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The History Of Ozer Family

The origin of the Ozer family is from Baghdad, Iraq. The family lived in the "Kahwat al-Zrira" neighborhood in Baghdad, and the exact address of their residence was 4/150 Prague Allah Street. However, as will be detailed later, the family traveled between several countries.

The earliest known ancestor of the family is Suliman, who had a nephew named David. David had a son named Ezra, and Ezra had a son named David. David married Luna, and they had children: Ozer, Suliman, Farha, and Habiba. Our family is the descendants of Ozer.

Ozer first married Dina, and they had children: Kduri, Chahla, Avraham, Salah, and Habiba. Later, Ozer married Samara, and they had children: David, Georgieh (Gouge), and Dina. Both daughters, Georgieh and Dina, passed away shortly after their births and were likely buried in the Jewish cemetery in Baghdad called "Ras al-Tsul."Ozer's sons, Kduri, Avraham, Salah, and David, were involved in managing a kitchen in Baghdad, but Kduri later traded in vegetables and glass products. Ozer passed away in the hot month of Av at the age of 90.Kduri married Tova Kraim (born in Baghdad) in the year of the passing of Rabbi Yosef Chaim. Although Tova was born in Baghdad, she immigrated to Israel with her mother and was later introduced to Kduri by her mother. Tova's mother knew Kduri's family and spoke to his parents about her desire to marry her daughter to Kduri.

Kduri and Tova's children's names were: David-Nagi (born around 1914), Yehuda-Na'im (born in 1916), Yehezkel (born in 1920), Dina (born in 1922), Nuna (born in 1924 and died at the age of 14-15 due to illness), Samra (born around 1927 and died at the age of 7), Leah (born in 1930), and Hannah (born in 1933).

It should be noted that before the birth of David Nagi, a son was born named David, who passed away shortly before his birth. Similarly, in addition to the aforementioned daughter Dina, another daughter named Dina was born to the couple Dorrie and Tova, who also passed away shortly after her birth.Kduri and Tova, as mentioned, lived in Baghdad, Iraq, where their son David Najee was born. At that time (just before World War I), Iraq was under Ottoman Empire rule, and Dorrie served in the Ottoman-Turkish army for some time.The family moved from Iraq to the city of Aleppo in Syria, where their son Yehuda-Na'im was born in 1916. When the family returned to Baghdad, their children Yecheskel, Dina, and Nona were born. After their return to Iraq, the family moved to Beirut (Lebanon), where their daughters Samara, Leah, and Hannah were born.In Beirut, the family lived in the Sursock neighborhood, near "Sahat al-Hubbaz" (the Bread Square). Dorrie worked selling glassware to support the family, and his sons David and Yehuda worked as porters in the harbor, carrying cargo on their backs and selling goods to passengers disembarking from ships.The family's children used to spend time in "Al-Borg" which was a kind of amusement park that included playground equipment and cinemas.

One of the neighbors on the same floor where the family lived in Beirut was called "Abraham Kalba" by the children, and his son, Farge, was Yecheskel's best friend. Sometimes Yecheskel and his friend would take Leah and her sister on a trip in a small boat called "Shachtor".Other neighbors of the family included: Um Mamared, Salman Bardadi - the water seller, and Potros.

According to what is known to us, while the family was in Beirut, there was a cousin named Hannah in Beirut. Cousin Hannah was supposed to immigrate to Israel, but due to the birth of Kduri's daughter Leah, she postponed her immigration to Israel by forty days in order to assist with the care of the baby. A tragedy occurred in the family while they were in Beirut, when a fire (caused by a primus stove) caught on the dress of their daughter Samara, and she passed away the next day at the hospital at the age of seven.

During that time, Kduri was visiting Baghdad with his son Dawood-Naji (about two weeks old), and when he learned of the passing of his beloved daughter Samara, he immediately returned to Beirut.

The family's travels from country to country, especially during the years of World War I, were made possible because the family held Persian passports.

All family members returned to Baghdad from Beirut, except for the son Yehuda, who went up to Israel (Palestine) at the age of 16 in 1934. Yehuda lived in Jerusalem in the new Beit Yisrael neighborhood with his in-laws, his aunt, and his family members (Gabbay). During those years, the connection between Yehuda and his family (who remained in Baghdad) was maintained through letters and postcards. One of the postcards sent by Ezekiel to Yehuda from Baghdad in 1938 is found in the family photos of the Ozer family.It is interesting to note that Yehuda Ozer changed his family name to "Mizrahi," as he was an illegal immigrant to Israel and was wanted by the British Mandatory authorities due to his activities in the underground organizations. According to what is known to us, as part of the construction of Yehuda Ozer's fabricated identity as a native of the land, a birth certificate was issued for him by the Sha'arei Tzedek hospital in Jerusalem, and the surname Mizrahi was also included in the certificate.

