THE TWIN JEWISH BELLY DANCERS WHO TOOK CAIRO, AND THE WORLD, BY STORM

HAGAY HACOHEN

The Jamal sisters (Helena and Bertha Fishel). (photo credit: NATIONAL LIBRARY OF ISRAEL)

Egypt once boasted a lively and fairly open society in which Muslims co-existed with Italian and Greek Christians, as well as the ancient community of the Copts and Jews.

However, despite this, it was not publicly known that the Jamal twins, adored by King Farouk himself, were daughters of Jewish musicians Fishel and Jini Alpert.

Fishel, who was originally from Chernowitz (today Chernivtsi, Ukraine) arrived to Egypt in the 1920’s and secured work in an orchestra, and Jini was an opera singer.

One of the Jamal sisters (Helena or Bertha Fishel) / NATIONAL LIBRARY OF ISRAEL

They sent their daughters to music and dance teachers from a young age and it was revealed the twins had an amazing talent for oriental dancing. Offers to perform in public soon followed, and, out of concern for her daughters, Jini decided to attend each concert they performed in – a decision she followed even years later when her young girls were adult women.

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