Sanandaj, Jewish: Professions of the Jews

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Transcribed by	Source	Speakers	Place
Geoffrey Khan	Khan, Geoffrey. The Jewish Neo-Aramaic Dialect of Sanandaj. Gorgias Neo-Aramaic Studies vol. 10. Gorgias Press, 2009	Yeskel Paz	IL

	Transcription	Translation
0:00	ʾənyexáe šoġlù má xirá-y?ˈ trè ṭăbăqé xirén.ˈ xá ṭăbăqàˈ ḥăkimè xirén.ˈ xá ṭăbăqàˈ băzazè-uˈ ʿătarè-uˈ b-áy jóra xirén ga-ḥaštà.ˈ xá ʿədà-čˈ čarčiyè xirén.ˈ čarčí yáni gezíwa báqa malăwaè.ˈ ga-malăwáe zəndəgì kolíwa.ˈ ʾó-č hár kāsbì kolíwa.ˈ ṣanʿát lìtwalu.ˈ kāsbí kolíwa ga-dokà.ˈ ba-kāsbí puḷé tăḥènwa-uˈ kmenwa-ó ga-sətwá məntắke yalú-u baxtú kəxlìwalu.ˈ zəndəgí kolìwa.ˈ ʾonyé yá ṭăbăqá ʾăwaḷ-yelùˈ ḥăkimè-yelu,ˈ măgól ṭayfà-eˈ Ḥắkim Rafaèl,ˈ babá-e daăká Daryùš,ˈ Ḥắkim Rafaèl,ˈ ʾăxoná Ḥắkim Šəmʿùn.ˈ xa-ṭáyfa Ḥắkim Šəmʿùn xirén.ˈ xá ṭáyfa xét xirén Ḥắkim Bašì,ˈ ṭayfá-e didàn.ˈ ʾaġá-e Dáryuš Xā̀nˈ šošeletéf ga-lăxá kliwtè-ya,ˈ lága didí ha-yà.ˈ ʾənyexáe ga-Kurdəstā̀nˈ ʾéa-ṭăbăqá-e ʾằwaḷ xirén.ˈ xá ṭăbắqa xèt-əč xirénˈ bíš tex-ò,ˈ ʾonyexàeˈ təjarát xírlalu məntắke xarə̀j.ˈ zilén baqàˈ Rusìya,ˈ zilén báqa Turkìya.ˈ jə̀ns šəqlá-y,ˈ miyá-y ga-Kurdəstā́n zəbnà-y.ˈ ʾənyexáe ḥaštú xirtè-ya.ˈ náft miyá-y mən-dòka,ˈ ga-Kurdəstā́n zəbnà-y.ˈ ʾó waxtắra nàftˈ ga-bušké rŭwè-yele.ˈ bušké ʾəsrí putè.ˈ xamsár puté kmènwale-uˈ ga-Kurdəstā́n zabnìwale.ˈ dubára jə́ns lablíwa mən-Kurdəstā̀n,ˈ kătirà,ˈ saʿlàb,ˈ řewì,ˈ dălàq.ˈ ʾənyexáe lablìwaˈ báqa dóka zabnìwale.ˈ m-dóka jə́ns kmenwále-o Kurdəstā̀n-uˈ ga-dóka zabnìwale.ˈ ʾəmrā́r-e măʿā́š ba-d-ò kolíwa.ˈ xá-ʿəda-č bazarì-yelu.ˈ ga-bazā̀r ḥɑ́šta kolíwa.ˈ ʾənyexáe kasəbé zorè-yelu.ˈ jə́ns mən-d-ənyexáe šaqlíwa yá kmènwa,ˈ magòlˈ ʾáġa be-Ḥayìm,ˈ ʾòni jə́ns kménwa,ˈ be-Móše be-Sosanè jə́ns kménwa.ˈ ʾənyexáe jə̀ns kménwa.ˈ ʾé-əč šaqlìwale mə́nu,ˈ zabnìwaleˈ ṭotà kolíwa-uˈ hàm púḷe d-óni kwíwaluˈ hám nóšu zəndəgí kolíwa bàef.ˈ pás ʾèaˈ ʾé ʿədàˈ ga-Kurdəstā̀nˈ baqyú-č ga-malăwàe-yelu.ˈ gezíwa báqa malàˈ čarčì kəmréxwa báqu ʾonyexáe.ˈ hár màlaˈ trè báte,ˈ təlḥà báteˈ xá-bela gàaf-yeleˈ mən-d-áy hulaè.ˈ kénwa jə́ns mən-ʾáḥra lablíwa báqa dokà,ˈ mən-Sanandàj,ˈ ʾaḥràˈ jə́ns lablíwa báqa dokà.ˈ kwíwale báqa dehatiyé ga-réša xarmàn.ˈ jə́ns b-puḷé šaqlìwa mə́nu.ˈ kenwá-o ʾaḥrà,ˈ puḷèˈ ṭălabkā́r kwiwale-ó baqù.ˈ nóšu zəndəgí kolíwa ba-d-èa.ˈ ʾéa Kurdəstā̀n-yeˈ wa-ta-jáng-e benulmălălí ʾăwàḷ piš-ʾéa.ˈ jáng-e benulmălălí ʾăwàḷˈ wáxt-e piš-ʾèa,ˈ ʾənyexáe rábau mən-graní mən-báyn zìli.