In 1974, we moved to Ofira. We were a family of four: my wife, Elke, of blessed memory, our children, Aviv and Iris, and me.
In Sharm, I was a partner and managed the supermarket in the MARSHAL complex, with the help of my wife, Elke, and Bedouin workers from the area. We brought products from central Israel and sold them to businesses across Sinai and to private customers.
The bay and the supermarket building.
It was a challenging period. Unloading trucks was done by hand. Another challenge was the arrival times of the trucks, sometimes in the middle of the night, and at times, unloading was done without any help at all because it was hard to recruit workers.
The people who came to Ofira and visited the supermarket were very diverse: tourists from all over the world, soldiers stationed in the area, Bedouins from across Sinai, UN personnel arriving from Egypt, and, of course, residents.
The relationships formed with the Bedouins over the years led to memorable hospitality experiences. One of them was a lunch in the tent complex of Sheikh Abdallah, the Sheikh of Sheikhs of Sinai, with whom we formed a particularly close relationship.
Sheikh of Sheikhs Abdallah with MARSHAL representatives.
Bedouin fishermen would bring large, fresh fish for sale, and the taste of truly fresh fish is an indescribable delicacy.
Life in Ofira was wonderful. Few cars, no traffic lights, no television reception, and newspapers arrived a day late. Quiet and calm.
On weekends, we would drive to Naama and settle near the last shelter by the sea, equipped with snorkeling masks, and enjoy hours of swimming above the incredible reef, just us, the fish, and the corals.
The last shelter.
Nabq and the mangroves in the water.
During that time, we traveled all over Sinai and enjoyed the landscapes and the desert meeting the Red Sea. We hosted many family members and friends from central Israel who came to vacation and enjoy this pastoral place.
The children would walk around the neighborhood barefoot, around the Ashkoviyot area, the playground, and the school, and ride bicycles toward Ras Um Sid.
The Ashkoviyot.
The school was also unique. Aviv studied in first grade in a class that had one table for first grade and one table for second grade. About ten children in total. We will never forget his teacher, Tirtza Simchoni of blessed memory, who taught him and was loved by everyone.
At the same time, Iris was in kindergarten with Zehava Galanos.
Maariv, December 29, 1975.
One day, when Aviv returned from school, he was photographed for an article about the families in Ofira. The middle photo.
The article in Maariv.
Aviv is returning from school. Photo by Dan Hadani for Maariv, courtesy of the National Library.
Looking back, the period in Ofira is etched in our memory as the most beautiful time of our lives.