Keepers of the Family Book
حافظي كتاب تاريخ العائلة
From my research, it appears that the story of the Srouji family origins and history was relayed orally by Father Athanasios Srouji of Zahle (1844 -1909/10) to Habib Mousa Yusef Jeries Faddoul Jeries Yusef Srouji (October 24, 1844 – December 15, 1932) of Nazareth, who is the first one to make a written record of the family history.
In his book, the History of the Pharaon آل فرعون Family (See attachment #1) by Father Constantine Al Basha from the Al Mukhales (The Savior) Monastery in Lebanon, published in 1932, he states on page 18 onwards the following:
في خلال بحثي تبيّن ان قصة تاريخ وأصول عائلة ال سروجي كانت قد نُقِلت شفويّاً من الاب اثناسيوس (اسمه توما جرجس إبراهيم خليل إبراهيم يوسف) سروجي من زحلة (1844-1909 او 1910) الى حبيب موسى يوسف جريس فضّول جريس يوسف سروجي (24 تشرين أول 1844 – 15 كانون أول 1932) من الناصرة وهو أول من كتب سِجِل وتاريخ العائلة
في كتابه، تاريخ أسرة آل فرعون بأصولها وفروعها، (انظر غلاف الكتاب لاحقا) بقلم “الفقير اليه تعالى الخوري قسطنطين الباشا المُخَلِصّي” والذي نشر في سنة 1932، والذي يقول في صفحة 18 ما يلي
The Original Text in Arabic – History of the Pharaon Family
“Father Athanasios Srouji of Zahle, who passed away in the Al Mukhales (The Savior) Monastery in 1910 an august old man with a beautiful voice, and brilliant in the knowledge of church music. He served in many high offices in the order, was a good storyteller with a good memory. He used to tell about the origins of his family a story that he relayed to Habib Mousa Srouji in Nazareth, which I have verified during my visit to him (Habib) in 1927. The story is mentioned by Rev Asa’ad Mansour in his book the History of Nazareth, printed on page 234 with additions that Habib added about the lineage of the Srouji family in Nazareth. We bring here below as it appears in the notebook of Habib Srouji:
The Srouji family is an old Hurani family (from Huran Southern Syria) with the nickname of Faro’n, فرعون in reference to their first ancestor Faro’n فرعون who lived in the mid sixteenth century and died with one son called Abdulla who in turn dies with one son called Faro’n around 1605. Faro’n (the 2nd) died and left four sons Eskandar, Yusef, Francis and Abdulla. After the death of their father, left Khabab (their ancestral home in Huran) to Damascus where they lived and practiced the craft of saddle-making (Srouji in Arabic), and succeeded in this craft thus it became their family name (Srouji). Due to their success and their wellbeing, some people envied them and slandered them to Hussein Basha Abaza the Governor, who burdened them with non-payment for services, taking away their money in many fashions, so they had to leave Damascus to El Firzel in the Baalbaki Bekaa’ in 1682. At that time the Emirs of the famous Harfoush family governed the area of Baalbak and its region. At that time there was a quarrel between them (the Harfoushs) the residents of El Firzel, who were all Christians of the Greek Catholic sect, and killed one of their Emirs, they fled from El Firzel in fear of retribution by the Emirs. Among those who fled at the time were Faro’n’s children and lived in Mashghara in Lebanon on the outskirts of the Azizi western Bekaa. In 1710, one of the brothers, Ibrahim, left Mashghara and resided in Zahle. His brother Jeries (Gerges) left to Tarshiha (in Upper Galilee, Palestine) in the region of Safad. His son Faddoul resided in Nazareth in the era of Sheikh Daher El Omar Al Zeidany and had many descendants who have their own neighborhood , which is until today one of the most important neighborhoods in Nazareth named after them the Sroujis neighborhood (Haret El Sroujiyeh)”
The Original Text in Arabic – History of the Pharaon Family
However, it is apparent that the first recorded chronicler of the Srouji Family history, is Habib Mousa Yusef Jeries Faddoul Jeries Yusef Srouji (October 24, 1844 – December 15, 1932). He is the one we must all thank for his research of our roots in Syria and Lebanon and his continuous work to watch and record the family growth. Habib Mousa Yusef Srouji is also mentioned and praised in the “History of Nazareth” book by Rev Asa’ad Mansour, published in 1924, on page 234 stating the below:
من الواضح ان اول من قام بكتابة تاريخ عائلة آل سروجي هو حبيب موسى يوسف جريس فضّول جريس يوسف سروجي (24 نشرين أول 1844 – 15 كانون أول 1932) . هو الشخص الذي يجب أن نشكره على القيام بالبحث عن أصول العائلة فس سوريا ولبنان وعمله الدؤوب للاستطلاع عن وتسجيل نمو العائلة. حبيب موسى يوسف جريس سروجي ذُكر أيضاً في كتاب “تاريخ الناصرة” للقس أسعد منصور ،نشر 1924، في صفحة 234 والتي يقول فيها
“The Srouji Family: Is an old family from Huran (Southern Syria), their elder now in Nazareth is Habib Srouji who has kept the family history and its various general branches and particularly the Nazareth branch with birth dates, baptism, marriages, and deaths for males and females. He has many notes on the history of the famous governors and events that he witnessed. He has a great stamina for writing and has kept most of his received correspondences as well as those he sent to others. Our country’s history would have been much easier to write if others had followed his suit. Following is what I have copied about his family in general and Nazareth in particular.”