ˈ mìli.ˈ rábau zíli baqàˈ Hămădán ʾu-Kərmanšā̀h.ˈ ḥătá zíli baqá ʿƏrā̀qˈ báqa Baġà.ˈ xá-ʿədu qími híyen báqa ʾIsràyəl,ˈ hár g-ó waxtărà.ˈ ʾó waxtắra-č ʾIsrayél mangól ʾătá là-yela.ˈ xá-ʿəda-č hítwalan ga-Kurdəstā̀nˈ mən-maʿləmulà ləxmá kəxlíwa,ˈ maʿlə̀m-yelu,ˈ yàniˈ ḥaxàm-yelu,ˈ ràb-yelu.ˈ ʾənyexáe ga-dóka hìtwalan.ˈ yalé hulaé Kurdəstā́n gezíwa béla d-onyexàe,ˈ qărènwa,ˈ hulaulà qărénwa.ˈ ta-bár-d-o ʾAliã̀ns híye báqa Kurdəstā̀n.ˈ ga-hăzār-o no-sàˈ ʾAliã́ns híye báqa Kurdəstā̀n.ˈ ga-dóka madrăsá ʾAliã́ns tərṣàle.ˈ yalé hulaé kurdəstanìˈ zíli báqa madrăsá ga-dóka xèt.ˈ šərúʾ wílu ba-yălopé hulaulà-uˈ yălopé făransà-uˈ ʿəbrì,ˈ fàrsi.ˈ ʾənyé ḥaštú ʾèela.ˈ kasə́be ʾomdé lìtwalan ga-Kurdəstā́n,ˈ hamrét xà.ˈ našá-e hăwèle,ˈ xa-karxàna hăwéleˈ ya-xá moʾăsăsà hăwéleˈ xamšà-me năfăré,ˈ trè-me năfăréˈ ʾəmà năfăré ga-dóka ḥaštá holì,ˈ ʾó lìtwalu.ˈ ʾənyexáe šoġlù má xirá-y?ˈ trè ṭăbăqé xirén.ˈ xá ṭăbăqàˈ ḥăkimè xirén.ˈ xá ṭăbăqàˈ băzazè-uˈ ʿătarè-uˈ b-áy jóra xirén ga-ḥaštà.ˈ xá ʿədà-čˈ čarčiyè xirén.ˈ čarčí yáni gezíwa báqa malăwaè.ˈ ga-malăwáe zəndəgì kolíwa.ˈ ʾó-č hár kāsbì kolíwa.ˈ ṣanʿát lìtwalu.ˈ kāsbí kolíwa ga-dokà.ˈ ba-kāsbí puḷé tăḥènwa-uˈ kmenwa-ó ga-sətwá məntắke yalú-u baxtú kəxlìwalu.ˈ zəndəgí kolìwa.ˈ ʾonyé yá ṭăbăqá ʾăwaḷ-yelùˈ ḥăkimè-yelu,ˈ măgól ṭayfà-eˈ Ḥắkim Rafaèl,ˈ babá-e daăká Daryùš,ˈ Ḥắkim Rafaèl,ˈ ʾăxoná Ḥắkim Šəmʿùn.ˈ xa-ṭáyfa Ḥắkim Šəmʿùn xirén.ˈ xá ṭáyfa xét xirén Ḥắkim Bašì,ˈ ṭayfá-e didàn.ˈ ʾaġá-e Dáryuš Xā̀nˈ šošeletéf ga-lăxá kliwtè-ya,ˈ lága didí ha-yà.ˈ ʾənyexáe ga-Kurdəstā̀nˈ ʾéa-ṭăbăqá-e ʾằwaḷ xirén.ˈ xá ṭăbắqa xèt-əč xirénˈ bíš tex-ò,ˈ ʾonyexàeˈ təjarát xírlalu məntắke xarə̀j.ˈ zilén baqàˈ Rusìya,ˈ zilén báqa Turkìya.ˈ jə̀ns šəqlá-y,ˈ miyá-y ga-Kurdəstā́n zəbnà-y.ˈ ʾənyexáe ḥaštú xirtè-ya.ˈ náft miyá-y mən-dòka,ˈ ga-Kurdəstā́n zəbnà-y.ˈ ʾó waxtắra nàftˈ ga-bušké rŭwè-yele.ˈ bušké ʾəsrí putè.ˈ xamsár puté kmènwale-uˈ ga-Kurdəstā́n zabnìwale.ˈ dubára jə́ns lablíwa mən-Kurdəstā̀n,ˈ kătirà,ˈ saʿlàb,ˈ řewì,ˈ dălàq.ˈ ʾənyexáe lablìwaˈ báqa dóka zabnìwale.ˈ m-dóka jə́ns kmenwále-o Kurdəstā̀n-uˈ ga-dóka zabnìwale.ˈ ʾəmrā́r-e măʿā́š ba-d-ò kolíwa.ˈ xá-ʿəda-č bazarì-yelu.ˈ ga-bazā̀r ḥɑ́šta kolíwa.ˈ ʾənyexáe kasəbé zorè-yelu.ˈ jə́ns mən-d-ənyexáe šaqlíwa yá kmènwa,ˈ magòlˈ ʾáġa be-Ḥayìm,ˈ ʾòni jə́ns kménwa,ˈ be-Móše be-Sosanè jə́ns kménwa.ˈ ʾənyexáe jə̀ns kménwa.ˈ ʾé-əč šaqlìwale mə́nu,ˈ zabnìwaleˈ ṭotà kolíwa-uˈ hàm púḷe d-óni kwíwaluˈ hám nóšu zəndəgí kolíwa bàef.