Trails of the Jews
Initially when we set out, we aimed to create an urban memory from life stories. Our goal was to follow the footsteps of the Jews in areas that have undergone continuous urban transformation, and where there is no longer life due to immigration and similar reasons. While we thought it would be an Istanbul-based study, connecting to many families from other regions of Turkey excited us during the project process. The life stories we listened to during the interviews impressed us, the families and their immediate environment (such as children, grandchildren) largely. Listening to some of the historical facts which we had read from books, directly from the people who witnessed it, and gaining new information that we never knew until then, was the biggest gain and added value of this project for us. While the documents and photographs we collected from the families we visited during the project process enriched the museum archive digitally; these also enchanted us. The habits of the old times,
the importance given to appearance, the tranquil yet well-organized state of the streets, and even the smiling confrontation of poverty
was very impressive for us, who could not live in those times and were content to listen to our elders. We realized that the saddest memories, even though they are not forgotten, are always kept in the dark, and not revealed unless asked. We always observed heartwarmingly how everyone is deeply attached to the place where they once used to live and how they cherish the region they no longer live in. From past to present, different ethnic and religious cultures have always lived in these lands as brothers and we have benefited from all the blessings of the culture of living together as pieces that make up a great mosaic. Old friends encountered in street interviews
with timeless memories indicated this to us. Yes, considering the era we are living in,
many things have changed in urban and human life. We observed together how people can live happily in a world where the streets are playgrounds for children,
where the concepts of absence-wealth and othering do not exist, and how the sharing of pain and joy reflects emotions.
While listening to the difficulties and conveniences of transportation, houses, migrations, rituals, neighbors, living with family elders in changing conditions, we also felt sorry for many values that are disappearing today. As someone who believes that there should always be a balance of give and take in life, with this project we tried to convey the Jewish traces in these lands to large masses; while we filled our own saddlebag with new information and memories.
