Sheila Haya
“Sometimes I have customers come in and tell me, you know Raymond, I just saw my lawyer, he’s Jewish, very nice guy, or my dentist is Jewish, or something like that, I don’t understand why, why they feel the need to tell me about every Jewish guy they know.” Raymond Dana shrugs from behind the counter of his small discount store in Astoria, NY. Dana like many Lebanese-Jews left his homeland around the 1980’s during the height of the Lebanese Civil War. Before Jews were living peacefully amongst Christians and Muslims, until they felt that their safety was compromised, and so they left. Now there is a population of less than 100 Jewish left in Lebanon.
Many Lebanese Jews resettled in Western Countries, like the US or France, while others moved to Israel seeking asylum. In Israel, however, they were faced with prejudices and tensions with the Ashkenazi Jewish community. Despite the stigmas, Lebanese Jews have a strong loyalty with their culture. They speak Arabic, they eat Lebanese traditional food, they dance dabke, a Lebanese traditional dance, and they listen to Lebanese music. Because of this Ashkenazi Jews often look down upon them, and don’t fully accept them into the community. Many Lebanese Jews don’t speak Hebrew or Yiddish. Rola Khayyat is a documentarist and film maker; she was born and raised in Lebanon, and is currently working on a project based on the Jewish community in Lebanon and New York, “they are more Lebanese than I am,” she explains that they have preserved the Lebanese culture, it is pure, and untarnished, whereas she feels that other Lebanese immigrants have assimilated more with Western culture. She recalls the sites that still remain in Lebanon and elders that reminisce about their old Jewish neighbors and she explains, “They are always very nostalgic.” In fact, there is a synagogue that is being restored in downtown Lebanon today. She says that the people of Lebanon would love to have their Jewish neighbors back.
Naturally, I assumed that this would be impossible, how can the Hezbollah be ok with such a project? Khayyat assured me that the Hezbollah are encouraging it and are very positive about the project, “Because they are Lebanese after all.” The country is largely run by the Hezbollah Leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, and although he has been quoted expressing his desire for the three religions to live peacefully in a democratic state, many Jews are still scared to return. Lebanese Jews, although A-political, may have received financial aid from Israel during the height of the civil war, a lot of Lebanese Jews carry a stamp on their passport, therefore it becomes a major risk when entering Lebanon. Although Lebanese Jews are not Zionists, they are still seen as traitors, for the sheer fact that Lebanon is at war with Israel.
Raymond Dana looks at me with tired eyes, “I am 100% Lebanese. Religion is not the issue, but people they make it the issue. Religion is inside of people it is very hard to take it out.” In Astoria, he is amongst the Arabic community and never faces any stigmas, regardless of the faith in which he follows.