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MY COUSIN EPHRAIM
My cousin Ephraim was tall, well-built and strong. He was born in Gafsa and his family had
moved to Tunis, to the Hara - the Jewish ghetto - a few years before World War II.
During the nazi occupation he was among the Jewish forced laborers. One day these workers
were repairing the railroad tracks under the Germans' supervision. Ephraim took off his
shirt in order to work better. A young German officer who was overseeing him, became
jealous of his well built body and, stepping closer to him, slapped him in his face. My
cousin, in his natural way, reacted instinctively and said:
- "Makesh Rajel, Nahy Qmejtek Oo Ahbet Ma'ya!" (You are not a man, take off your
shirt and come down to fight in front of everyone.) The officer having no respect for Jews
and feeling provoked by Ephraim's words pulled his gun and wanted to shoot my cousin. By
chance, a colonel who had just arrived on the scene and had witnessed this sad incident
said:
- "Halt! Ein deutscher Offizier fürchtet sich nicht vor einem Juden!
Zieh dein Hemd aus und schlag dich mit ihm! Das ist ein Befehl!" (A German officer is
not afraid of a Jew. Take off your shirt and fight with him! This is an order!) My cousin
said to his Jewish colleagues with a smile:
- "Hada Nhabtou Bdarba Wahda!" (This one, I will put him down with a single
blow!) His buddies feared for him and cried out:
- "Qeelek Mel Ablah! Hud Yoktlek!" (Stay away from this problem, he can kill
you!). With his well known composure and a smile, Ephraim responded:
- "Ashbeekem Khaeefen, Shoofoo! Shoofoo!" (Why, you are afraid, look! Look!)
Ephraim has actually put the German on the ground in a flash. He said to him:
- " Yazeek, Walla Nzeedek?" (Do you have enough or should I give you more?) The
colonel stepped in and declared my cousin the winner. Ephraim looked at his colleagues and
said:
- " Did you see that? What did I tell you?" Then the colonel walked away with
the young officer. The Jews, who didn't trust the nazis told my cousin:
- " You are foolish, they will play a trick on you". Ephraim, phlegmatically as
usual calmed them down and said:
- "Lah Matkhafooshee Hadoo A'sker Cardoona, Manajmooshee A'lina" (No, don't
fear, these are cardboard soldiers, they cannot get us." Two days later two German
soldiers came to the construction site with a note in their hand and cried:
- "Ephraim Shimoni!" My cousin said:
- "That's I!" One of the soldiers said:
- "Kommen sie mit uns!" (Come with us!) The soldiers took my cousin with them.
All his co-workers blamed themselves for having let him fight and were convinced that they
would never see Ephraim again. Several days later a Volkswagen arrived at the site.
Ephraim, well dressed, was driving the colonel. The Jews were looking at each other with
astonishment. The day the two soldiers had picked-up Ephraim, they had led him to the
German colonel. He had said to Ephraim:
- " I like strong and courageous men like you. Do you know how to drive a car?"
My cousin had answered:
- "Certainly!" Le colonel hired him as his driver and body-guard. From that day
on, my cousin had a German pass with the inscription: "driver and body-guard"
(ein deutscher Ausweis: "Fahrer und Leibwache") The colonel trained him for his
new job. When the Jewish Committee learned about his position they gave him various tasks,
such as delivering messages, carrying food for the Jewish forced laborers, etc. The German
colonel came to like the Jewish restaurants and the good life in our country and
eventually became a good buddy of the Jews, thanks to Ephraim. The latter was free to go
where he pleased, when he was not on his job. In the evening he used to drive home with
the car.
About 1947 Ephraim was made a prisoner by the British and interned in a camp on Cyprus.
His young brother Menashe was with him. In 1949 he arrived in Israel, where he served in
the Israeli army as body-guard. My cousin passed away naturally in 1976 in the moshav
Betzet, Hagalil Hama'aravi.
Zihrono Lebraha! Amen!
Emile Tubiana
EmileMTubiana@aol.com
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