Speaker Albert Bivas - Forgotten Refugees

Join us Sunday morning to meet Speaker Albert Bivas.

Albert is an Egyptian Jew who will screen the film Forgotten Refugees, share his story, and take questions. Albert, an indigenous Egyptian, will reflect on current events in North Africa and recent news involving Jewish refugees from Arab countries. He is well versed on current events related to the subject and is a great speaker.

The Forgotten Refugees is a 2005 documentary film produced by The David Project and IsraTV that recounts the rich history of the ancient Jewish communities of the Middle East and North Africa and their rapid demise in the face of persecution in the decades following the creation of the modern State of Israel in 1948. The film was directed by Michael Grynszpan with Ralph Avi Goldwasser serving as the executive producer.

Biography:
Albert Bivas was born in Cairo, Egypt, and so were his parents, his siblings and most of his extended family. Raised in an upper-class suburb of Cairo, Albert had a comfortable childhood. Albert's father was trained as lawyer, but became a stockbroker and owned a textile factory. Prior to fleeing Egypt, Albert’s father “sold” his factory to his chief engineer to keep it from being confiscated by the Egyptian government. 54 years later, it is still running and has grown to employ 300 individuals. Albert is in touch with its owner.

In 1956, under increasing pressure and threat from Nasser's regime, Albert and his family fled to France. Upon exiting their homeland, they were totally dispossessed by the government and forced to sign a Laizee Passé, or a one way exit visa saying they would never return. For the following 8 years after fleeing Egypt, Albert and his family lived as stateless refugees.

Even though they all already spoke French, assimilation into French society was hard since Albert's father, at the age of 52, with a family of seven, could not find work for two years. They had practically no financial resources and their extended family was dispersed around the world in Israel, England, the US and Australia.

Albert and his four sisters graduated from French Universities. Eventually they made their way to the United States where they would ultimately settle. Albert married Natalie, originally from Pennsylvania and they now live in Palo Alto and have two grown children. Albert is an outspoken advocate for the one million Jews displaced from their indigenous homelands in the Middle East and North Africa.

Albert is a member the speakers' bureau of Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa - JIMENA. Learn more about the organization here:
http://www.jimena.org/index.htm.

Co-sponsored by the Shir Hadash Adult Education Committee and the Shir Hadash Men's Club

Free and open to all.

Reservations requested but not required. Contact nadine@shirhadash.org or (408) 358-1751, ext 5.

Walk-ins are welcome.