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 The
Chitayat Family is a name of consequence in Iran. Saleh Chitayat embodied
the spirit of the Iraqi Jewish community and contributed much to its
prosperity. As such he was very devoted to Israel and his was the selected
address for Israelis who visited Iran. I discovered Edward while serving
as an emissary of the Mosad in Iran, after Houmeni's return to Teheran.
It was a time when tensions were enormous and there were demonstrations
of millions of people against the government of the Shah. The Israelis
were in an extremely distressed situation. We moved to a different flat
every night in order to hide from Houmeni's men, from Arafat's and from
the Communists. It was then that Naim Mandelawi who had fled from Baghdad
to Teheran, introduced me to Edward. He was living alone in the family
house after the family had left. He offered me, and the representative
of the Jewish Agency, refuge in his home. I was most appreciative of
this gesture on his part. To take in two Israelis who were in danger,
was an act of great courage, but he was not deterred and kept us hidden
there for a week, until it was possible for all the Israelis to get
out of Teheran. I have always maintained contact with him since that
time and have tried to convince him to come for a visit to Israel. He
said that he would do so but it seems that the trip just never materialized.
I learned of his terrible illness and decided to pay him a visit in
Tampa, with my wife. We were guests of American pilots who had flown
Jews from Baghdad to Israel and now lived in Lady Lake. They took us
to him and he entertained us in a restaurant. His appearance was a shock,
for this was not the same Edward of the shining face and good health.
I prayed that this would change. I knew that he intended to move to
the West Coast, and after that I stayed in contact with him.
He managed to conceal the seriousness of his condition, right up until
he passed away. He was erudite, generous, modest and an extremely dependable
man.
His Memory Will Be Blessed.
Mordechai Ben-Porat
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