Grandpa Aaron Arav was born in Ankara, Turkey, in 1880, to Itzhak and Luna Arav.

Grandpa had a brother (Eliya) and a sister (Rebeka).

Grandpa and his brother Eliya made a pilgrimage journey to sacred places in Jerusalem (year unknown). By their return, people started to name Grandpa as Hadji Aaron Arav (it was a custom in Turkey to add the title Hadji to the name of those who made a pilgrimage).

Grandpa married Miss Ester Albukrek around the year 1900. They had six children: Itzhak-Isaac, Avraham, Sara, Yehuda (my father), Lea and Fanny.

Ester and Aaron Arav

Grandpa travelled to America at age 32 with no family but with another friend, to explore the practicality of emigration. They worked there in a battery factory, but after a few months returned to Ankara.

Grandpa had a small shop in Anafartalar Street, Ankara, for diversified items such as sewing materials, cosmetics, spices, etc. He worked there until his retirement.

Grandpa and Grandma lived in the Jewish neighbourhood in Ankara, in Yahudi Mahallesi, Kargı Sokak. Their house had two stories, a basement in which they kept preserved food in a cold ambient, and a small yard. Grandpa and Grandma lived on the first floor. On the second floor lived Eliya Arav (Grandpa's brother) and his wife, Leona.

In 1934, Grandpa and his family adopted a new family name: Aglamaz (a word in Turkish). 

New family name in Turkish: In 1934, Turkey issued the "Surnames Law". According to this law, all families had to get a family name in the Turkish language. Consequently, Jewish families too had to accept new family names, in Turkish. The new family name Grandpa's family received was AGLAMAZ.

Grandpa widowed in 1935. A year later he married Ms Bulisa (Luna) Albukrek.

Bulisa and Aaron Arav Aglamaz

Approximately in 1960, Grandpa Aaron and Grandma Bulisa moved into an apartment in Yenişehir (a newer quarter in Ankara).

Grandpa passed away on April 2, 1967, in Ankara. His grave is in the cemetery of Ankara (in the plot for Jews).

Grandpa Aaron Arav's tombstone

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Who knows? Maybe it has to do with Grandpa

I found the following info about newcomers, on the website of Ellis Island: Aaron Arav (written there as ARAM ARAF) arrived in America on July 20, 1912. According to the same register, he came from Angora (Ankara's ancient name), on the ship "Kaiser Franz Josef I" which sailed from PATRAS, Greece.

The steam-ship "Kaiser Franz Josef I" belonged to
the Austro-Americana Line.

It was the largest passenger ship ever built in Austria.

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