Gold in the Dust Memories of Sasson and Gollar Khakshouri In the summer of 1962, a handsome yet broken young man left Tabriz, having lost all his money and hopes. He was on his way to Israel, to join his parents and siblings. At the same time, a bright yet sad young girl came with her mother and brother from Hamburg to Tehran, in order to find her a nice Jewish husband from her family’s native city, preferably from the family. The girl had high hopes and dreams. She didn’t want to get married so soon. The young man fell madly in love with her at first sight. He couldn’t wait to get married. She knew she would at least have to get engaged, and hoped it would be to the young man, her second cousin. The road was long and winding. It took us through Europe, North America, the Eastern bloc, the Far East, and the Middle East. It was rocky at times, completely crazy at others, sometimes foggy. There were times we prayed for a more boring life. But we’ve traveled through it hand-in-hand, raised three children and five beautiful grandchildren, and left our mark on the world. Fifty-seven years after that summer, having finally found our peace – but not boredom – in life, we're presenting you with our life story. Gold in the Memories of Sasson and Written by Thamar E. Gindin Gollar Khakshouri DustMemories of Sasson and Gollar Khakshouri Written by Thamar E. Gindin In the summer of 1962, a handsome yet broken young man left Tabriz, having lost all his money and hopes. His parents and four younger siblings had left a few years earlier to the Holy Land, Israel, leaving him in charge of the family property and debts. He now set out for Tehran, on his way to reunite with them. At the same time, a bright yet sad young girl came from Hamburg to Tehran. She had left Tehran with her parents and siblings nine years before, at the age of 5. This was her first (and last) visit to Iran since then. All the other girls in her class had boyfriends, and teased her saying that she didn’t because she was fat and ugly.She believed them, but that was not the reason she was single: her parents would not let her socialize with boys. At 14, her mother took her to Iran to find her a nice Jewish husband from her family’s native city, preferably from the family. The girl had high hopes and dreams. She didn’t want to get married so soon. The young man fell madly in love with her at first sight. He couldn’t wait to get married. She knew she would at least have to get engaged, and hoped it would be to the young man, her second cousin. The road was long and winding. It took us through Europe, North America, the Eastern bloc, the Far East, and the Middle East. It was rocky at times, completely crazy at others, sometimes foggy.There were times we prayed for a more boring life. But we’ve traveled through it hand-in-hand, raised three children and five beautiful grandchildren, and left our mark on the world. Memory can be elusive, misleading at times. Different people may have different, sometimes contradictory memories of one and the same event. Even siblings growing up in the same family can experience it in completely different ways, as we realized while working on the book. 57 years after that summer, having finally found our peace in life, we’re presenting you with our life story. In the following pages you will read our memoriesaswellasthoseofdearpeople—familyandfriends—whoselives were intertwined with ours. Wehope you find it worth your while. Dedicated with love to you, the reader Safania Benjamin 1845 – 1912, Urmia 1825 – 1898, Urmia Mikhael ca. 1770 1850, Urmia Gösal Youssef 1883, Urmia – 1855, Urmia – 1943, Tehran 1919, Tabriz Isaac ca. 1810 – 1890, Urmia Sari Tavus Benjamin Saltanat Elias Nissan 1891, Urmia – 1895, Urmia – 1904, Urmia – 1905, Urmia – 1902, Urmia – 1912, Urmia – 1915, Tabriz 1940, Tabriz 1922, Tehran 1997, Kusnacht 1970, Holon 1995, Jerusalem Mikhael Nichamah 1835 – 1905, Urmia Urmia Asher Navid Yossi 1922, Tehran 1923 – 1924, 1928, Tehran 1926 – 1929, 1942, Israel – 2013, Israel Tehran Tehran 6 children Nichama 1944 – 2013, Israel Roni Hamael Isaac Gülar Yaghoub Tavus 1958, Israel 1875, Urmia – 1860, Urmia – 1898, Urmia – 1898 – 1925, Urmia 1895 – 1952, Urmia Dani 1976, Holon 1956, Holon 1985, Holon 1970, Israel 9 children 7 children Nanne Aziz Margrit Youssef Nathan Victoria 1915, Urmia – 1905, Urmia – 1931, Tehran – 1917, Urmia – 1921, Urmia – 1929, Urmia – 1963, Holon 2004, Holon 2012, Herzliya 2013, Herzliya 