Summary
David Demirel, the son of Sinior Demirel and Malka Demirel, was born in 1929 in Başkale, Turkey. He immigrated to Israel in 1949 and was immediately drafted into military service. He later built a career spanning jewelry, electricity and electronics, and worked for more than thirty years at Israel Aerospace Industries until retirement.
David married Chava, daughter of Berakhia Cherkian-Tavor and granddaughter of Varda. His native command of Turkish and the community’s Neo-Aramaic language, Lishan Didan, was essential to translating his father’s diary into Hebrew and understanding its family and communal context.
Early Life and Immigration to Israel
David was born in 1929 in Başkale, where the Demirel family lived after the years of wandering described in the diary. He immigrated to Israel in 1949 and was drafted into military service shortly after his arrival.
Work and Education
After his military service, David trained as a jeweler and worked in the profession for several years. He later studied electricity and electronics at the Montefiore School in Tel Aviv and opened an electrical-appliance shop. After three years, he passed the entrance examination and joined Israel Aerospace Industries, where he worked for more than thirty years until retirement.
Alongside his professional work, he continued his education by studying social sciences at the Open University of Israel.
Languages
David spoke Turkish and the Lishan Didan dialect of Neo-Aramaic as native languages. He also spoke Hebrew and English. His knowledge of the family’s languages and world enabled him to explain words, expressions, and cultural references in the manuscript.
Contribution to Sinior’s Diary
In 2005, while researching his family roots, Michael Demirel met David and learned of the diary notebook written by David’s father, Sinior Demirel, in Turkish and Aramaic. For approximately three years, David and Michael met regularly and translated the diary into Hebrew.
David was not only the custodian of the family manuscript but also the principal partner in deciphering it. His knowledge of Turkish and Lishan Didan, together with his familiarity with the family and the setting in which the diary was written, helped establish the Hebrew translation and the textual foundation on which the present digital edition is based.
Research Note
This is David Demirel, Sinior Demirel’s son. He should not be confused with David Demirel, Sinior’s father, who is listed separately under person-david-demirel. The biographical details in this entry are based on family information and documentation of the diary’s translation process.
Main Sources
- “About and Acknowledgments,” Sinior’s Diary project.
- Nash Didan website, “Sinior Demirel’s Diary” — “A Word from the Editor.”
- Michael Demirel, biographical information and documentation of the translation process supplied for the project, 2026.
- Michael Demirel Archive, photograph of David Demirel, 1945.