According to what is known to us, while the family was in Beirut, there was a cousin named Hannah in Beirut. Cousin Hannah was supposed to immigrate to Israel, but due to the birth of Kduri's daughter Leah, she postponed her immigration to Israel by forty days in order to assist with the care of the baby. A tragedy occurred in the family while they were in Beirut, when a fire (caused by a primus stove) caught on the dress of their daughter Samara, and she passed away the next day at the hospital at the age of seven.During that time, Kduri was visiting Baghdad with his son David-Nagi (about two weeks old), and when he learned of the passing of his beloved daughter Samara, he immediately returned to Beirut.The family's travels from country to country, especially during the years of World War I, were made possible because the family held Persian passports.All family members returned to Baghdad from Beirut, except for the son Yehuda, who went up to Israel (Palestine) at the age of 16 in 1934. Yehuda lived in Jerusalem in the new Beit Yisrael neighborhood with his in-laws, his aunt, and his family members (Gabbay). During those years, the connection between Yehuda and his family (who remained in Baghdad) was maintained through letters and postcards. One of the postcards sent by Ezekiel to Yehuda from Baghdad in 1938 is found in the family photos of the Ozer family.

It is interesting to note that Yehuda Ozer changed his family name to "Mizrahi," as he was an illegal immigrant to Israel and was wanted by the British Mandatory authorities due to his activities in the underground organizations. According to what is known to us, as part of the construction of Yehuda Ozer's fabricated identity as a native of the land, a birth certificate was issued for him by the Sha'arei Tzedek hospital in Jerusalem, and the surname Mizrahi was also included in the certificate.

The pogrom against Jews in Baghdad - "Farhud" 1941
The pogrom against Jews in Baghdad occurred during the Shavuot holiday in 1941.
The pogrom and many of the personal stories about it illustrate the complex relationship between the Arab-Muslim population and the Jewish population in Baghdad. On the one hand, many Jews had good neighborly relations and mutual respect with their Muslim neighbors and acquaintances. However, on the other hand, Muslims cursed the Jews and called them "Najis Jews" - "Dirty Jews".The relationships were particularly strained with the Shi'ite residents of Baghdad.
On the eve of the pogrom, one of David-Nagi's Arab salesmen warned him that the situation was dangerous and that he should be careful and protect himself and his family. On the day of the pogrom, Kduri, the head of the family, went to the area of the large bridge, where a large crowd gathered to receive the appointed regent of the king, who was still a 9-year-old boy. Instead of the gathering, Kduri noticed that there were many Israel haters who were attacking Jews. Since he had a blue and white Star of David symbol on his belt, he was careful and returned home and warned his family members.Ezekiel was at Abu Salimah's house at that time and was asked by the owners of the house to help them and go buy bread. When he went out to buy the bread, he heard gunshots and people boasting that they had broken bones of people. However, Ezekiel assumed that the riots were directed against the government. When he was on a public minibus, approaching "Bab al-Sharqi", policemen stopped the minibus, brought several people to it, and asked the driver to drive those people away.Due to the fact that those new passengers cursed the police and accused them of being "lovers of Jews," Yechezkel understood that the riots were directed against Jews and that it was advisable to seek the protection of a police officer. Therefore, during the ride on the public minibus, Yechezkel avoided speaking with a friend he met during the ride, in order not to be identified as a Jew. This is because Jews in Baghdad had a different accent, a Judeo-Arabic accent, which was different from the Arabic spoken by Muslim city dwellers. When Yechezkel saw a police officer, he got off the public minibus and asked the officer to accompany him to his home, thus managing to arrive safely at his family's home.
The family members locked themselves in their house, loaded heavy objects behind the entrance door, and did not go out. In addition, bullets removed all the mattresses (on which they used to sleep) from the roof of the house into the house in order to prevent them from being set on fire by the rioters.
The deafening screams of the Jewish victims and the sparks of the fires set by the rioters reached the family's home. The family members still remember the terrifying stories of the pogroms in Baghdad to this day, in which many Jews were murdered, Jewish homes were looted, and many others were injured. These stories also speak of Jews who tried to steal jewelry from them, and when the rioters failed to do so, they cut off the hands of those Jews.
The first victims of the riots were the "Jews of the mountain," meaning those Jews who do not reside in Baghdad permanently but come for seasonal work, save money, and return to their homes in the rural areas of Iraq.Later on, riots spread to other areas in Baghdad, but in the neighborhoods where the old Jewish community lived, Arab neighbors often protected the Jews and thus saved their lives. Our family's story during the Farhud is similar: the Arab neighbors of the family (Hatim and Sayid) stood outside and did not allow the attackers to harm the neighboring Jewish families (they protected the area between Haneeni al-Hoobza - the bakery - and the Mandali Synagogue).
It should be noted that there were cases where Muslim merchants came to the Jewish residents claiming that they would protect them, but in reality they killed the Jews and looted their property. Some of the Jewish residents hid in the synagogue, which contained large rooms and a hiding place for sacred writings. Many Jews hid in the genizah (storage room for discarded religious documents) in the synagogue.
In one of the streets in Baghdad, the Jewish residents prepared Molotov cocktails and Jews who stood at each of the two entrances to the street threatened any attacker who tried to enter and harm the Jews. Jews who had weapons defended themselves with them, and the sight of the dead Arab next to their door deterred other looters and attackers.At the end of the riots, a grave was dug for the Jewish victims who perished in the Farhud.

