Familia Gabay

The hurricane was definitely on her way to south Florida but the forecast gave the city of Miami until 5pm to do her business. I left bright and early for the Gabay home and felt some wild winds on the way. Driven, I pressed the gas pedal and made it through heavy traffic…arriving only 20 minutes late.

A hurricane child myself, I tried not to get very excited about Katrina. Even so, I decided to give myself until 3pm and then start heading back to my friend’s apartment.

Boris and Raquel Gabay have covered the walls of their home with art. Their art to be specific. Boris is an incredible photographer and I could have sat in front of his photos for hours. Raquel, a painter, is humble about her still-life canvasses but has an obvious talent and an eye for texture and color. The Gabays have an interesting story and a beautiful family (I had the opportunity to see both old and new photographs after the interview) and while I wanted to interview both Boris and Raquel, this time (due to the storm, etc) I only managed to interview Boris.

Various friends of Boris warned me that his story would “take up a lot of tape....” It certainly did and wow was it interesting. Boris was born to a Jewish father and a Catholic mother. Jacques Gabay, later Jaime Gabay came to El Salvador from Turkey at the urging of an adventurous uncle. Leaving behind his family, namely his parents would be difficult….but in the meantime, he started building a life and career for himself in tiny Salvador.

Boris’s mother was born and raised in El Salvador and was happy with her husband and small family settled in la Colonia Flor Blanca. Boris knew his parents were of different religious backgrounds and it was decided the Boris would be Jewish and his sister would be Catholic (to keep things balanced). That seemed to work out fine until he figured out that he didn’t fit into one simple category. Boris became good friends with kids in the neighborhood (all who were Catholic) and eventually made the decision to convert to Catholicism at age eleven. He admits feeling pressure from his friends but also acknowledges that he was genuinely curious about the Catholic religion. He remained active in the Church until he left for college in the States.

Nevertheless, Boris attended the American School and became friends with four very important individuals (who remain very important to him to this day): Roby Salomon, Jack Davidson, Frank Rosenberg, Ricardo Rosenberg, and Dicky Schoening (and more which I will eventually add after I receive the interview transcript!). All members of the Jewish community, these kids helped to create one half of Boris’s identity.

Boris admits that his journey is a complicated one….a journey that he thinks about and analyzes quite often. Even though it is not the case today, he felt somewhat marginalized by both Catholics and the Jews in El Salvador. He was never Catholic enough nor was he ever “completely Jewish.” Several troubling anecdotes remember these painful experiences of being pushed to the outside and Boris has trouble forgetting these words. He tells me these stories as if they happened the day before.

The story is complex and I encourage you to listen to Boris’s interview as soon as it is archived. Raquel Funes de Gabay eventually converted to Judaism in the 1980s and the couple joined a synagogue in Miami. I can only imagine what Raquel’s interview will add to the story.

Despite the storm, the Gabays took me to lunch nearby and then guided me towards Miami Beach. Needless to say, I made it home in time.

Art imitates life, I’m telling you…….this is a family with a wide range of color and a deep, thoughtful texture.