ˈ pás ʾèaˈ ʾé ʿədàˈ ga-Kurdəstā̀nˈ baqyú-č ga-malăwàe-yelu.ˈ gezíwa báqa malàˈ čarčì kəmréxwa báqu ʾonyexáe.ˈ hár màlaˈ trè báte,ˈ təlḥà báteˈ xá-bela gàaf-yeleˈ mən-d-áy hulaè.ˈ kénwa jə́ns mən-ʾáḥra lablíwa báqa dokà,ˈ mən-Sanandàj,ˈ ʾaḥràˈ jə́ns lablíwa báqa dokà.ˈ kwíwale báqa dehatiyé ga-réša xarmàn.ˈ jə́ns b-puḷé šaqlìwa mə́nu.ˈ kenwá-o ʾaḥrà,ˈ puḷèˈ ṭălabkā́r kwiwale-ó baqù.ˈ nóšu zəndəgí kolíwa ba-d-èa.ˈ ʾéa Kurdəstā̀n-yeˈ wa-ta-jáng-e benulmălălí ʾăwàḷ piš-ʾéa.ˈ jáng-e benulmălălí ʾăwàḷˈ wáxt-e piš-ʾèa,ˈ ʾənyexáe rábau mən-graní mən-báyn zìli.ˈ mìli.ˈ rábau zíli baqàˈ Hămădán ʾu-Kərmanšā̀h.ˈ ḥătá zíli baqá ʿƏrā̀qˈ báqa Baġà.ˈ xá-ʿədu qími híyen báqa ʾIsràyəl,ˈ hár g-ó waxtărà.ˈ ʾó waxtắra-č ʾIsrayél mangól ʾătá là-yela.ˈ xá-ʿəda-č hítwalan ga-Kurdəstā̀nˈ mən-maʿləmulà ləxmá kəxlíwa,ˈ maʿlə̀m-yelu,ˈ yàniˈ ḥaxàm-yelu,ˈ ràb-yelu.ˈ ʾənyexáe ga-dóka hìtwalan.ˈ yalé hulaé Kurdəstā́n gezíwa béla d-onyexàe,ˈ qărènwa,ˈ hulaulà qărénwa.ˈ ta-bár-d-o ʾAliã̀ns híye báqa Kurdəstā̀n.ˈ ga-hăzār-o no-sàˈ ʾAliã́ns híye báqa Kurdəstā̀n.ˈ ga-dóka madrăsá ʾAliã́ns tərṣàle.ˈ yalé hulaé kurdəstanìˈ zíli báqa madrăsá ga-dóka xèt.ˈ šərúʾ wílu ba-yălopé hulaulà-uˈ yălopé făransà-uˈ ʿəbrì,ˈ fàrsi.ˈ ʾənyé ḥaštú ʾèela.ˈ kasə́be ʾomdé lìtwalan ga-Kurdəstā́n,ˈ hamrét xà.ˈ našá-e hăwèle,ˈ xa-karxàna hăwéleˈ ya-xá moʾăsăsà hăwéleˈ xamšà-me năfăré,ˈ trè-me năfăréˈ ʾəmà năfăré ga-dóka ḥaštá holì,ˈ ʾó lìtwalu.ˈ	What was their profession? There were two classes. One class were doctors. One class were cloth-merchants, grocers—they had work such as this. Some others were peddlers, peddler, that is they went to the villages. They lived in the villages. They would do business. They did not have a craft. They did business there. They made money in business, brought it back and used it to support their children and wife. They lived (like this). Those who were of the first class were doctors, like the family of Ḥakim Rafael, the father of the mother of Daryuš, Ḥakim Rafael, the brother of Ḥakim Šəmʿun. There was a family of Ḥakim Šəmʿun. Another family was Ḥakim Baši, our family. Mr. Daryuš has here written down his family tree, here it is by me. This was the first class in Kurdistan. There was another class, which was lower. They had business abroad. They went to Russia, they went to Turkiye. They bought goods, brought them to Kurdistan and sold them there. This was their job. They brought oil from there and sold it in Kurdistan. Then oil