The Association of Jews from Egypt in Montreal

When Irene Buenavida retired after a 40-year career with the Toronto Dominion Bank, she embarked on a very ambitious project: tracing and listing Jewish families from Egypt living in Montreal. The process was lengthy but eventually she succeeded in drawing up a list of 500 families, or approximately 3000 people.

That is what inspired her to found Montreal's first Association of Jews from Egypt in 2002, and she has been its president ever since. The Association is affiliated with Quebec's Sephardic community, La Communauté sépharade unifiée du Québec.

Why does the Association's name refer to 'Jews from Egypt' rather than 'Egyptian Jews'? "For centuries, Egypt, particularly Cairo and Alexandria, was a multicultural crossroads and home to many different cultures. Egyptian Jews are not "dyed-in-the-wool" Egyptians; they come from a whole range of cultures. That is why 'Jews From Egypt' was a more appropriate name," explains Irene Buenavida.

She herself is a typical example: her father was Iraqi, from Baghdad, and her mother's family originated in Morocco. She left Egypt in 1966, six months before the Six Day War, and emigrated to Montreal.

The chief goal of the Association of Jews from Egypt is to rehabilitate and perpetuate the memory and cultural heritage of Egyptian Jews.
Since being founded four years ago, the Association has organized a series of events and meetings giving Egyptian Jews in Montreal the chance to share their recollections about their native country.

"We have organized various activities relating to Egyptian themes. Many of our events – lectures, films, meetings, social gatherings and evenings at which people relate their experiences – have attracted hundreds of people eager to reconnect with their roots and finally be acknowledged and recognized. Many members telling their personal stories had their first opportunity since the exodus 50 years ago to speak frankly and describe all the sad details of their expulsion from Egypt," says Irene Buenavida.

Another important part of the Association's mission is to reach Jews from Egypt now living in Canada, who had property and real estate seized by the Egyptian government from the late 1940s on. They are encouraged to fill out claims forms for compensation for property confiscated from Jews in Arab countries. Various international organizations including Justice for Jews of Arab Countries and the World Organization for Jews of Arab Countries, are currently conducting very active campaigns to ensure that Jews stripped of their property and expelled from Arab lands before or after the creation of the State of Israel receive compensation as part of future peace negotiations between Israel and Arab countries.

"It is vital to make the whole world aware of how Jews were expelled by Arab regimes. Because the international community hears only the misrepresentations spread by the Palestinians," says Irene Buenavida.

In July 2006, several thousand Jews from Egypt gathered in Haifa for the first International Congress of Jews from Egypt. The event was organized to mark the 50th anniversary of the exodus of Egyptian Jews.

Eight resolutions were proposed during the International Congress: 1-Jews from Egypt should play an active role in seeking peace in the Middle East; 2-Produce and publish studies and university research on the culture, literature and cultural heritage of Jews from Egypt, for dissemination to Jewish schools in the Diaspora; 3-Found a museum of the history of Jews from Egypt; 4-Rehabilitate and perpetuate the cultural and liturgical heritage of Egyptian Jews; 5-Set up an International Committee; 6-Publish a Golden Book and the Proceedings of this first International Congress of Jews from Egypt; 7-Elect an editorial committee for two academic works on the history of Jews from Egypt; 8- Offer Egypt academic cooperation with Jewish university researchers from Egypt.

Teaching the history of Egyptian Jews in Jewish schools is a big priority for Irene Buenavida's Association.

"Our story must not be forgotten. We have to tell it to our children," she says with feeling.
Irene Buenavida was the only Jewish woman from Egypt to meet Jehan Sadat, widow of the late Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, when she was in Montreal recently as guest at a Jewish women's function.

"I was deeply moved to meet this distinguished lady from Egypt. When she said she was surprised to hear me speaking fluent Egyptian Arabic, I told her you never forget your roots.”
In an interview, Irene Buenavida, founder and president of an association for Jews from Egypt, talks about the goals of the organization.


English translation of an article by reporter Elias Levy,
published in French in the Canadian Jewish News, December 7, 2006