From The Peopling of New York City

Edmond Sardar

Edmond Sardar was born in 1982, in Halab, Syria. He was born into a family of five chidren, having three older brothers and a twin brother, Michael. Edmond’s father and uncles worked in commodities in silver, and specialized in the wholesale of gold and silver jewelry.

Edmond grew up in a strict household, where very little t.v. time was permitted, and the focus was put on education. He attended a private Jewish yeshivah, where half of his day was spent learning religious studies, and the other half secular subjects.

Edmond immigrated to the United States when he was six years old, in the year 1989. He came with his mother and twin brother, leaving his three elder brothers and his father behind. They joined him and his mother and brother three years later, in the year 1992, when an official mandate was released, allowing Jews to legally flee the country. During the time period when the Sardars were separated, Edmond’s mother received help from the family members she had in Brooklyn. These family members were already established in businesses, and they helped Edmond’s mother rent an apartment, and helped to support the family. This was a trying time for Edmond, Michael and their mother. They were rarely able to speak to their siblings and father in Syria, and were not able to see each other the entire three years that they were apart.

Adjusting to life in the United States was not easy for Edmond. Making friends proved a difficult task, because of the language barrier. As a result, many of the recent immigrants from Syria became friends with each other, thereby lessening the challenge of fitting in. Over time, Edmond excelled academically, and followed in his father’s footsteps by opening a wholesale jewelry company in Manhattan. Edmond Sardar recently married and is expecting a child within the month.