Roseline Levi Ruscio was born in 1945, in Cairo, Egypt. Her parents, both of whom were also born in Egypt, held Italian citizenship, while the family’s roots were Lebanese on her father’s side and Syrian on her mother’s. The family lived in Maadi, a residential suburb of Cairo home to French, English, and Italian communities that was characterized by colonial architecture. Unlike in Cairo, the lifestyle in Maadi was more intimate and community-oriented. Roseline lived with her parents, her two sisters, and her paternal grandmother in a spacious fourth-floor apartment, with a breathtaking view of the sunset over the Nile.
At home, the family spoke French, but Arabic was also present due to Roseline’s grandmother and the Egyptian household staff. Roseline attended French schools and grew up in a relatively secular environment, though she remembers her father saying the tefillah every morning before catching the train to work. Roseline’s paternal grandmother taught Roseline and her sisters the Torah and the parashot in Arabic. The family only attended religious ceremonies during the holidays, going to the Maadi synagogue, a place Roseline describes as being surrounded by greenery, with its mango trees and jasmine bushes.
Roseline’s father worked at a cement factory in the Helwan area, while her mother mainly took care of the home. However, both parents often spent evenings out with friends. Roseline also enjoyed her free time with friends, especially at the Maadi Sporting Club. During the summer, the family would move to Port Fouad, a beautiful Mediterranean seaside destination, for the holidays.
For our vacations, we would spend an entire month in Port Fouad
Trascrizione
Roseline Levi Ruscio
For our vacations, we would spend an entire month in Port Fouad, because we had a cousin living there. It was a beautiful place with huge beaches. Port Fouad is close to Port Said. I had a cousin who worked at the Suez Canal, and back then, the beach was reserved for the colonels. It was a stunning beach, with playgrounds for children. Everyone would bring food to the beach, I remember. At one o’clock, we would gather at the end of the beach, where there was a pergola, and we would all eat together—it was very nice. The whole family, plus friends.
Daily life was abruptly disrupted in 1956 with the outbreak of the Suez Crisis. Roseline’s father lost his job, and she had to stop attending school for several months, a period that left a strong impression on her. The family considered moving to Brazil, where a maternal aunt had already settled, but Roseline’s father decided to try Italy first.
My father said, “Let’s try staying in Italy before going to Brazil.”
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Roseline Levi Ruscio
We had tickets to go to Brazil. We were supposed to go to Brazil because my mother’s sister was there, and they had all found work after being there for a year. So, we had these tickets for Brazil. My father said, “Let’s try staying in Italy before going to Brazil.” And so, they dropped my sister Alfonsine and me off in Genoa, while my father and my older sister went to Milan to look for work. They found jobs, and we decided to stay in Italy.
When Roseline’s father and older sister had secured employment, the entire family moved to Milan. Adapting to a new life was not easy, especially for Roseline’s parents, who struggled to create a new routine in a very different setting. Things improved when they reconnected with old friends from Egypt. Roseline, on the other hand, adapted quickly, and after a challenging first year, she found her place in Italy, where she decided to spend the rest of her life.
There was this mystery, wondering, “Where are we going? What will we do?”
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Interviewer
What did you feel when you left the country?
Roseline Levi Ruscio
Oh, I was very sad! I was very sad because I had a wonderful childhood, even if there were some incidents…. And there was this mystery, wondering, “Where are we going? What will we do?” I felt a bit lost. [But] I’ll tell you, after a year, when I dreamt of returning to Egypt, I cried—I didn’t want to go back anymore.
