The barber shop was a good business for Shelly's father–
it was the place to go for a shave, haircut and even a bath.
He was also able to offer employment to many locals.
orphanage and made their way to the coastal city of Tyre.
Since they had no money for passage, the boys stowed away
on a freighter called the La Provence, which was a French
Shipping Line vessel, bound for New York. They arrived at
Ellis Island around November 1, 1905. George and Simon, of
course, were names they took when they arrived in America.
No mention was ever made of any other name or family from
their native land.
The brothers were given dog tags with numbers for
identification and released to survive on the streets of New
York. Since they could only speak Arabic, it was very difficult
for them to find work. “They cleaned, moved things, and did
any other odd job just to survive,” said Shelly. “My father said
they would sometimes even steal a piece of fruit from a stand
and let the market manager catch them, so they could stay in
jail overnight to have a warm place to sleep and a good meal.”
The cold climate of New York was significantly different
from the warm climate to which the brothers were
accustomed. George and Simon worked further and further
south until they got to Savannah. A barber on Broughton
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Street allowed the brothers to shine shoes and sleep in the
back room of the barbershop at night. “The barber shop was
across from Levy’s Jewelers,” said Shelly.
During this time, a barber shop was the place to go
for a bath, haircut, and a shave. Over time, the barber
taught George and Simon how to cut hair and give shaves.
“Eventually, my father saved his money and bought the
barber shop from the man who had treated him so kindly,”
said Shelly.
There was a constant flow of people coming into the
barber shop, especially after America entered World War I.
Because it was a port city, there was a big military buildup
in Savannah and lots of military folks came to George to
get haircuts and shaves. As he cut hair and gave shaves, he
learned the language.
The boarding house where George stayed was owned by
a woman named Emily. “Sometime between 1910 and 1915,
George married Emily, and they had two children, Frank and
Josephine,” said Shelly. “After some time, they separated
although they both shared the care of the children. She