Boris Gabay: The Transcript

I interviewed Boris Gabay back in September and wrote an entry about him soon afterwards. Now the transcript is in my hands and I'd like to share this very interesting interview with you.
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My name is Boris Gabay. I was born on March 14th, 1946, in San Salvador. My father Jaime Gabay, originally Jacques Gabay, and my mother Leonor Olano de Gabay.

(Where was your father born?)

My father was born in Istanbul, Turkey.

(And how did he get to El Salvador?)

He was brought to El Salvador at the young age of eighteen by an uncle by the name of Edouard Weill, who lived in El Salvador’s second city, Santa Ana. He came from Istanbul to work with him.

(What year was that?)

1927.

(And he came alone, no family?)

He came alone, no family.

(And your mother?)

My mother is Salvadoran-born of Salvadoran parents

(Did she grow up in the capital?)

She grew up in the capital.

(And how did they meet?)

My father started building a house in a new section of town which was called Colonia Flor Blanca in those times. My grandfather lived there already with his family. The houses happened to be half a block away. My mother had just returned from the United States where she had lived for a few years with her mother , brothers and sister. She had just come back, and they met.

(That’s how they met.)

They were married in 1945.

(And you were born the next year?)

I was born in March of ’46.

(Do you have any siblings?)

I have one sister, and I also have a half-sister, from my father’s side.

(Your father grew up until he was eighteen in Istanbul, right?)

Exactly.

(And he was Jewish?)

Yes.

(And your mother was raised Catholic?)

My mother was raised Catholic.

(So in the home, did you practice any religion? Was it discussed?)

Well, it was somewhat agreed after they had two children, my sister and myself—I’m three and a half years older—that I would be Jewish and that my sister would be Catholic. I don’t know why. But my mother never converted. She never really wanted to convert. She was not religious at all. My father was more religious in his religion than she was, but my sister was Catholic even from birth. She was baptized Catholic. On the other hand, I had a brit milah with a rabbi, you know?

It was just their choice.

Transcript by Sandy Adler, Adler Enterprises LLC