POGROM 1955 ISTANBUL A Day Not To Remember: 6-7 September, 1955
Jasmine Papadopoulos
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Dedication Page ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 3 2. Authors Note …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 4 3. What is a “Pogrom”? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 5 4. “My Grandmothers Story” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 6-7 5. Planning of Narrative ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 8 6. About the Author ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 9 7. Bibliography …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 10
I dedicate this magazine to my wonderful grandmother Bige, and to my late “Papu�, Panagiotis Papadopoulos.
FOREWORD
This was an historical event witnessed by my Grandmother that made
such a personal impact on her life and views. We never knew how we will act if a friend needs us during a political crisis. It is good to know that my family was able to help out an old neighbour and friend.
WHAT IS A POGROM? A
pogrom is when a country is severely prejudiced against an ethnic minority and chooses to get rid of it.
1
and mysterious sea, but
they were all Greek
and there were so many
there was one thing that
because they were all
Greek restaurants there
was unfamiliar about the
wearing clothes from
and everyone there were
sea, I saw hundreds
Greek restaurants. I went
woke up with an
pieces of cloth on the
to my mom and asked
excitement to the day. I
streets also a lot of chairs
her what was going on.
walked to my living room
and tables floating in the
She slowly walked
and ate breakfast with my
blue and littered water. In
towards the window and
mom. I rushed up to my
my head I was
stared at the sea right
blue window with a really
wondering, “what is
next to me, i could hear
deep and bad feeling
going on? Who did this
and feel her breath
and nervously looked
to this city?” After staring
starting to get heavier
outside at the bad and
at the sea I saw a crowd
and heavier, she had
I
opened my eyes and
never seen such a mess
rainy day,you know when you are watching a movie
“war weather” yes that's
Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.
what it looked like, a
John F. Kennedy
and the weather is like a
really bad day. After a while I started lowering my eyes from the sky down to the dark blue
in the Bosphorus especially in Arnavutkoy. Such things would never happen to this side of Istanbul, I mean
running on the streets,
Arnavutkoy was a very
some of them were very
peaceful place in Istanbul
familiar to me and I knew
back in the olden days,
so nice to me. After a while our landlord Madame Stephanie, who also owned a restaurant under our building called Romanos she came up to our apartment. I was in my room shocked, after a few moments someone knocked on the front door.
I was thinking in my head
hearing that one sentence
“who could this be? Are
that Madame Stephanie
they going to kill me?
told us I had fallen apart,
What am I going to do?” I
That moment I
opened the door
understood that terrible
confused and saw,
things were happening in
Madame Stephanie
this city. I just didn’t know
crying, standing up
what to do, i felt like i was
straight like a soldier, she
already dead, i knew i
was so still and she was
would die. Still today there
shaking so much that my
are still wars and terror
mother asked Madame
attacks, which really affect
Stephanie what was
me because whenever I
wrong, and so she
watch TV and I watch the
begged us to hide her
news there is always one
and she gave us her really
thing that has to do with
old looking jewelry and
death, and this must stop.
she said : “hide me, and
And still today i tell myself
my jewellery, please I beg
“am i going to die? What
you”. At that moment,
is going on?”
PLANNING OF NARRATIVE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR J
asmine Papadopoulos is a 12 year old girl who loves to play football. Jasmine attends the
Istanbul International Community School in Istanbul, Turkey. She has three siblings called Joanna, Stefania and Panagiotis. Jasmine's family history is very interesting because she is half Turkish and half Greek and historically these two countries have been in conflict. Her story is her grandmother's personal reflection on a dark time in Istanbul’s past where crowds attacked members of the Greek minority. Jasmine continues to be an ambassador for both countries.
Bibliography
Kennedy, John F. "Pogrom Quotes." War Quotes. N.p., 7 Mar. 2013. Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
"Picture Pogrom." Pogrom. N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web.
"JPG 111." Pogrom Img. N.p., 4 Mar. 2013. Web. 27 Dec. 2012.