Germany

So I'm sure that I would not be able to describe the feelings and experiences I had  in Germany in the 10 days which we spent with Ira's father , Nadya, Mira & Mosya , but any way I will try to do it in one post , although it deserves much more.

When I met Ira I learned that she has only a mother and actually she doesn't has a father and she doesn't even know if he is alive or not.

It was really strange for me because I got used to have both parents , and even my friends whom parents divorced still  kept in touch with both of their parents.

After we got married Ira insisted on keeping her family name and just adding mine. I was totally OK with that but I told her that she needs to know who's family name she is keeping and that she needs to find her father.

A day after I came back from work with a page which had Ira's father details , his address, phone, his details of immigration, and his recent photo. I pressed the digits on my phone and handed it for Ira to press the Dial button. Ira pressed dial and the hung up, Dial and hang up, then I took her hand and she managed to dial, on the other side of a phone a man answered : Cherkes .

Ira : can I speak with Lazar

Man : This is Lazar , who is it ?

Ira : this is Ira

Man : which Ira ?

Ira : your daughter Ira 

silence ....

After few seconds they changed few words and Lazar said that he can’t talk right now and took Ira's phone number promising to call back tomorrow. That day was one of the longest in my life, and finally after my regular training I saw an unanswered call from Germany. I screamed from happiness in my car apparently he called Ira few minutes after and they had a firs nice talk after 23 years of separation.

From here to there the connection was renewed. After about a month and a half it came to a point that both sides were interested in meeting each other. We planned our honey moon in a way that will allow us a 10 days stay in Europe. Didn’t knowing what to expect we planned to have also other possibilities in Europe although Lazar insisted that we stay with them.

We arrived to Dusseldorf airport after a great connection in Istanbul where we met a great guy from Kuwait - AbdulRahman Alyousef  discussing everything and seeing that there are many Muslim people that actually understand the reality which we are facing and want to have peace with us, traveling Israel and enjoying a good friendship.

Lazar met us in the Airport holding 3 flowers for Ira , the meeting was strange. We went into the car and it looked like both sides don’t really know how to act, I learned that Lazar is only the official name but everyone calls him Lyona. That was the first Ice breaker.

first time after 23 years

We came to their home and met Nadya, Mira & Mosya , we brought presents for the kids and wine for the house. We set for a family dinner and tried to act naturally. Actually it was totally great, the kids spoke great Russian and we enjoyed a happy family atmosphere.

Lyona took the next day off and we went traveling through Dusseldorf with him having a good cake and coffee in a nice old bakery and Ira started to get answers for the huge amount of questions she collected during the 23 years.

We took a great collage to congratulate our friends at home with the Jewish new year and  had a great hag dinner at home. Nadya made a great dinner and we enjoyed the food and the stories.

First walk

Hag dinner

having fun

We decided to take an organized tour to the castles of Moselle with a Russian company named Compass. This experience reminded me why I hate organized tours

and that Russian mentality stays with many people in other countries regardless of how long they lived there. Our guide was rude and absolutely boring. The place was amazing but the time schedule was absolutely terrible, and the company doesn’t wait for people a single minute, they just leave them behind.

Please avoid taking the tours with this company .

feeding leopold

cochem

leopold

one of the castles

In the next few days we got to know better our new family, and it even started to fill like one. We took the kids to make fire, went climbing in Bochumer Bruch (great crag), made camping in the back yard and hiked in the botanic garden.

But all the activities just were addition into creating a nice and great relationship with the new family.

making a fire for the first time in their life

all together on a Fairy

meeting Yeara

hope to trow stones one day with my son

Monia Bringing wood

I'm the bigger Pig

We went to Reyrmond for Shopping, took a night out Lyona, Ira and myself in a Bar

where we had a great talk and Ira got a lot of answers, Celebrated the holidays and even went twice to a synagogue (don’t remember when I went to one before that).

I loved the breakfasts the dinners , and the regular noise that comes from a family of 6 , I never had brothers or sisters. Nadya told me one morning that she is very excited that her kids got another two brothers and it actually felt great.

But most of all I loved the fact that Ira gained a new word in her vocabulary DAD J

I also climbed few routes

Manuel Climbing

Mira climbing

pitching a tent in the backyard

family tent

playing cards

new brothers

visiting Ira's grandmother grave

Cheburasha (had a few beers)

playing in Barbie

last day hike

autumn

feeding a deer

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