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My father was a social democrat and a member of the [Bulgarian] Social Democratic Party [16]; my mother didn’t have any political affiliations. My father took part in the First Balkan War. I don’t know where he fought, but he had two medals from the war. He was 23 or 24 years old then. I don’t know the exact year my parents got married. They got along perfectly well with the neighbors, who were both Jews and Bulgarians. My parents sometimes went on holidays. We went to Bankya, Gorna Banya [places with mineral springs near Sofia. Gorna Banya is now a district in Sofia]. One year we went on holiday to Boyana [now a district in Sofia at the foot of the Vitosha Mountain]. When we went on holiday, we rented a room in a house.
My father had two brothers and one sister. The elder one was Chelebi and the other one was Yosif. My father was in the middle. His sister was Sarina. She was the youngest of all. I don’t know when they were born. The elder brother and the sister died in Israel; my father died in Israel too, in 1961, and the youngest brother died in 1957 in Sofia. Chelebi was a merchant, Yosif was a teacher of Bulgarian in the Jewish school, and Sarina was a housewife. My mother was the eldest in her family. She had four sisters and a brother, who was born last. Liza was born after my mother, then Suzana, Lora, and the youngest daughter, Stela. Her brother’s name was Adolf. They all died in Israel. They moved to Israel in 1949 [see Mass Aliyah] [17]; my parents and sister also left for Israel with them. My parents kept in constant touch with their brothers and sisters.
My father had two brothers and one sister. The elder one was Chelebi and the other one was Yosif. My father was in the middle. His sister was Sarina. She was the youngest of all. I don’t know when they were born. The elder brother and the sister died in Israel; my father died in Israel too, in 1961, and the youngest brother died in 1957 in Sofia. Chelebi was a merchant, Yosif was a teacher of Bulgarian in the Jewish school, and Sarina was a housewife. My mother was the eldest in her family. She had four sisters and a brother, who was born last. Liza was born after my mother, then Suzana, Lora, and the youngest daughter, Stela. Her brother’s name was Adolf. They all died in Israel. They moved to Israel in 1949 [see Mass Aliyah] [17]; my parents and sister also left for Israel with them. My parents kept in constant touch with their brothers and sisters.
Location
Bulgaria
Interview
Leon Seliktar