Memoirs of an Egyptian Jew, by: Albert Arye

Alber Ariyeh says: "Some may wonder about the reason I wrote my memoirs, why I did not write earlier, and why I chose to do this in my later days. The truth is that I did not choose my family, nor my country, but I chose the shape of my life... I was born during King Fuad's reign, and I witnessed the era of King Farouk in its entirety, and I experienced the July Revolution starting with Mohamed Naguib, passing through Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sadat, Hosni Mubarak, Mohamed Morsi, the January 25 Revolution, and reaching President Sisi. I lived through this extended period in Egypt, and I saw its advantages and disadvantages. I regret to find many who speak about the past and say wrong things out of ignorance. However, at the same time, there are current generations trying to genuinely understand the past. Truly, Egyptian society was cosmopolitan and secular, open to the West, with no noticeable religious fanaticism, and the buildings of Cairo and Alexandria resembled European buildings—clean and majestic. But this does not deny the existence of shanties and slums, and people walking barefoot in the streets. And so I find myself a source of information, even if I did not choose this role entirely willingly... I am not regretful of my ideas, even if some of my convictions have changed over time. My political views are what taught me to love Egypt, to cling to it, and to reject any attempt to deny it. The most beautiful period of my life was the time I spent in prison, where I interacted with people, felt them, made friendships, and truly understood Egyptian society."