Zakeia Bezri (Mrs. Eltaher) as a student at the Sœurs de la Charité de St. Vincent de Paul sisters’ school (the flying nuns!) in Alexandria in 1932.
Names as identified on the photograph: 1. Zakeia Bezri (Mrs. Eltaher) 2. Fahima Ellab 3. Sister Anne-Marie 4. Maria Attamian 5. Sarina Cannilla 6. Hélène Cannilla 7. Olga Dimitriadou 8. Évangéline (Last name unknown).
Several people strongly complained to Zakeia’s family at that time because their daughter wore a hat like Christians, instead of some type of head scarf, since she was not Christian. Her parents refused to listen to any of that and asked these people to mind their own business. End of story! The story needs to be explained in the context of the times though. There was a major debate going on then about men wearing a tarboush (fez) and others wearing a European-style felt hat. The first were considered patriots, the latter were viewed as collaborators with foreign powers.