Jewish holidays in Baghdad
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah was celebrated for two days, during which the blessings were recited.

Purim
On Purim, the entire market was filled with sweets from beginning to end. There were sweets that were prepared and sold only during this period. For example, the "zangula" was a round sweet fried in oil and decorated with syrup. The "turg" was a cake-like bread, but looked like a large cake. They used to open the turg and put the zangula inside it.On Purim, children would dress up (cover their faces) and sing blessings to Jewish homeowners in order to receive money in return.

Passover
The Seder night was celebrated for two days and continued throughout the night. During the Seder night, there were games for children, giving of good things, and encouragement for them to stay awake.There were no matzot, but they prepared "geradak" (in special places designated for this purpose): sifting wheat, grinding it, and processing the dough within 18 minutes so that the dough would not ferment. The appearance of the geradak was similar to a laffa, but very thin. During Passover, in order to maintain kashrut, Jews would drink water only from Jews and avoided drinking water from public taps or Muslim residents.

The family remained in Baghdad until 1950, as their exit from Iraq was prohibited. During that time, the situation of the Jews was difficult, and they suffered greatly from the persecution of the authorities. In order not to provide the authorities with evidence of their Zionist or Communist offenses, the family members were forced to burn all their pictures. This sad fact is the reason why there are very few family photos from Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq from that period.Yehuda married Rachel Levy, and they had children: Yosef, Sarah, Tzvi, Yigal, Amnon, and Gidon. To see the family tree of Yehuda and Rachel, click here. To read the story of Yehuda's life, click here.

Yechezkel, who taught in both Iraq and Israel, married Bertha in February 1952, and they had children: Yosef, Shula, Dalia, and Shlomo.

Dina married Yehuda Ozer, and their children were: David, Zmira, and Amalia.

Leah married Meir Moshe, and they had children: Yosef, Yaron-Alex, Kdori, Iris-Nona, Tova-Avital, Shaul-Tzion, Bat-El (Sophie), Esther-Eti, and Rachel-Atalia. Rachel-Atalia first married David Vakinin, and they had a son, Erez. Erez married Maya, and they had three children: Noam, Adi, and David-Yonatan. From her second husband, Amikam Yitzhaki, Rachel-Atalia had children, Roytal and Amatz.Sophie had five children: Eyal, Ayelet, Tehila, Ariel (Drai), and Sherit (Drai). Shaul-Tzion married Ayelet Hefzadi, and they had children: Michal, Itai, Yael, and Liraz. Kdori married Hadass, and they had a son, Tom. Iris-Nona married Oved Mizrahi, and their children's names are: Elior, Mital, Aharon-Roni, Linoy, and Karin. Esther-Eti married Shimon Mizrahi, and they had children: Li'at and Yossi. Li'at married Shai Suleimanian, and they have two children: Ofir-Shimon and Tal.Yosef married Miriam, and their two children are: Meir and Mayan. Tova-Avital married Bnei Haim, and their son's name is Yaniv.Hannah married Yehuda Tzadok, and their children's names are: Sima, Yisrael, Uri, Tova, Vered, and Naama. To see the family tree of the Tzadok family, click here.

Today, most of the "Ozer branch" in our family lives in the Jerusalem area and in the central region of Israel. Although our family originates from the city of Baghdad in Iraq, it should be noted that we are aware of the existence of descendants of the Ozer family from the city of Basra in Iraq (most of whom currently reside in Herzliya). Additionally, there is a record of a son of the Ozer family (Shaul Yitzhak Ozer) in the city of Abadan in Iraq up until the marriage of two couples in 1934. To view a scanned image of the article with his signature, click here.

The origin of the name Ozer stems from the first name of Kduri's father. His father was named Azar (Azer), and when the family arrived in Israel from Iraq, they registered under the surname Ozer, after the first name of the family patriarch. It should be emphasized that in Iraq, according to the custom at the time, families did not have surnames but were known by the name of the family patriarch. For example, Kduri's son Yehuda-Naim was called "Yehuda Kduri" and his brother Yechezkel was called "Yechezkel Kduri". This fact makes researching the family's history in Iraq very difficult, especially with regard to the memories of the family members. Additionally, it complicates our family branch's link to other Ozer families throughout Israel, as our family name derives from the first name of the family patriarch and does not necessarily indicate a familial relationship with other Ozer families in Israel.

One of the researchers of the Ozer family, Victor Ozer, published an article in the "Naharda" journal (of the Babylonian Jewish Heritage Center) in 2002 about the family. To read the article (in image format), click here.