Josef and Marcel Alvo with their families

This picture is taken in Danny's wedding at Tel Aviv. First from right, seated is my aunt Bella.

Next to her, second from right, seated, is uncle Joseph. First from right, standing, is Yvonne Gattegno. Next to her, second from right, standing, is Marcel.

First from left, standing, is Marcel's wife, Renee. Next to her, second from right, standing, is Ziva the granddaughter of uncle Joseph, whose mother Renee had died on her birth.

First from left, seated, is Renee's mother with her granddaughter, the daughter of Renee. Renee, Marcel's wife, is still alive. She is older than me, she must be around 87.

In 1932 Joseph left for Palestine. He wanted his son to avoid doing his military service, but he also left because his son was a Zionist. In fact, he used to say that he will go there and go to the school for agricultural studies.

However, he didn't take agricultural studies there and went to a bank instead. In Palestine, Joseph was working for a bank. I think he was a partner at the Rekanati Bank. He was still interested in the shop in Thessaloniki without being present or working.

My father promised him that his part of the business wouldn't be touched by anybody else. Each one owned half of the company. He would take part of the earnings, as usual.

Up until the Germans came, they would share everything. He would come and visit us in Thessaloniki at least once a year, but father never went. Only Daniel went a couple of times.

Marcel did not get along well with the other partners in the bank, and went to work to the Chrysler agency the brother of his wife had. Marcel run the garage the agency had for its cars' service.

Renee was about the same age as Marcel. She was born either in Cairo or in Alexandria. That's why her mother spoke Greek so well.

During the war, Renee was in Israel and she had already gotten married to Marcel. They had gotten married one or two years before the war.

Photos from this interviewee