Author Saul Fathi will speak at East Meadow Public Library about Jewish life in Arab countries on Tuesday afternoon.
Fathi, who was born to a prominent Jewish family in Baghdad, was smuggled out of his native country at 10-years-old through Iran, eventually reaching Israel.
He came to the United States in 1960 on a student exchange visa and was later sent to helicopter school at Fort Bragg, N.C.
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Within a few months, Fathi was shipped to South Korea where he served with the 1st Cavalry Division, 15th Aviation Company, the famed helicopter division in the Vietnam War.
After retiring as a high-level executive with Fortune-500 companies, he wrote four books, "Full Circle: Escape From Baghdad and the Return," "History of the Jews and Israel," "Islamic Leaders," and "Glossary of Arabic Terms."
Fathi will present his lecture, "Jewish Life in Arab Countries" at 12:30 p.m.
