocco, from France, Spain, uh, Spain, uh, England, United State. Yeah.
Lisa Newman (30:34):
Are you in touch with these people during the year and um, what what's involved in being the head of the community? What do you do?
Simon Keslassy (30:43):
Well, first of all is to keep our patrimoine alive here in Toronto. We have a very nice and rich patrimoine, the Jewish Moroccan patrimoine, we would like to conserve patrimoine in every aspect. Okay. Patrimoine Judeo- Morocco, Moroccan, Judeo-Moroccan. Okay. And this is on all fields, religious liturgy. Um, what do you call it? Uh, food. Yeah, the food and customs that we had in Morocco. We still, uh, have it and we want this to go for the future generation. This is our main goal to keep our traditions in Canada. Okay. For our kids.
Lisa Newman (31:38):
Tell me more about customs. Let's say Rosh Hashanah What, what are Moroccan customs for Rosh Hashanah.
Simon Keslassy (31:46):
Rosh Hashanah, the only custom we had, uh, I think the Askenazi they have to that, uh, the, the second night we have to have a [berakha (ph)] on the pomegran. The, this fruit, uh, what do you call it? [LN: oh a pomegranate?] Yeah. I dunno if you people had that. Yeah. But the second night. Okay. We had [overlap] the second night.
Lisa Newman (32:18):
Do you have the eating the fish head? That it should be the head and not the tail?
Simon Keslassy (32:23):
Yes. We have that. Yeah. That's we have two, uh, two seders for Rosh Hashanah. Okay. The first night, the second tonight we have different, uh, step of a berachot [ph]. Okay. I think there's seven berachot all together.
Lisa Newman (32:43):
And what about, um, Yom Kippur? Are there particular customs
Simon Keslassy (32:50):
Yom Kippir, the customs we used to have in Morocco and we still have it here is to have a, uh, chicken, um, to do a berakha on each member of our family. Okay. And they used to, what do you call it? Yeah, slaughter by a rabbi in Morocco to say a berakha of the kids of the members of the family. And we still have that customs here in Toronto that one day before Yom Kippur. [LN: And what do you do with the chicken?] We cook, we, once we deliver it to the poor. Okay. And the rest. Okay. We for cooking for the night after, uh, the fast after the fast. [LN: So there's one chicken for each peson?] Yeah. Yeah.
Lisa Newman (33:50):
Any other things that you eat before the fast or
Simon Keslassy (33:54):
No. No. Normal food. [LN: And would you go to synagogue in Morocco?] Uh, yeah. All day, all day, the night before and all day, they the Yom Kippur.
Lisa Newman (34:09):
Tell me about Sukkot, what would you do on Sukkot?
Simon Keslassy (34:15):
Sukkot, we used to build a sukkah like everybody. Okay. Uh, it was very enjoy the holiday because we used to go house to house to have a Kiddush in the houses of, in the, in the, in the Sukkot. So when, when we end up for lunch, Oh, I think it was already three o'clock because we used to go from the synagogue first Kiddish in the synagogue, in the sukkah and after friends. Okay. So when we ended up at home, it was already three o'clock. We used to go to every house of friends for Sukkot it was a tradition.
Lisa Newman (34:55):
And what about Hanukkah?
Simon Keslassy (34:59):
Uh, Hanukkah is a holiday that, that everybody cele- but the most nice and traditional, uh, holiday that we celebrate is the seven, the eight days, the end of Passover. The Mimouna. Ah, yeah. The Mimouna is a special night that we had a big table. Okay. With all kinds of goodies. Okay. Uh, made at home naturally, Kosher because, uh, we not allowed to have non, uh, uh, that's already, everything is Kosher, but chametz. Okay. Everything was for pesach, and with music. And we used to go, as soon as we leave the synagogue, we used to go to the house, we used to give a piece of lettuce with honey and say, I berakha for long life to the kids and to each member of the family, that the first thing that when we come to the, from the synagogue. Okay. That the first thing to do the night of Mimouna is to take a piece of lettuce dip with honey and say to me a berakha for long life and happiness to each member of the family.
Lisa Newman (36:15):
Can you say that, berakha? What you would say?
Simon Keslassy (36:18):
Uh the berakha is an Arabic. Okay.
Lisa Newman (36:21):
Please say it.
Simon Keslassy (36:22):
Um, tarbah [ph], mean, tarbah, is mean uh, [is two way to to have these words is] tarbah is to gain and happiness.
Lisa Newman (36:46):
And tell me about the Seder at Pesach. What customs did you have for that?
