This is a portrait of the family of Israel Menahem that was taken on Purim in Pleven, Bulgaria in the 1910s. Israel is seated in a large armchair wearing a three-piece suit and a fez. Standing on his left is his wife, Oro, dressed in a traditional full-length Jewish outfit of a long-sleeved embroidered dress with a wide belt. Israel’s daughters, Regina and Rahel, are standing on his right, wearing matching dresses with different hats. The photograph was taken soon after Israel had returned from the Balkan War (1912–1913). Israel was an egg merchant in Pleven. He died in 1930, and the family moved to Sofia, Bulgaria in 1935 where Oro lived until she died in 1970.
This photograph is part of Ester Josifov’s family history collection. Ester was married to Israel Menahem’s son (who does not appear in the photograph). Ester’s family originated in Spain, from where they moved to the Netherlands and Germany. Her grandfather was born in Germany and then settled in Bulgaria. They were a very observant, Ladino-speaking family. Ester’s father was a businessman who also served as the synagogue’s chazan. She describes her family’s Jewish traditions and the food that they ate. She also tells about the parades organised by Maccabi in Sofia when she was a child. During World War II, Ester’s family were forced to leave their home and move to a less affluent, Jewish neighbourhood, where they awaited deportation to concentration camps. However, due to protests from the non-Jewish Bulgarians in Sofia the Jews were not deported and survived the war despite government restrictions and anti-Semitism. After the war, Ester married Israel and Ora Menahem’s son, who used to sing with her in the synagogue choir. She explains that “the great Jewish departure began in 1948” and her sisters left Bulgaria. Ester’s husband wanted to remain in Bulgaria, but the family faced hard times under communist rule. Life for the Jews was especially difficult, and the authorities followed those who attended synagogue. Nevertheless, the family continued to observe Jewish festivals. In recent years Ester has visited Israel and regularly attends the Jewish cultural centre.
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The Jewish Community in Bulgaria - The Jewish community in Bulgaria has a long and rich history. The first Jews arrived after the Roman conquest in about 46 AD, and Josephus himself wrote about Jews living there. More Jews arrived in the seventh century, escaping ill-treatment by the Byzantines. Following the lead of other countries, the Church Council demanded the expulsion of Jews from Bulgaria in 1352, although according to records the decree was not executed meticulously. By the time that the Ottoman Empire had full control of the country, there were several sizeable Jewish communities across Bulgaria. For several centuries, the community was split into Romaniotes, Ashkenazim, and Sephardim, until 1640 when a single rabbi was appointed for all three groups. Once the modern state was formed in 1878, Bulgarian Jews were granted equal rights. Jews were drafted into the Bulgarian Army and fought in the Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885), the Balkan Wars (1912-13), and World War I. The deaths of 211 Jewish soldiers of the Bulgarian Army, among them 28 officers, were recorded during World War I. In July 1940, the Bulgarian authorities introduced anti-Semitic laws, and in March 1941, Bulgaria joined the Axis alliance and took part in the German attack on Yugoslavia and Greece. The first wave of Jewish deportation began in the winter of 1943 from the Bulgarian-occupied areas such as Macedonia, Thrace, and Pirot. These Jewish communities were delivered to the Germans who sent them to their death in Treblinka. In February 1943, the Bulgarian government approached the British with a proposal to send their Jews to Mandatory Palestine, but the plan was declined by British Foreign Minister Eden. The next stage was to deport the Jews from Bulgaria proper, but due to protests launched by opposition politicians, clergy, and intellectuals, Bulgarian Jews were not sent to the death camps but were expelled to the countryside and to labour camps. After the war, Israel formally thanked Bulgaria for defying Nazi commands to deport their Jews. In the years following the Holocaust, most Jews left Bulgaria, the majority immigrating to Israel. It is estimated that the Jewish community of Bulgaria currently comprises between 2000 and 6000 people, most of whom live in Sofia. There are two functioning synagogues, a Jewish elementary and high school, youth movements, and representation of international Jewish organisations.
Purim - Purim is celebrated on the 14 Adar as the day the Jewish people were saved from destruction during the fourth century BCE. The heroine of the Purim story, Queen Esther, worked together with her uncle, Mordechai, to reverse the decree of genocide issued against the Jewish people by Haman, the vizier of Persia. It is the tradition on Purim to dress up in costumes, distribute small food packages known as mishloach manot, give charity, and listen to the reading of the Megilla – the Book of Esther.
