Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

The Families Shemesh - Shaharabani

My children are Edya Esther, Anat and Doron. Since the family on their paternal side are Iraqi by origin, I have included this page about their side and links to history of the Jews in Iraq. See an excellent short history of the Jews in Iraq HERE.

My children's father Nissim was born in Kirkuk, Iraq in 1942. After the State of Israel was declared, there was a mass exodus of Iraqi Jews to Israel.

In 1950, Nissim (Saleem) with his sister Ilana (Saleema), his mother Esther (Katon) and his grandparents Ephraim and Miriam Nissim fled Iraq by trekking through the desert on Camels with guides and reached Israel through Iran. They settled in Bat Yam, and Nissim and Ilana were sent through "Youth Aliya" to Kibbutz Ayelet HaShachar.
*(Note that today the hotel business has been destroyed by the intifada and the hotel at that link is now used to house Ethiopian immigrants. Kibbutz Ayelet HaShahar gets an income from the government for housing the immigrants in the hotel. Tourists can still stay at Ayelet Hashahar by hiring a Zimmer, a B&B type arrangement).

Nissim's sister Ilana is married to Gershon Segal (originally from Romania ) and they have two daughters: Tova and Yosefa. Tova was married to Shuki and has 3 daughters. Yosefa is married to Shmulik (?) and they have 3 children.

Nissim's father, Tsalah Shaharabani, (born in Baghdad) deserted Esther in about 1943 and remarried Tsvia. When Esther arrived in Israel she relinquished her former married name (Shaharabani) and took the name "Shemesh". Today Tsalah is divorced from Tsvia too and has not married a third time. Tsalah and Tsvia had 6 children. So my children have an additional 4 aunts and 2 uncles. They are: Nahum, Yaron, Tamar, Simcha, Mazal and Zahava. They are all married and have children.

(for me to ascertain: Names of spouses and children)

Tsalah's brother Shaul also arrived in Israel in the 1950's. He changed the family name to Gardener and he is married to Shula and they have 4 sons.

Esther had a sister (?) - I don't know the family name or who her children are and will find out and include here. They would be second and third cousins.

In 1978 (?) Nissim remarried Yochi (Yocheved) who's family origins are Kurdistan. A brief account of the Kurdish Jews can be found HERE. They have one son called Matan. He is my children's half brother.

Below are the only pictures in my possession of the Shaharabani, Shemesh and Segal family taken 20 to 30 years ago as I lost touch with the family after our divorce.