Firstly, a quick recovery to a friend's sister who was injured skydiving. She'll be fine, but I'll still throw a prayer in for her.
Last week, two people passed on. A friend of my family died of old age. He sponsored my family to immigrate to the US. Basically, at the time we immigrated one had to have a guarantor in the US. Either a Jewish community or an individual willing to vouch for the immigrant family. So this fellow, who used to work in the Soviet foreign ministry and absconded with his family to the US in the early 1970's, was the sponsor that allowed my family to go through the US immigration bureacracy much smoother than if we had gone through a Jewish community. He passed away in New York, and my parents attended funeral on Friday.
I also attended a funeral here on Sunday. My uncles mother-in-law, R., passed away of old age and was buried in the Jerusalem hills. She comes from a big Zionist family in the USSR, and her parents were the original early 20th century Zionists, but they never made it to Israel. They had to go underground, as Stalin ended shooting Zionist activists in the 1930's. Political persecution, camps, jail, the works. She came to Israel in the 1970's. Her daughter married my uncle, who also comes from one of the early Zionist families - my own. By "early Zionist" I mean that they were involved in spreading Zionist ideas before and after the Russian Revolution, until Stalin cracked down on their activities. They hobnobbed with Chaim Weizmann and Ben-Gurion. At the time, the Zionist movement was really small, it was concentrated in the Western Ukraine/Easter Poland so everyone knew the leaders personally. My maternal grandmother was a little girl when Chaim Weizmann stayed at her mother's house for a Zionist meeting in 1920. In the 1930's my grandmother taught in the same school as Weizmann's sister. Of those early Zionists, the ones who made it to Israel became the founders of the state and set up all of the original institutions. May all the family and friends be comforted. People should only know the sorrow of a natural passing.
With regard to my own little life, my dad is coming next week for two weeks. We'll do some travelling, be touristy and discuss politics.
Last week, two people passed on. A friend of my family died of old age. He sponsored my family to immigrate to the US. Basically, at the time we immigrated one had to have a guarantor in the US. Either a Jewish community or an individual willing to vouch for the immigrant family. So this fellow, who used to work in the Soviet foreign ministry and absconded with his family to the US in the early 1970's, was the sponsor that allowed my family to go through the US immigration bureacracy much smoother than if we had gone through a Jewish community. He passed away in New York, and my parents attended funeral on Friday.
I also attended a funeral here on Sunday. My uncles mother-in-law, R., passed away of old age and was buried in the Jerusalem hills. She comes from a big Zionist family in the USSR, and her parents were the original early 20th century Zionists, but they never made it to Israel. They had to go underground, as Stalin ended shooting Zionist activists in the 1930's. Political persecution, camps, jail, the works. She came to Israel in the 1970's. Her daughter married my uncle, who also comes from one of the early Zionist families - my own. By "early Zionist" I mean that they were involved in spreading Zionist ideas before and after the Russian Revolution, until Stalin cracked down on their activities. They hobnobbed with Chaim Weizmann and Ben-Gurion. At the time, the Zionist movement was really small, it was concentrated in the Western Ukraine/Easter Poland so everyone knew the leaders personally. My maternal grandmother was a little girl when Chaim Weizmann stayed at her mother's house for a Zionist meeting in 1920. In the 1930's my grandmother taught in the same school as Weizmann's sister. Of those early Zionists, the ones who made it to Israel became the founders of the state and set up all of the original institutions. May all the family and friends be comforted. People should only know the sorrow of a natural passing.
With regard to my own little life, my dad is coming next week for two weeks. We'll do some travelling, be touristy and discuss politics.
posted by Felix at
6:18 AM
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