1968, Hamburg 2019, New York Mayer 1947, Tehran Elisabeth Sonya Sasson Gollar Nissan Louise 1949, Tehran 1949, Tehran 1950, Tehran – 1938, Tabriz 23-11-1942, Tabriz 4-4-1948, Tehran 2017, Herzliya 2013, Herzliya Flora 1951, Tehran Gilda Hawi Isaac Nannette Allon Tanja Mischa Sascha Nina 1953, Tehran 1-2-1968, 20-2-1969, 9-12-1975, 1973, Hamburg 1975, Hamburg 1940, Tabriz Hamburg Hamburg Hamburg 1979, Zürich 1992, Zürich Sandra 1959, Tehran Clara Cyril Naomi Irina Tomer Danielle Sukina 1946, Tabriz 1963, Zürich 1990, Ukraine 1982, Tel Aviv 1975, Herzliya 1977, Leeds Liam (b. 2003) Rafael (b. 2015) Natanel (b. 2013) Maxim (b. 2012) Raya Louise (b. 2016) Bonvoyage Kaya (b. 2005) David (b. 2018) Louise Yam (b. 2013) Leo (b. 2015) Ayela (b. 2018) Ezra Pleinsoleil Noami (b. 2007) 1952, Tehran Linda Parviz Jeanette Samy Frieda 1952, New York 1946, Tehran 1952, Tehran 1945, Cairo 1955, Tabriz Bebesh Jennifer Joseph Lawrence Joseph Marguerete 1976, Geneva – 1972, Zürich 1974, Zürich 1978, Zürich 1989, Geneva 1975, Geneva Yolanda 1997, Herzliya 1959, Tabriz Michael Geraldine Talia Gabrielle 1976, Hamburg 2001, Geneva 1984, Geneva Lily Adina (b. 2014) Jonah Jay Peter (b. 2012) Mikael (b. 2004) Suri Rosa Margrit (b. 2010) Anouchka (b. 2008) Gold in the Dust Memories of Sasson and Gollar Khakshouri 2019 Written by Thamar E. Gindin based on Sasson’s Persian biography “Hidden treasures on the winding road of life” (ed. Eng. Homayoun Ebrahimi); Gollar Khakshouri’s diaries and memoirs in German; and personal interviews. Zeresh Biographies [email protected] www.goldinthedust.com We are grateful to Parviz Khakshouri for providing high-quality versions of the pictures on pages 21, 52, 60, 76, 110, 122, 162, and 333. A Zeresh Biographies book. To learn more, visit our website at biographies.zeresh.co.il. Editor: Shoshana Michael Zucker Cover and layout design: L’ALTRO Design, Zürich (www.laltro.ch) Typesetting: Yuval Kaplan This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA. isbn 978-965-7704-10-3 (hardcover) isbn 978-965-7704-11-0 (ebook) isbn 978-965-7704-12-7 (print-on-demand paperback) Typeset using X LE ATEX Printed in Israel CONTENTS 1 Sasson 11 2 Gollar 49 3 Andsowemeet 86 4 Engaged in Hamburg 101 5 Becoming a family 110 6 Back to business: the Eastern Bloc 142 7 The wander years 166 8 Tennis enters our lives, and takes over 187 9 Putting Uzbekistan on the map 240 10 1997: our difficult year 265 11 Reuniting in Israel 271 12 2001–2: the dramatic years 294 13 New beginnings (and ends) 315 14 A year of losses 330 15 Happiness, again 337 16 Our Siblings 347 17 Writing our biography 392 Epilogue 397 Maps 405 God Almighty! Dear Lord, let me not be troubled, Let me not depend on others, friends or strangers. I am eternally grateful to God Almighty,the creator and bestower, who has commanded me to undertake this journey. Through the incessant encouragement of my lovely wife Gollar, invaluable support by my dear friend Eng. Homayoun Ebrahimi, and the unrelenting perfectionism of Dr. Thamar E. Gindin, He has led me to the publication of this book that you’re holding. chapter 1 SASSON Who am I? Wikipedia defines me as “a tennis promoter,” which is an achievement I’m very proud of, but is it an identity? In Tabriz and Rezaiyeh, though completely secular, I was always the Jewish boy. In Tehran, I was the Jew who came from Tabriz. In Germany, I was the newly-arrived Iranian Jew, initially defined by my relationship with my in-laws, who were prominent members of their community. In Zürich, I was the Iranian Jew who came from Germany. In the United States I was again the Iranian Jew who came from Europe. In Israel, where I’ve been living for the past 23 years, I am no longer tagged as Jewish, because here it is the default identity. Here I finally feel I belong. I am at home. Working on this book made me relive the events, but also see my own life and family through different eyes and angles, and come to terms with even the most unpleasant experiences. It also helped me understand who I am: Sasson Khakshouri, a unique being, just like everyone else. 11 chapter 1: sasson 12 Homage to our mother I find it my duty and obligation to open this book by expressing my deep gratitude to my mother. Iamforeverindebtedtoherforherdevotion, for all her toil and labor in taking care of us with all her heart and soul. It was she who bravely and ardently protected us through the ups-and- downs of life, in good times as well as bad.