It is with deep sadness that Bambi learned of the death of Mr. Nagi Zeidan, a Belgian-Lebanese author, full of curiosity and compassion, who devoted 28 years of his life researching the Jews of his birth country (https://bit.ly/3VchSYt). May his soul rest in peace.
First, Bambi will send her condolences to his spouse in Brussels, family and friends in Lebanon (where he died), Belgium, and literally around the world. Second, she would like to express her gratitude for all the lessons she learned from him, over the past few years, about one of the integral parts of the fabric of Lebanon (i.e. one of its 18 religions). Yes, without his meticulous legacy, the Lebanese society would have continued to miss a meaningful piece of its rich puzzle.
To come back to the sad news from out of Lebanon, Bambi learned from the L’Orient Le Jour (https://bit.ly/3VchSYt) that Mr. Zeidan fell down in his apartment about a month ago. After spending an entire month in the coma, he left our world on the night of November 12-13.
Of note, Mr. Nagi Zeidan’s 2021 book, entitled “Les juifs du Liban” includes the family trees of Lebanese Jews. As for his title “Ami des juifs” [“Friend of the Jews“], he earned it as a passionate and talented specialist of the Jewish community of Lebanon.
Thank you, Mr. Zeidan for your hard work. May your own memory be eternal, precisely like in the drive you had to honour the memory as well as the remaining, tiny community of Lebanese people of Jewish ancestry.
Nagi Zeidan was a real friend of me, he contributed his life to memorize the history of the Jews of Lebanon. in his recent book , appears my personal story as a part of the Balayla family history. He made photos of the tombs in the Jewish cemeteries in Beirut and Saida, and i found some of my relatives there. Nagi was a great person with a big soul. Actually he is from Marroco and he felt in love with the Jews of Lebanon. Dr. Isaac Balayla
Dr. Balayla or, Isaac if Bambi may, you cannot imagine how much she is touched by your comment. Yes, Bambi thanks you and warmly welcomes you on her blog. Most importantly, she sends you her heartfelt condolences… May Nagi Zeidan’s memory be eternal; may G-D bless his soul for what he did to you, helping you in finding your relatives in the cemeteries and paying tribute to them; may their memory also be forever eternal. He also did his great work animated by his passion that you kindly described. Generously, while doing it for real people and real families, he also did it for Lebanon; by extension, to all the countries of the world, including Morocco. In Bambi’s mind, Lebanon and our world are doomed when they lose their collective memory. This being said, please trust that Bambi will touch base very soon more privately. She is grateful and honoured by your trust. You take good care, please.