As I leafed in the pile of documents my mother handed me, I found more fragments of the past; I saw this curious photograph of Issac Kipnis, my grandfather, respectfully shaking hands with a person in a bathing outfit. It was weird for me to see him bowing deeply towards another person. I think he is smiling.
He was given something. What do I see?
At the back of the photograph, I found his hand writing with his fountain pen.
I hurry to the internet.
Oh! In 60 days, the swimming pool was accomplished at Maadi, Cairo at 1940!
Then I find the next moment frozen in time.
General Bernard Freyberg in charge of the New Zealand Army in Eygpt, is jumping first into the water of the new swimming pool.
Nona, What a finding! it’s an amazing piece of history. My father was born in Wales & came as an officer to Israel -not that exotic as egypt , but I could imagine some equivalant experiences. Thanks for sharing!
I was taken by the descriptions of your grandfather from your childhood (on Sun Print 1). It does’nt surprise me to learn he was an architect… something you inhaled from yr surroundings. Beautiful layers of archiology here, Nona.
G’day Nona, i guess you are Sara’s daughter (or perhaps niece). I wrote a lot about your grandpa in my book on Maadi: “Maadi 1904-1962 Society and History in a Cairo Suburb”.
Lovely to read you blog…
Regards,