26 April
American Fiction 
April 26, 2024 American Fiction
April 25, 2024 Dark and Moody Food Photography
April 24, 2024 "Our Strength is In the Good" - Interview with Mia Ivryn
April 22, 2024 Lovers In Auschwitz
April 19, 2024 Passover: Celebrating the Miracle of Freedom
Bella Eskenazi, a Republic Idealist, Lost Her Life at 100
Orhan Veli´s inspiration, a close friend of Sabahattin Ali, a family friend of Aşık Veysel whom she had met while teaching at the Hasanoğlan Village Institute, sister-in-law of the journalist-writer Erol Güney, as old as the Republic, Bella Eskenazi, passed away at the age of 100. May 5, 2023
Bella Eskenazi whose family had come from Bulgaria, was born in 1923, in Bakirköy. Bella, lived in Bakirköy until she was 6 years old, then moved to Yüksekkaldirim with her family. Bella who had loved reading, was very talented in learning other languages; she learned German, French, and English. Stepping into an intellectual crowd with her sister getting married to journalist Erol Güney, Bella came to have many friends who were writers and poets.
Advocating for the kind of citizenship where all citizens have equal rights and freedoms, Bella Eskenazi fought religious, political, and ethnic discrimination throughout her life.
Teaching foreign languages in the country
Eskenazi, traveling to Ankara after Erol Güney and her sister had moved to the capital, visited Hasanoğlan Village Institute and liked it very much. Volunteering to teach foreign languages there, after her wish had been approved by the Prime Minister, Eskenazi started to teach English, French, German, geography, and gymnastics in the village institute, thus becoming one of the first foreign language teachers of the Republic in the country. After two years of teaching at the village institute, Eskenazi worked as a translator. However, she lost many of her jobs due to her relationship with Erol Güney who was said to be a communist.
Bella's Story
Bella Eskenazi's long and meaningful life was turned into a documentary in 2021. The Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews screened the documentary 'Bella's Story' by director Banu Yalkut-Breddermann, on Eskenazi's 98th birthday. The documentary presented to the audience the story of Bella Eskenazi, Orhan Veli's inspiration, Sabahattin Ali's close friend, a family friend of Aşık Veysel whom she had met while teaching at the village institute, from the 1920s until the 2000s, from Istanbul to Barcelona. The film also, based on Eskenazi's life and testimonies, is shedding light on Turkey's political and cultural transformation process.
The director of the documentary Banu Yalkut-Breddermann, in her interview with Şalom Magazine in 2021, stated what Bella meant for her, saying, "For me, it feels kind of hard to express feelings with words. But let me try to express: To be with Bella is just like taking a vacation to an endearing country, as free as possible. Bella is my sanctuary."
Related News
18 March
Moris Karmona Declared War On Bullying With His Book "Morhis"
Moris Karmona´s book "Morhis" in which he wrote his life story, has been published.
1 March
82nd Anniversary of the Struma Disaster
The Struma Immigration Ship had sailed from Constanza, Romania to take the Jews desperate to run from the Nazis to today´s Israel, and was sunk by a torpedo from a Russian submarine after anchoring off the coast of Istanbul for weeks.
26 February
Jenisya Yaeş Came First in the 16th National Young Soloist Competition
Soprano Jenisya Yaeş, who is studying at the Dokuz Eylül University State Conservatory, Opera Art Major Undergraduate 3rd grade, has been deemed worthy of first place in the University Category of the 16th National Young Soloist Competition.
19 February
Are You Ready for the Adventures of "Penga and Menga"?
Penga and Menga are two penguins who live far away from our country and are different from each other as day and night. What unites them is their adherence to their Jewish identity and traditions. It is a heartwarming story that narrates the harmony of differences and the friendship that arises from this harmony. The creators of the characters Penga and Menga are Vivet Pitelon Sparkes and her son Jim Sparkes. Also, the illustrations in the "Holidays" series (consisting of 11 books) designed for children, belong to both of them. The stories are written and translated into English (from Turkish) by Vivet.
13 February
Şalom Now on Mobile App
Şalom´s mobile application has been launched on IOS and Android platforms.
8 February
The Great Loss of Turkish Literature
Mario Levi, the great author who had contributed many important works to Turkish literature, passed away. The famous author was bid farewell on his last journey on Thursday, February 1st, with a ceremony held along with his loved ones at the Acibadem Jewish Cemetery.
16 January
Hanri Benazus Has Passed Away
The investigative writer and businessman Hanri Benazus who owned the largest Atatürk photography collection in Turkey, passed away at 94.
9 January
UÖMO Middle School Students´ Success in the Innovation Competition
Ulus Jewish Schools Middle School´s young tech geniuses achieved great success in the 10th Başahşehir Living Lab Innovation Competition. In the competition where 220 projects from all over Turkey have competed with the "Innovative ideas are competing" motto, UÖMO students, standing out from their rivals with their "Natural Disaster Kit", came third in the middle school category.