The Man in White Sharkskin Suit Main Menu The Lagnado Journey A map detailing the stops that the Lagnado family made in their travels after they left Egypt The JFK Assassination An introduction an American identity The Diva Om Kalsoum and her connection back to the Egyptian Jewish community Rejected Leon's inability to find proper employment leads him to focus on the minor things he misses Always Moving The actions one takes to feel like their younger self Death of Nasser Investigating the differing coverage of Nasser's death in 1970 Exodus A look at the scale of the Egyptian Jewish losses and where they reside now Start All Over Again A short film delineating the nostalgia of 1950's Cairo Conclusion A summary of the ideas found in the exhibit and a culmination of the items

The Fragility of Social Structures

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An often forgotten subject because their populations have currently reached much lower numbers, the Jews of Egypt, especially in the post-WWII period were a force, flourishing, as they amounted to almost sixty thousand. Most of the major cities in Egypt, like Cairo and Alexandria, were also known for their cosmopolitan hubs, as other cultures and religions, like Islam and Christianity, were a part of what made the city diverse. This is exemplified in Lucette Lagnado's memoir, "The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit", as Leon, a man of many cultures, as well as the father of Loulou (the writer of the memoir), thrives in the city during the British occupation in WWII. Yet in 1963, Leon and the family leaves Cairo due to a combination of factors: the Suez crisis, the rise of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, and the related rise of anti-semitic thinking in the greater Middle Eastern region as a result of the establishment of the Jewish state of Israel. After making stops Alexandria and Paris, the Lagnado family finally settles in Brooklyn, New York, but experiences efforts from Americans, like the social worker, Silvia Kirschner, to assimilate to American culture and leave their Egyptian Jewish traditions behind. Leon's eventual longing and nostalgia towards his old life in Cairo becomes apparent, and is exemplary of many Egyptian-Jewish immigrants in the mid-20th century. The aforementioned nostalgia derives from the financial success and cultural freedom many Egyptian Jews had in their home, compared to the expectations to integrate into society that were placed on them when they reached their new homes.

Contents of this path:

  1. The Lagnado Journey
  2. Start All Over Again

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