Jacob Gerabi


MAIL: mailto: lilach_054@walla.com hnitzan6@walla.com
Survivor: Code: RelatioNet JA GE 35 TR LI
Family Name: Gerabi
Previous Family Name: Gerabi
First Name: Jacob
Date of birth: 1935

Country ofbirth: Libya

City of Birth: Tripoly



Interview with Jacob Gerbi

 

My father was born in Tunis. At the age of 7, he moved with his family to Libya following his grandfather and his vineyard business.

I was born in Libya in 1935. My family was middle class, we were neither rich nor poor. When the war began, my father who had strong hands, was a shoemaker in his profession and was sent to a labor camp. As a result, my mother remained the only supporter. After a while, we were transferred to a refugee camp also known as the Jewish Ghetto. The conditions in the ghetto were very difficult. There were starvation, diseases, infections and lice. The situation was so difficult that when we passed the streets, we covered our eyes not to see the bodies. I remember my mother shaking my shirt and a lot of lice dropped out of it.

The buildings of the ghetto were long and flat, there was a set of bunk beds with thin, hard mattresses .There was starvation in the ghetto and it difficult. We searched for food in the streets with metal cans of tuna and looked for leftovers in garbage cans. Our meals were made out of bread and bits of food, especially macaroni we found in cans. Eventually, my brother who was only 7 years old, starved to death. We found that out in the morning. We had to dig a hole in the ground, with our food plates, and we buried him.

When the war ended, I finally got to see my father again. We all went back to Tripoli. We heard the Germans wanted to take over Libya again. I thought for a while the war didn’t end after all.

After the war, my family moved to live in a stable. We had to help and clean. The conditions were not the best, but that's what we could afford ourselves after the war.

When I turned 13, I decided I wanted to move to Israel, and I heard the Youth group "Aliyat HaNoar" is planning to make Aliya. So I joined them and I moved to Israel alone in 1949.  In Israel I went to a kibbutz called Karkur. After the war, I was the only breadwinner. When I moved to Israel, there was no one left to bring food home. Therefore, my parents moved to Israel as well, in the 50's.

At the time we lived in Yavne. I was eager to learn, but because of the economic situation at home, I had to go and work. When the economic situation improved, I went to school, but I had to quit again, this time because of my older sister's husband. He told me he would teach me everything I needed, but it turned out all he wanted was that I would look after the house and the children.

Tripoli, Lybia

Tripoli is the capital city of Libya. The city is located in the north part of the country, 
beyond the desert on the Mediterranean costs. There are over one million inhabitants in 
Tripoli.

            In 1912 Italy took over the city in the Lausanne agreement between Italy and Turkey.
           The city was ruled by Italy until 1943, then it was taken over by Britain, during World War
           2. The British forces left the city after its independence in 1951. Among communities in 
           North Africa, Libyan Jews experienced the horrors of the Holocaust with the greatest
           intensity. Thousands have suffered in forced labor camps, work camps, jails or house 
           arrests. About 300 Jews were sent to concentration camps such as Bergen-Belsen and 
           Innsbruck. About 2600 Jews were deported to concentration camps in JADU, 262 of 
           them died of starvation, torture or diseases. About 400 Jews were scattered in nearby 
           town to JADU, about thousand Jewish men were taken to the forced labor camp at
          Sidi El Aziz. 

         In Libya, a huge labor camp was established, which Banghazi communities and provincial  towns were sent to. Hundreds were sent to Bergen-Belsen, Buchenwald and 
         Auschwitz.    In 1943 the Italian-German occupation of Libya was released.

        The communities had lack of food, clothing and medicines.

        The Jews also suffered from the hostile attitude of the environment including 
        physical attacks. At that time, the community and public institutions were still closed to the 
        public.