Grandpa Aaron Arav was born in Ankara, Turkey, in 1880 to Itzhak and Luna Arav. He had a brother, Eliya, and a sister, Rebeka.

It seems that during his youth, Grandpa made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Upon his return, it became custom to refer to him as Hadji Aaron Arav, as "Hadji" was a title traditionally added to the names of those who completed such a journey.

Around 1900, Grandpa married Miss Ester Albukrek. Together, they had six children: Itzhak-Isaac, Avraham, Sara, Yehuda (my father), Lea, and Fanny.

Ester and Aaron Arav

In 1912, at the age of 32, Grandpa travelled to America with a friend to explore the possibility of emigration.

According to records I found on the Ellis Island website, an "Aram Araf" (likely a misspelling of Aaron Arav) arrived in America on July 20, 1912. He originated from Angora -the ancient name for Ankara- on the ship Kaiser Franz Josef I, which sailed from Patras, Greece.

Though he and his friend worked at a battery factory for a few months, they ultimately decided to return to Ankara.

Grandpa owned a small shop on “Anafartalar” Street in Ankara, where he sold a variety of goods, including sewing materials, cosmetics, and spices. He worked there until his retirement.

Grandpa and Grandma lived in the Jewish neighbourhood of Ankara, known as Yahudi Mahallesi, on “Kargı Sokak” Street. Their home was a two-story house with a small yard and a basement used for cold food storage. Grandpa and Grandma lived on the first floor, while his brother Eliya and wife Leona lived on the second.

In 1934, Turkey enacted the "Surname Law", requiring all families to adopt a Turkish family name. Consequently, Jewish families chose or were assigned new Turkish surnames. Grandpa’s family adopted the name Aglamaz.

Grandpa was widowed in 1935. A year later, he married Ms. Bulisa (Luna) Albukrek. Around 1960, they moved to an apartment in Yenişehir, a newer district in Ankara.

Bulisa and Aaron Arav Aglamaz

Aaron Arav Aglamaz, Avraham Arav Aglamaz, Yosef Aglamaz, Avi Aglamaz

Grandpa passed away on April 2, 1967, in Ankara. He is buried in the Jewish section of the Ankara cemetery.                                          

Grandpa Aaron Arav's tombstone

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