‘Goodbye, Tahrir Square’: Revisiting a Lost Jewish Childhood in Egypt

In his memoir, “‘Goodbye, Tahrir Square: Coming of Age as a Jew of the Nile,”’ Elio Zarmati tells the story of his childhood in Egypt and the events that forced his family to leave.

Against the backdrop of today’s ongoing conflicts and refugee crises in the Middle East, the book offers a deeply relevant perspective on exile, resilience and the echoes of history.

Zarmati remembers his childhood in Cairo as a happy one — until the 1952 revolution, led by the Free Officers Movement, a group of nationalist military officers. The revolution resulted in the overthrow of King Farouk I, ending the monarchy and establishing a republic. It also forced many Jews to flee the country.

Zarmati’s family scattered across the world. Some moved to Israel, others to France and the U.S., or any country willing to grant them asylum. Zarmati was 14 years old at the time and vividly recalls the impact on his family.

“One day we were living as Jews in Egypt and the next day, we were like piranhas and forced to leave,” he said. “I had a normal childhood in the midst of chaos and looking back at it, I find it very hopeful. My parents divorced when I was four and for my mother, it was a catastrophe to leave Egypt. She lived a life of constant regret, for my father not so much. He was more European and quite happy to be living in France and England, but career-wise, his life was less, because he had to start all over again at 45. Nowadays, it seems young, but back then, it was different.”

His mother moved to the U.S. from France and Zarmati lived in France and England and became a filmmaker and entrepreneur, which eventually led him to relocate to the U.S. where he worked as a reporter at NBC, a writer-director of films and TV shows, and later CEO of Gelula & Co., a company specializing in film subtitles and dubbing services.

He never returned to visit Egypt — at first, it was too dangerous. After the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt was signed in 1979, he could have gone back to visit, but was too busy building his career. Later in life, when he finally had the ability to visit his childhood neighborhood, it had once again become unsafe.

When the Arab Spring erupted in 2010, he was flooded with memories — history was repeating itself. The events reignited his past, prompting him to start writing. “I was watching all that was happening in Egypt, particularly at Tahrir Square, which is very close to where I lived in Cairo and it triggered the memories of the 1952 revolution. I was seven years old then. It started out as a huge fire that burned most of the European part of Cairo and other areas as well, leading to the revolution and the overthrow of the King.”

Zarmati didn’t intend to write a book. He planned to publish his recollections as individual stories. However, as memories resurfaced and more details emerged, he decided to compile them into a book.

“When I started writing, I didn’t think I had enough memories to fill a book. But the more I wrote, the more memories came up. Speaking with my cousins in Israel also triggered more memories, and that’s when I found the material for my book.”

The brain is a funny muscle — memories are stored away and with some effort, you can unlock and release them. This is exactly what happened to Zarmati. Many of his memories returned after visiting cousins in Israel and going through old photographs, with help from conversations with his aunt and uncle.

One of the reasons Zarmati wanted to write the book is to put some records straight. He said he was dismayed to learn how little people know today about Israel and the conflict between Arabs and Jews. He hopes his book will enlighten those who seek to understand more.

“I ran into a lot of young Arabs and Palestinians in the U.S. and found out they knew absolutely nothing about that part of history of the conflict between Arabs and Jews and about the Jewish communities who used to live in Arab countries,” he said. 

He was able to engage in dialogue with some of those young Arabs, and even became friends with a few. “I think that the majority of people are really closed off to understanding the Jewish point of view. It was a mixed effort, but I enjoyed meeting young people and trying to talk about what was and what could be.”

The book is written from the standpoint of a Jewish boy growing up in Egypt in the ‘40s and ‘50s. The boy witnessed between the ages of seven to 14: the 1952 revolution that overthrew king Farouk and gave rise to the dictatorship of Gamal Abdel Nasser, the 1955 Suez War that marked the end of the British Empire and in its wake, the destruction of the Jewish community that had lived in Egypt since biblical times. 

Zarmati emphasizes that although it takes place during the revolution, the book isn’t a political one. It’s the story of a boy and his close-knit extended Sephardic family, full of rich traditions and colorful characters. Despite the hectic times, he was able to maintain a normal childhood and forge friendships which he still keeps, with his childhood friends.  

Zarmati emphasizes that although it takes place during the revolution, the book isn’t a political one. It’s the story of a boy and his close-knit extended Sephardic family, full of rich traditions and colorful characters.

Some of his cousins loved the book, while others were less enthusiastic. “They remembered things very differently than I did — maybe because they left Egypt at a younger age and didn’t recall events the same way. Some felt that my memories weren’t entirely accurate or that certain parts cast a negative light on some family members.” Nevertheless, his bond with them remains strong.

Zarmati speaks with nostalgia about the Egypt he once knew and loved. “My father wanted me to understand that the real Egypt had nothing to do with the military and soldiers. He had a very romantic view of the country. He was fascinated by its history, mythology, and archaeology. That’s what he chose to remember, this and the golden age of Jewish life in Egypt.”