was in large barrels. Barrels of twenty cans (in capacity). They brought fifteen cans of it and sold it in Kurdistan. Then they took goods from Kurdistan, such as gum, fox (fur), fox, marten (fur). They took these there and sold them. They brought back goods from there to Kurdistan and sold them there. They made their livelihood in this way. Another group were market stall keepers. They worked in the market. They were small merchants. They bought goods from those who brought them (from abroad), like Aġa be-Ḥayim, they would bring goods, and the family of Moše be-Sosane would bring goods. They would bring goods. They (the small merchants) would buy from them, sell the goods and make a profit. They would give them (the big merchants) their money and they would also make a livelihood by this themselves. Now, the remainder of this class in Kurdistan was in the villages. They would go to a village—we called them ‘peddlers’. In each village there was one house in every two or three (who bought) from these Jews. They would come and take goods from the town to there, from the town of Sanandaj, they would take goods there. They would offer it to the villagers at the time of the harvest. They would buy the goods from them with money. They would come back to the town and give the money of the creditors back to them. They would make a livelihood in this. This was Kurdistan, and up until just before the First World War. Just before the First World War most of them (the Jews) perished from famine, they died. Many of them went to Hamadan and Kermanshah. They even went to Iraq, to Baghdad. Some went to Israel, already at that time. At that time Israel was not like now. We had a group of people in Kurdistan who earned their keep from the teaching profession, they were teachers, that is they were sages, they were rabbis. We had such people there. The Jewish children of Kurdistan went to the homes of these people and would study Judaism. Later the Alliance came to Kurdistan. In 1900 the Alliance came to Kurdistan. The Alliance built the school there. The Jewish children of Kurdistan went (until that time) to another school there. They began to learn Judaism, learn French, Hebrew and Persian. This was their work. We did not have big traders in Kurdistan at all. A person who had a factory or an institution with five hundred people, two hundred people, a hundred people who worked there—they did not have this there.

