Memories of Eden

Jewish Lives

by Violette Shamash

"Memories of Eden" evokes a bygone era - when pre-WW2 Baghdad was one-third Jewish and interfaith relations were harmonious. When Violette was born, Mesopotamia had been Ottoman for some 600 years, until redrawn as Iraq by the British when Violette was eight years old. This bittersweet memoir tells of a childhood spent in the city of Caliphs, Scheherazade and the land of the Garden of Eden, of traditions passed down over the generations, and captures vividly the elusive quality of a scene totally at odds with our image of today's Iraq. As a privileged young woman growing up with her extended family in the city of The Thousand and One Nights, Violette re-lives the excitement of a vibrant society coming to terms with daily life, first under Ottoman, then British, and finally, pro-Nazi rule, which ended in disaster for the Jews of Iraq, who were brutally attacked in two days of slaughter in May 1941 while British troops stood by, under orders not to intervene.The pogrom, which sounded the death-knell for the oldest community in the Diaspora, has been sidelined in history. Now, in a final section in the memoir, the editors reveal the steps that led to the catastrophe and the British bungling that brought it about. Like Anne Frank's diary, "Memories of Eden" tells of an easy and happy childhood, of growing maturity and sophistication, and then shrinking circumstances, victimisation and, finally, flight.

Genres: Memoir, Jewish, History

320 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2008

Reviews

[Dafna Tachover · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about MY FAMILY. A VERY interesting book from historical perspective about Iraq. It was written by my Grandma's sister about their life in Bagdad Iraq, where my family lived for 2,000 years.Starting in the beginning of the 20th century in times when Bagdad was a place where all religions lived together in harmony, a time when it was the 'Garden of Eden' and then with the rise of Nazism in Germany everything changed, Jews were massacred and about 400,000 Jews who lived for thousands of years in Iraq had to fled and Iraq started to decline. The book has two parts - (1) The personal story (2) Historical context. The book was written/edited Tony Rocca, a journalist and the son-in-law of the author. Recommended. PS - there is a picture of my grandma near the bus to 'Palestine' in 1931, after she was married...

[Bechir · Rating 4 out of 5]

A treasure house of informations which reveal the deeply insight part of Mesopotamian Jews (the oldest Jews community). Violette Shamash (1912-2006) turns the light on how everyday life, culture & costume of Iraqi Jews how it used to be. She stayed more than 20 years writing notes and essays since her nostalgic memories, on the banks of Tigris rivers (Baghdad) describing it with "the Heaven of Eden", to the beginning of 30ies when Iraq slipped into the hand of Nazi sympathizers mentioning " we were ... accepted on our own merit until the poison of Nazism and Arab nationalism entered the bloodstream". from childhood and growing maturity full of happiness to victimization ended with leaving.

[Estelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this memoire story of rhe author and community growing up in Bagdad during the best and worst of times in history. I wish it had a recipe book included. The aromas coming from the kitchen were heavenly. I will add to this review when I get to my laptop.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very vivid telling of the final decades of Jewish life in Mesopotamia/Iraq.