Mark Levy: From Jewish Life in Alexandria to Israel and America

Mark Levy was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1939 to a Jewish family with roots in Iraq, Spain, Turkey, and the Land of Israel. He remembers a comfortable childhood in Alexandria's cosmopolitan Jewish community, followed by growing antisemitic violence that ultimately compelled his family to leave Egypt. His testimony explores the challenges of resettlement in Israel, discrimination against Jews from the Middle East and North Africa, and the complex identities of Jewish refugees who rebuilt their lives across several countries.

Growing Up in Cosmopolitan Alexandria

Mark's paternal family originated in Iraq, although his father grew up in Mandatory Palestine. As an adult, his father moved to Egypt for reasons Mark does not know.

There, he met Mark's mother, whose family traced its ancestry to Spain and Turkey.

Mark was born into a prosperous and exceptionally close-knit family in Alexandria. He remembers a childhood surrounded by relatives who maintained strong relationships and took an active interest in one another's lives.

Alexandria was a diverse Mediterranean city, home to Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and European communities.

Mark remembers it as “very cosmopolitan and accepting.”

His family enjoyed a comfortable standard of living and employed household servants. Like many affluent Alexandrian families, they sent their children to private schools operated by European institutions.

Mark attended St. Andrew's, an all-boys school where children from different religious and cultural backgrounds studied together.

He recalls that students generally got along well and that religious differences did not initially interfere with their friendships.

For Mark, these early years were characterized by a sense of security, belonging, and cultural openness.

However, the political tensions surrounding the establishment of the State of Israel gradually transformed the environment in which his family lived.

Antisemitism and Growing Violence in Egypt

Beginning in 1947, Mark recalls an increase in anti-Jewish riots and violence in Alexandria.

The establishment of Israel in 1948 further intensified tensions, leaving many Egyptian Jews increasingly fearful for their safety.

Despite the deteriorating circumstances, Mark's family was initially reluctant to leave Egypt.

His mother, in particular, hoped that the situation would improve and that the family could remain in the country they considered home.

Mark vividly remembers his grandmother's growing fear.

Her anxiety made a lasting impression on him and his younger relatives, who began to recognize the dangers surrounding their community.

One frightening incident occurred when Mark was flying kites with an uncle who was only six and a half years older than he was.

When their kites became tangled with those of local Arab boys, an argument escalated into violence. The boys severely beat Mark's uncle.

Another incident demonstrated both the danger facing Jewish families and the courage of individuals who intervened to protect them.

When an angry mob approached the family's home, their Arab doorman told the attackers that no Jews lived there.

His quick thinking helped protect the family from possible violence.

As the situation deteriorated, Mark's grandmother also became increasingly fearful of the Arab servants and maids employed in the family home.

The trust and familiarity that had characterized their earlier lives were being undermined by political tensions and communal hostility.

By 1949, the family concluded that remaining in Egypt was no longer safe.

Leaving Egypt for Israel

Mark's immediate family decided to immigrate to Israel.

The departure was emotionally devastating.

They had to leave behind their familiar home, comfortable lifestyle, and much of the extended family that had been central to Mark's childhood.

His grandmother and several uncles remained in Egypt.

Mark remembers the tearful farewells and the pain of separating from relatives with whom he had grown up.

The family's journey took them from Alexandria to Marseille, France, and eventually to Haifa, Israel.

The trip was long and exhausting, marking a profound transition from their established life in Egypt to an uncertain future in the newly established Jewish state.

Although the family had reached Israel, the difficulties of displacement were far from over.

Life in Israel's Immigrant Transit Camps

Upon arriving in Israel, Mark and his family encountered living conditions dramatically different from those they had known in Alexandria.

They were placed in an immigrant transit camp, where basic infrastructure was limited.

Mark remembers the absence of running water and electricity, as well as the hardships of daily life.

For a family accustomed to a comfortable home and financial security, the adjustment was especially difficult.

Despite these conditions, Mark recalls that the authorities made efforts to provide education for children living in the camps.

He attended school, learned Hebrew, and continued studying other subjects.

Education provided a sense of stability during a period of tremendous uncertainty.

Mark also remembers that many immigrants maintained a spirit of optimism despite having lost their homes and possessions.

Even under difficult circumstances, he recalls, people could be “still happy” because they saw themselves as “pioneers” participating in the creation of a new society.

These memories reflect the mixture of hardship, idealism, and determination that characterized the experiences of many Jewish immigrants during Israel's early years.

Discrimination and Identity in Israel

Mark's experiences in Israel were also shaped by the social divisions that existed between Jewish communities from different backgrounds.

He recalls encountering prejudice and discrimination directed toward Jews from the Middle East and North Africa.

Having grown up in a multicultural environment in Alexandria, Mark found these divisions particularly troubling.

He strongly identifies as a traditional, “dark-skinned” Jew and reflects on how his appearance and cultural background influenced his experiences.

His testimony highlights the challenges faced by Mizrahi and Sephardic immigrants who were rebuilding their lives in Israel while also navigating differences in language, social status, and cultural expectations.

Nevertheless, Israel became an important part of Mark's personal and family history.

He eventually served in the Israel Defense Forces, an experience that contributed to his connection with the country.

During his military service, Mark developed a particularly close relationship with his paternal grandmother.

He recalls that she still spoke fluent Aramaic, preserving a linguistic connection to the family's Iraqi Jewish heritage.

Their relationship had a profound influence on him, strengthening his appreciation for the traditions and history passed down through earlier generations.

For Mark, his grandmother represented a living connection to the Jewish communities of the Middle East and the cultural world from which his family had emerged.

A Life Across Three Countries

Mark eventually settled in the United States, adding another chapter to his family's history of migration.

Having lived in Egypt, Israel, and America, he reflects on the challenges of belonging to several societies without always feeling fully accepted by any one of them.

He describes a persistent sense of displacement that has accompanied him throughout his life.

In Egypt, his Jewish identity became a source of vulnerability as political tensions intensified.

In Israel, his Middle Eastern background and appearance sometimes distinguished him from other Jewish communities.

In the United States, he encountered yet another cultural environment in which he had to navigate questions of identity and belonging.

At the same time, Mark recognizes that these experiences have given him an unusually international perspective.

His family's roots in Iraq, Spain, Turkey, and the Land of Israel, combined with his own experiences in Egypt, Israel, and America, have shaped a complex and deeply personal understanding of Jewish identity.

Mark also reflects on the reluctance of his parents to discuss their past.

He recognizes that the painful experiences of persecution, displacement, and resettlement often made it difficult for members of the older generation to speak openly about what they had endured.

Their silence, however, also underscores the importance of preserving firsthand testimony before these histories are lost.

Mark's story captures the richness of Jewish life in cosmopolitan Alexandria, the antisemitic violence that led to his family's departure, and the difficult realities of immigrant life in Israel.

It also illuminates the experiences of Middle Eastern and North African Jews who faced discrimination even after finding refuge and who continued to negotiate their identities across national and cultural boundaries.

Through his memories, Mark preserves the history of a family whose heritage spans multiple Jewish communities and whose experiences reflect both the challenges and enduring cultural connections of Jewish life across the Middle East, North Africa, Israel, and the United States.