The Original Text in Arabic – History of Nazareth
Upon the death of Habib Mousa Srouji, his daughter Nazha, who was devoted to her father and spent her life taking care of him, gave the family book to Aziz Issa Shibli Ibrahim Jeries Faddoul Jeries Yusef Srouji (10 Sep. 1912 – 26 Dec. 1982), before he immigrated during the Nakba from Haifa, Palestine to Lebanon, who was also very dedicated and particular in continuing the recording of the family’s history in the book. Aziz continued keeping the records despite the family being split due to the Nakba in many countries in the region, mostly in Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, and a few in Egypt.
بعد وفاة حبيب موسى سروجي ، قامت ابنته نزهة ، والتي كانت متفانية في خدمة والدها وقضت حياتها تخدمه ، بإعطاء كتاب العائلة الى عزيز عيسى شبلي إبراهيم جريس فضّول جريس يوسف سروجي (10 أيلول 1912 – 26 كانون أول 1982) ، قبل أن يترك حيفا، فلسطين، خلال النكبة الى لبنان وهو أيضا كان مخلصاً, ومثابراً في تكملة تسجيل تاريخ العائلة في الكتاب. وهو أكمل هذا العمل بالرغم عن انفصال افراد العائلة بسبب النكبة في دول عديدة في المنطقة واغلبهم بين فلسطين، لبنان، الاردن ، وبعضهم في مصر.
The book, upon the passing of Aziz Issa Shibli Srouji, was given to his brother George Issa Shibli Ibrahim Jeries Faddoul Jeries Yusef Srouji (7 Sep. 1924 – 27 July 1990). When George passed away, the book was given to George’s brother-in-law Bishara Yusef Bishara Shibli Ibrahim Jeries Faddoul Jeries Yusef Srouji (19 Oct. 1931 – 29 July 2002) and since Bishara’s passing the book has been in the capable hands of his brother Dr. Samir Yusef Bishara Shibli Ibrahim Jeries Faddoul Jeries Yusef Srouji (28 Aug. 1936), who has commenced in the translation of the book into English for the benefit of future generations.
بعد وفاة عزيز عيسى شبلي سروجي اُعطي الكتاب لاخيه جورج عيسى شبلي سروجي (7 أيلول 1924 – 27 تموز1990). بعد وفاة جورج اُعطي الكتاب الى اخ زوجته (ماتيلدا) بشارة يوسف بشارة شبلي ابراهيم جريس فضّول جريس يوسف سروجي (19تشرين أول 1931 – 29 تموز 2002) ، ومنذ وفاة بشارة انتقل الكتاب الى ايدي الدكتور سمير يوسف بشارة شبلي ابراهيم جريس فضّول جريس سروجي المتمكنة والذي بداء بترجمة الكتاب الى اللغة الانكليزية لمصلحة الاجيال القادمة
The Family Book
Dr. Samir Yusef Bishara Srouji showing the Family Book to Ramzi Yusef Salim Srouji in Cairo, Egypt (March 2023) رمزي يوسف سليم سروجي مع الدكتور سمير يوسف بشارة سروجي في القاهرة
Ever since the book was with Aziz Issa Shibli Srouji, it has been physically in the United States and the upkeep of the family records was more difficult. However, the US branch of the family continued the work on the USA and Lebanon Sroujis and was assisted by some of the Nazareth branch and mainly Anis Salim Yusef Abdulla Ibrahim Jeries Faddoul Jeries Yusef Srouji (6 July 1928 – 11 May 2015) and Yusef Salim Yusef Abdulla Ibrahim Jeries Faddoul Jeries Yusef Srouji (11 May 1926 – 18 June 2020) on the Jordan and Palestine Sroujis.
منذ ان انتقل الكتاب لحوزة عزيز عبسى شبلي سروجي تواجد كتاب العائلة في الولايات المتحدة الامريكية واصبح تجديد وتحديث معلوماته اصعب. ولكن فرع العائلة في الولايات المتحدة أكمل تحديث المعلومات لفرع لبنان والولايات المتحدة واستعان بافراد العائلة في الناصرة وخاصة أنيس سليم يوسف عبد الله ابراهيم جريس فضّول جريس يوسف سروجي (6 تموز 1928 – 11 أيار 2015) واخاه يوسف سليم يوسف عبد الله ابراهيم جريس فضّول جريس يوسف سروجي( 11 أيار 1926 – 18 حزيران 2020) لتحديث معلومات العائلة في فلسطين والاردن
Since the start of the year 2000, Yusef Salim Yusef Srouji took over the job from Anis Salim Yusef Srouji and was the one who started the family website, www.sroujifamily.com , which includes all the known names of the family as well as the family tree in digital format and details the family history and origins. Prior to his death, he requested from me, his son Ramzi Yusef Salim Srouji (27 March 1959), to keep the records of the Nazareth branch and continue the work on the website and family tree, which I am doing with the assistance of Dr. Samir Yusef Bishara Shibli Srouji.
منذ بداية سنة 2000، قام يوسف سليم يوسف سروجي بالمهمة بعد أنيس سليم يوسف سروجي وهو من بداء بفكرة الموقع الالكتروني هذا (بحلته القديمة) والذي يشمل كل الاسماء المعروفة لافراد العائلة منذ القدم وشجرة العائلة الرقمية في www.sroujifamily.com
يتضمن الموقع كذلك تاريخ العائلة واصولها. وقبل وفاته ، طلب مني ، رمزي يوسف سليم يوسف سروجي، والدي بان احافظ على سجلات العائلة في الناصرة وأن اكمل عمله على الموقع الالكتروني هذا وشجرة العائلة وهذا ما افعله بمساعدة الدكتور سمير يوسف بشارة شبلي سروجي
