THE NAHMAN HOME PAGE
I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND MY GREETINGS TO ALL THOSE WHO FIND THEIR WAY TO THIS PAGE AND ITS CONTENTS. WITHOUT MY SONS PRODDING TO CONTINUE , TO ENLARGE UPON, TO EXPLAIN MORE, I DOUBT THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE. WE HOPE YOU WILL FIND IT OF INTEREST.
BY WAY OF EXPLANATION AS TO HOW THIS PAGE CAME ABOUT (AND WITHOUT REALLY KNOWING HOW IT WILL CONTINUE) I SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING FACTS.
IN OUR YOUTH THE FIVE CHILDREN OF HAIM AND JENTIL SOULAM NAHMAN WERE RECOUNTED MANY STORIES BY OUR PARENTS. ESPECIALLY OUR MATERNAL "NONA" GRANDMOTHER DELICIA ARDITTI SOULAM. IN THE PRE-MASS MEDIA ERA OF THE LATE 1920s , SHE WOULD GATHER US TOGETHER TO REGALE US WITH FAMILY STORIES AND TALES FROM THE 1000 AND ONE 'ARABIAN NIGHTS'.
THIS WOULD OCCUR AT TIMES TOGETHER WITH OUR MATERNAL COUSINS, THE SEVY AND ALALOUF OFFSPRINGS. EVEN THOUGH SHE COULD NEITHER READ, WRITE, OR SPEAK ANY ENGLISH SHE WAS THE ONE WHO MASTERED THE N.Y. SUBWAY AND TROLLEY SYSTEM TO TAKE US TO ALL THE SITES WORTH SEEING.
OUR FATHER WOULD TELL US ALL ABOUT SALONICA. HIS YEARS AS A YOUTH AND ALL ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE SPANISH JEWS. HE ALSO TOLD US ABOUT THE NAHMAN HISTORY, ABOUT OUR ANCESTOR MOSHE BEN NAHMAN. PAPA WAS AN EDUCATED INTERESTING MAN. HE TAUGHT US HOW TO THINK INDEPENDENTLY, ALLOWING AND ENCOURAGING US TO CHALLENGE EVEN WHAT HE TOLD US, WITH FULL FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND OPINION. THIS MADE OUR HOUSEHOLD A LIVELY PLACE.
THE ONE POINT OF DISCUSSION WHEN MY FATHER (A PATIENT SOUL) WOULD SHOW ANNOYANCE WAS WHEN I RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR HISTORY, ASKING FOR PROOF. WELL, PAPA, YOU ARE NO LONGER HERE. I STARTED TOO LATE FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO READ MY PAPER. YOU WERE RIGHT AND NOW IT IS WELL ON THE WAY (BUT NOT FINISHED). NONE OF OUR CHILDREN OR THOSE TO COME WILL BE ABLE TO SAY.
"WHERE IS IT WRITTEN ?"