Simon Keslassy (36:54):
Well, we have the first, the Seder is like everybody, every Jew's, but we have a special, uh, ceremony that we call birbiruya [ph], is a plate. the plate, the family's plate that we have every Jews have that plate. Okay. And we go around the table and we put the plate on top of the head of the each guest or each member of the family and we sing and we sing a song. [Arabic] okay. And this is a custom that's coming from long time.
Lisa Newman (37:30):
do you act out the [inaudible] at all um, to, to, uh, make a, a play of how you left Egypt or
Simon Keslassy (37:44):
Some of them that I don't do it, but the second night we say the Hagaddah on Spanish. Yeah. On Ladino. Some of them, uh, some of them are Moroccan Jews from the North side of Morocco. They say that in Ladino. Some of them on Haketiya [ph] is a Spanish, uh, the Yiddish, Sephardic language. And some of them in Spanish. And this is a custom that we had for years since nine, 1492. We still have, uh, the second night, the reading of the Hagaddah in Hebrew and Spanish.
Lisa Newman (38:25):
So I'm guessing the children are fluent in both Hebrew and Spanish.
Simon Keslassy (38:31):
Yeah. Uh, I would said were're losing, ok, we're losing our Spanish language here with the youth, but I woud like like I mentioned it before, our main goal is to push our youth to keep those traditions, [LN: your children growing up, did they speak Spanish?] Yes. [LN: And read Spanish?] Yes. Sure. I know. You're always speak to my grandchildren when I had the opportunity to tell them, okay. I want them to speak Spanish to me. [LN: And how's that going?] Not very well, but they speak as few words in Spanish.
Lisa Newman (39:13):
Any other Pesach? Uh, how did you get matzot? Did you have a bakery that made matzot?
Simon Keslassy (39:24):
In Morocco? Yes. Yes. We used to have a bakery in Casablanca. They used to bring, to bring it into Tangiers. Okay. And they were distributed and selled by your, we used to have stores like here. Okay. They sold the matzot, the wine and all the Kosher goodies for Passover
Lisa Newman (39:48):
And Shavuot? Did you have any particular,
Simon Keslassy (39:50):
The only thing I remember in Shavuot when you used to, um, go out from the synagogue coming home. I remember as a tradition that they were throwing us water from the balcony, the womans, they were throwing water from the balcony as a sign of a good luck and, uh, to prosper and to have rain in, uh, in Morocco. [LN: So you would get wet] Yeah, sure. [LN: That sounds like fun] Yeah, sure. It was fun too.
Lisa Newman (40:25):
Tell me about Shabbat. Uh, what, uh, how did you bring in Shabbat and how did you observe that?
Simon Keslassy (40:34):
Well, Shabbat is a special day for us, for the, for every Jew. Okay. Uh, we used to go to synagogue naturally. And after the synagogue. [I don't hide it] We used to go to the club to have a, like a Kiddush. Okay. All the friends. And, uh, we have the special meal that you Ashkenazi call shulan [ph] [cholent]. Okay. And we call a dafina and there's a special- uh, potatoes, eggs, meat, rice, uh, um, and this is in every Moroccan home. They have that, uh, plate on Shabbat [LN: and it cooks for a long time] from Friday night. Okay. Until the Saturday, Saturday morning, the womans they put the, they prepared that Friday. They put it on the oven. Okay. Until like the shulan [ph] [cholent], exactly like the shulan [ph] [cholent], but different recipes
Lisa Newman (41:38):
And Friday night, what would you do
Simon Keslassy (41:40):
Friday night? We'll go to synagogue and my, custom in my home. I don't know some of them, they have the same custom. We have a fish, meat and soup. This is the menu of Friday night.
Lisa Newman (41:57):
And did children have to help prepare?
Simon Keslassy (42:04):
Uh, Not really that my wife she's prepare everything.
Lisa Newman (42:08):
I'm guessing that in Morocco, you had help in the house. [SK: Yeah] So who were those people?
Simon Keslassy (42:14):
Muslim, uh, Muslim, uh, servants. Yeah, my [lucky] my home, uh, we used to have three Moroccan servants. They used to work full time at home from, uh, seven o'clock until 10 o'clock at night.
Lisa Newman (42:32):
Did they also help with the children?
Simon Keslassy (42:35):
Help with the children, in the kitchen and, uh, in the house.
Lisa Newman (42:49):
Tell me about the honor that was bestowed on you by the king.
