Marcelle Zimi

My parents, Ainvon (Simcha) and Rimon Zimi, immigrated to Israel from Tunisia via France. While the extended family remained in France, my parents were persuaded to come to Israel. Here, they were housed in the immigrants’ camp in Pardes Chana. I was the oldest child, born in 1950 in “Bat Galim” (Rambam). After me, my sister Marcelle was born in 1951, also in “Bat Galim.” At the age of six months, she was hospitalized in “Bat Galim” hospital in Haifa, from which she never returned. My parents were told that she died and were never shown a body or a place of burial, no death certificate or any other document. In 1952, my sister Kochava was born. Mother always said she looked very much like Marcelle.

My mother was very upset and spoke against Ashkenazim all her life because they forced her to return home and would not let her stay with the child.

At a later point, during the late sixties, I was studying at a seminary for teachers in Be’er Sheva and my mother phoned me to come urgently because the military police was at our home, tossing and turning everything upside down and looking for Marcelle (we were living in Akko at that point). They asked for a death certificate as proof and we did not have any to show them. For several days they bothered us repeatedly until they let it go.

We testified in front of the official committee of investigation and again came back empty-handed, with no answers.

We remained five siblings – Eli/Eliyahu, Kochava, Arieh Yitzchak, Shimon and Orli. We all hope that one day we will find Marcelle.

I personally feel obligated because my mother compelled me before her death to never cease looking for Marcelle and to bring her to visit her [mother’s] grave.

Eli Zimi

My mother was very upset and spoke against Ashkenazim all her life because they forced her to return home and would not let her stay with the child.







my mother compelled me before her death to never cease looking for Marcelle and to bring her to visit her [mother’s] grave.