Joseph Orowitz

Fourth child

As written by Victor:

"As a teenager was employed in a department store in Cairo. Had a row with his mother and ran away from home.

"In 1932 he came back to the city searching for his relatives. He was suffering from bilharzia. He located my mother [Annetta Franco] and her sisters. He came to stay with us while he was being treated for this disease at the Kasr El Aini hospital.

"He then told us the story of his escapade: 'When he left home after his row with my grand-mother he was roaming the streets and was enticed by a troop of bedouins to follow them. He did so and found later that he couldn't leave the tribe any longer and was forced to work for them.

"He became resigned to his lot adopted their customs and married a girl from the tribe. He had several children with her and would return to his family when cured of the disease. He refused to divulge which tribe it was, where was its location or any details about them.

"Eventually when cured, he went out one morning and never came back. To this day we have never been able to find out more about our bedouin uncle."