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ʾənyexáe šoġlù má xirá-y?ˈ trè ṭăbăqé xirén.ˈ xá ṭăbăqàˈ ḥăkimè xirén.ˈ xá ṭăbăqàˈ băzazè-uˈ ʿătarè-uˈ b-áy jóra xirén ga-ḥaštà.ˈ xá ʿədà-čˈ čarčiyè xirén.ˈ čarčí yáni gezíwa báqa malăwaè.ˈ ga-malăwáe zəndəgì kolíwa.ˈ ʾó-č hár kāsbì kolíwa.ˈ ṣanʿát lìtwalu.ˈ kāsbí kolíwa ga-dokà.ˈ ba-kāsbí puḷé tăḥènwa-uˈ kmenwa-ó ga-sətwá məntắke yalú-u baxtú kəxlìwalu.ˈ zəndəgí kolìwa.ˈ ʾonyé yá ṭăbăqá ʾăwaḷ-yelùˈ ḥăkimè-yelu,ˈ măgól ṭayfà-eˈ Ḥắkim Rafaèl,ˈ babá-e daăká Daryùš,ˈ Ḥắkim Rafaèl,ˈ ʾăxoná Ḥắkim Šəmʿùn.ˈ xa-ṭáyfa Ḥắkim Šəmʿùn xirén.ˈ xá ṭáyfa xét xirén Ḥắkim Bašì,ˈ ṭayfá-e didàn.ˈ ʾaġá-e Dáryuš Xā̀nˈ šošeletéf ga-lăxá kliwtè-ya,ˈ lága didí ha-yà.ˈ ʾənyexáe ga-Kurdəstā̀nˈ ʾéa-ṭăbăqá-e ʾằwaḷ xirén.ˈ xá ṭăbắqa xèt-əč xirénˈ bíš tex-ò,ˈ ʾonyexàeˈ təjarát xírlalu məntắke xarə̀j.ˈ zilén baqàˈ Rusìya,ˈ zilén báqa Turkìya.ˈ jə̀ns šəqlá-y,ˈ miyá-y ga-Kurdəstā́n zəbnà-y.ˈ ʾənyexáe ḥaštú xirtè-ya.ˈ náft miyá-y mən-dòka,ˈ ga-Kurdəstā́n zəbnà-y.ˈ ʾó waxtắra nàftˈ ga-bušké rŭwè-yele.ˈ bušké ʾəsrí putè.ˈ xamsár puté kmènwale-uˈ ga-Kurdəstā́n zabnìwale.ˈ dubára jə́ns lablíwa mən-Kurdəstā̀n,ˈ kătirà,ˈ saʿlàb,ˈ řewì,ˈ dălàq.ˈ ʾənyexáe lablìwaˈ báqa dóka zabnìwale.ˈ m-dóka jə́ns kmenwále-o Kurdəstā̀n-uˈ ga-dóka zabnìwale.ˈ ʾəmrā́r-e măʿā́š ba-d-ò kolíwa.ˈ xá-ʿəda-č bazarì-yelu.ˈ ga-bazā̀r ḥɑ́šta kolíwa.ˈ ʾənyexáe kasəbé zorè-yelu.ˈ jə́ns mən-d-ənyexáe šaqlíwa yá kmènwa,ˈ magòlˈ ʾáġa be-Ḥayìm,ˈ ʾòni jə́ns kménwa,ˈ be-Móše be-Sosanè jə́ns kménwa.ˈ ʾənyexáe jə̀ns kménwa.ˈ ʾé-əč šaqlìwale mə́nu,ˈ zabnìwaleˈ ṭotà kolíwa-uˈ hàm púḷe d-óni kwíwaluˈ hám nóšu zəndəgí kolíwa bàef.ˈ pás ʾèaˈ ʾé ʿədàˈ ga-Kurdəstā̀nˈ baqyú-č ga-malăwàe-yelu.ˈ gezíwa báqa malàˈ čarčì kəmréxwa báqu ʾonyexáe.ˈ hár màlaˈ trè báte,ˈ təlḥà báteˈ xá-bela gàaf-yeleˈ mən-d-áy hulaè.ˈ kénwa jə́ns mən-ʾáḥra lablíwa báqa dokà,ˈ mən-Sanandàj,ˈ ʾaḥràˈ jə́ns lablíwa báqa dokà.ˈ kwíwale báqa dehatiyé ga-réša xarmàn.ˈ jə́ns b-puḷé šaqlìwa mə́nu.ˈ kenwá-o ʾaḥrà,ˈ puḷèˈ ṭălabkā́r kwiwale-ó baqù.ˈ nóšu zəndəgí kolíwa ba-d-èa.ˈ

ʾéa Kurdəstā̀n-yeˈ wa-ta-jáng-e benulmălălí ʾăwàḷ piš-ʾéa.ˈ jáng-e benulmălălí ʾăwàḷˈ wáxt-e piš-ʾèa,ˈ ʾənyexáe rábau mən-graní mən-báyn zìli.ˈ mìli.ˈ rábau zíli baqàˈ Hămădán ʾu-Kərmanšā̀h.ˈ ḥătá zíli baqá ʿƏrā̀qˈ báqa Baġà.ˈ xá-ʿədu qími híyen báqa ʾIsràyəl,ˈ hár g-ó waxtărà.ˈ ʾó waxtắra-č ʾIsrayél mangól ʾătá là-yela.ˈ

xá-ʿəda-č hítwalan ga-Kurdəstā̀nˈ mən-maʿləmulà ləxmá kəxlíwa,ˈ maʿlə̀m-yelu,ˈ yàniˈ ḥaxàm-yelu,ˈ ràb-yelu.ˈ ʾənyexáe ga-dóka hìtwalan.ˈ yalé hulaé Kurdəstā́n gezíwa béla d-onyexàe,ˈ qărènwa,ˈ hulaulà qărénwa.ˈ ta-bár-d-o ʾAliã̀ns híye báqa Kurdəstā̀n.ˈ ga-hăzār-o no-sàˈ ʾAliã́ns híye báqa Kurdəstā̀n.ˈ ga-dóka madrăsá ʾAliã́ns tərṣàle.ˈ yalé hulaé kurdəstanìˈ zíli báqa madrăsá ga-dóka xèt.ˈ šərúʾ wílu ba-yălopé hulaulà-uˈ yălopé făransà-uˈ ʿəbrì,ˈ fàrsi.ˈ ʾənyé ḥaštú ʾèela.ˈ kasə́be ʾomdé lìtwalan ga-Kurdəstā́n,ˈ hamrét xà.ˈ našá-e hăwèle,ˈ xa-karxàna hăwéleˈ ya-xá moʾăsăsà hăwéleˈ xamšà-me năfăré,ˈ trè-me năfăréˈ ʾəmà năfăré ga-dóka ḥaštá holì,ˈ ʾó lìtwalu.ˈ

Translation:

