יום רביעי, אפריל 18, 2007

Neighbours - the Israeli version

I am moving to a new flat. New to me. I met with the flat owners, this guy and his mother. We had a nice chat, discovering we are the same age. While playing Jewish geography we realized we went to the same school for a year. His mother was very excited, she told me that she also went to this school, on her days they had this legendary head teacher, who influenced her, and a lot of the students in a very deep way. The school in the early 1950`s had many students that were refugees from the Jewish Quarter or new immigrants living in the Maabarot.Her name was and is Shoshana Raziel. Shoshana saw them as her own children, it was her life mission and responsibility to ensure the education they receive will open the doors to Israeli society. Thanks to Shoshana she is a teacher herself. This great headteacher is my great aunt Shoshana. tears of excitement. the conversation goes on, they ask me how exactly I am a relative of Shoshana. I explain, The mother cannot believe. Her parents were my other aunt`s neighbours for many years.
So the families go together for more then 50 years. Once a neighbour, always a neighbour.

(I am moving in two weeks, its off Emek Refaim, by myself)

4 תגובות:

  1. I am also a relative of Shoshona Raziel....I am the grandson of her brother...
    its her 90th birthday next month and although Ive been told that Israelis dont put importance on birthdays thats a shame because she should be celebrated....what do you think, let me know by commenting back..I have no idea who you are, but everything I say is true (really) 10/20/07

    השבמחק
  2. Wait a second - I am the grandson of Shoshana's brother, Shlomo Spitzer. Who are you?

    Ilan Safit
    safit@earthlink.net

    השבמחק
  3. hi, I just send youa mail. very excited about this family connection we just discovered!

    השבמחק
  4. This is a very touching post, and a very funny coincidence. I am Shoshana's sister Yona's grandson, and I know that Ilan guy two comments up from me (he's my second cousin, more or less).

    Shoshana is now 94 and still alive, but maybe not for long. She is in a hospital in Jerusalem with a lung infection. I came from NYC to Israel to see her, but I leave Sunday night. Feel free to send me an email too at barakz-at-mindspring-dot-com (I don't use the gmail address below much).

    השבמחק