Albert Salomon

Albert Salomon was born in 1935 in Sofia

Albert Salomon was born on July 21, 1935, in Sofia, Bulgaria, to Jacob and Regina Salomon. He had a younger sister, Beatrice. In 1943, during the Holocaust, he was sent to the Somovit labor camp, and many of his relatives were murdered.

In 1948 he moved to Israel with his family by way of Yugoslavia. The family settled in Bat Yam and Jaffa. In the army he served in the minorities unit and took part in an ambush, which earned him a commendation and a letter from President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi.

He had been a strong student in Bulgaria but faced hardships in Israel and helped support his family from a young age. He learned upholstery from his father, worked with him on Merkaz Ba'alei Melacha Street in Tel Aviv, and later inherited the business. He became known across Israel for playing the accordion and knew 600 folk songs in Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian and Hebrew.

In the yard of his shop he set up beds, water and hygiene facilities for homeless people and gave them clothing. Every Friday he held street parties there, playing the accordion and serving food and drinks. He appeared in the press, on TV and radio shows, and in several films.

Salomon died on November 20, 2020, and was buried in Holon. He had 3 children and 7 grandchildren. About a month later, a street party was held at his old shop and a memorial plaque was unveiled.