Simon Keslassy (42:55):
Well, um, since I came to Canada. Okay. I was in contact with the Moroccans authorities here in Canada. Okay. That don't forget. I, uh, we were always in go- in good, good relations with the Muslim, uh, in Morocco. And I say to myself is no reason because I came to Canada to lose those kind of relation. So I, this, the most of my life here in Canada to have good relation with the Muslim community, Moroccan Muslim community, and the, the embassy of Morocco and the consulate in Montreal to have good relation, Okay, between Jews and Muslims here in Canada for that, uh, [LN: how did you do that? what did you do?] and well, I put together on receptions, having them do each ambassador, they were coming here to Toronto to Ottawa, invite them to my house or to a private parties or, um, community, uh, receptions. Okay. And, uh, we alway, uh invite ministers of Morocco. They came, they used to come here to Toronto. We always, they were, our guests, our community and they, you know, it's one thing, the Muslim Moroccan, uh, they always appreciate, okay. That kind of gesture like Jews, they will never forget their homeland. They appreciate that. And because of those things, I was granted to this honour by the King Hassan.
Lisa Newman (44:45):
How did you find out about the honour?
Simon Keslassy (44:48):
By the ambassador, by the ambassador of Morocco? Okay. Who put a request to the King, uh, uh, palace. Okay. To have my, uh, my name. So he put my name and, uh, I was granted on March the third, 1992. [LN: And we'll see later, uh, picture of the medal that you were given] Yeah. It was a big honour and uh, every time that I go to Morocco, uh, naturally I wore my, uh, my, uh, decoration. And as soon as I came to the airport. Okay. I have a tremendous VIP, uh, welcoming by the authorities.
Lisa Newman (45:35):
Is there anything else that you would like to say about, uh, Moroccan, customs?
Simon Keslassy (45:42):
Not Moroccan custom. The only thing I will tell you is the history what's going on right now in Morocco. Okay. As I was mentioned before. Okay. Morocco today is the only Arab country. Okay. In the world, that is a country of tolerance of coexistence between Jews and Muslims, since the reign of Hassan II on 19, I believe so on 1970, I think he opened the door to every Jew that they left Morocco to come back to Morocco as a tourist or to live, to live in Morocco. And especially to the Jews from Israel. Today, according to the numbers that they were given to me, is around 50,000 to 70 000 Israelis. Okay. Originally from Morocco, they go back to Morocco every year and it's no problem at all. I had a lot of occasion to meet those tourists in Morocco, in Marrakesh, in Tangier, in Casa Blanca. And they were very, very, very happy. And they were very well, welcoming by the authorities in Morocco. Today, Morocco example, we have, a museum is the only Jewish museum in the Arab countries. Okay. And the King of Morocco in Mohammed VI, uh, the last three years, he paid, his own money, for the restoration of the old synagogues and cemeteries in Morocco. And then this is a great thing that we never saw, okay, in the Arab world.
Lisa Newman (47:47):
Why do you think that Morocco has been able to be this way?
Simon Keslassy (47:51):
Well, because don't forget Jews in Morocco according, and [that was given to us] on 1991, in a special audience that King Hassan II has with us in New York, he told us strictly and frankly that the Jews okay, in Morocco, they were, [inaudible] in Morocco before the Muslims, after the destruction of the second temple in Jerusalem. So that's was the relationship okay. That we have with the Muslim because Morocco. Okay. It was almost a Jewish country. Okay. Since the destruction of the temple
Lisa Newman (48:47):
Finally, if I could ask you, what would you, what message would you want to give to someone who might be watching this tape in the future? What would you want them to know?
Simon Keslassy (49:02):
First of all, uh, my message to the Jewish community, okay, is to have a good relation between the Ashkenazi and Sephardic, okay, this is always my dream. There were times that, uh, the Sephardic and the Ashkenazis weren't on good term in Israel, in Canada, but thanks God today. Uh, we were having a good relation and we, I pray okay. To have this relation forever. Okay. And people, I encourage people. Okay. Even in the Ashkenazi community to go to Morocco, to see Morocco, to see the kind of Judaism is, and we had, and what we have right now and the way that we were treated in Morocco. Okay. Like, Oh, I encourage also people to go to Israel, okay. To visit our communities that exist today. We are a population in Israel. I think Moroccan around half a million. Okay. Most of them, they still having the same tradition than us here in Canada. And this is my message to have a friendship and brotherhood between us. [LN: Thank you] I hope I answered all the questions. Okay. [LN: Thank you]