What was their profession? There were two classes. One class were doctors. One class were cloth-merchants, grocers—they had work such as this. Some others were peddlers, peddler, that is they went to the villages. They lived in the villages. They would do business. They did not have a craft. They did business there. They made money in business, brought it back and used it to support their children and wife. They lived (like this). Those who were of the first class were doctors, like the family of Ḥakim Rafael, the father of the mother of Daryuš, Ḥakim Rafael, the brother of Ḥakim Šəmʿun. There was a family of Ḥakim Šəmʿun. Another family was Ḥakim Baši, our family. Mr. Daryuš has here written down his family tree, here it is by me. This was the first class in Kurdistan. There was another class, which was lower. They had business abroad. They went to Russia, they went to Turkiye. They bought goods, brought them to Kurdistan and sold them there. This was their job. They brought oil from there and sold it in Kurdistan. Then oil was in large barrels. Barrels of twenty cans (in capacity). They brought fifteen cans of it and sold it in Kurdistan. Then they took goods from Kurdistan, such as gum, fox (fur), fox, marten (fur). They took these there and sold them. They brought back goods from there to Kurdistan and sold them there. They made their livelihood in this way. Another group were market stall keepers. They worked in the market. They were small merchants. They bought goods from those who brought them (from abroad), like Aġa be-Ḥayim, they would bring goods, and the family of Moše be-Sosane would bring goods. They would bring goods. They (the small merchants) would buy from them, sell the goods and make a profit. They would give them (the big merchants) their money and they would also make a livelihood by this themselves. Now, the remainder of this class in Kurdistan was in the villages. They would go to a village—we called them ‘peddlers’. In each village there was one house in every two or three (who bought) from these Jews. They would come and take goods from the town to there, from the town of Sanandaj, they would take goods there. They would offer it to the villagers at the time of the harvest. They would buy the goods from them with money. They would come back to the town and give the money of the creditors back to them. They would make a livelihood in this.

This was Kurdistan, and up until just before the First World War. Just before the First World War most of them (the Jews) perished from famine, they died. Many of them went to Hamadan and Kermanshah. They even went to Iraq, to Baghdad. Some went to Israel, already at that time. At that time Israel was not like now.

We had a group of people in Kurdistan who earned their keep from the teaching profession, they were teachers, that is they were sages, they were rabbis. We had such people there. The Jewish children of Kurdistan went to the homes of these people and would study Judaism. Later the Alliance came to Kurdistan. In 1900 the Alliance came to Kurdistan. The Alliance built the school there. The Jewish children of Kurdistan went (until that time) to another school there. They began to learn Judaism, learn French, Hebrew and Persian. This was their work. We did not have big traders in Kurdistan at all. A person who had a factory or an institution with five hundred people, two hundred people, a hundred people who worked there—they did not have this there.