GREETINGS FROM BERLIN

We recently returned from a three week-long vacation. This time, we went on a Viking Cruise Line on the Danube River through Eastern Europe (strongly recommend). Our trip started in Berlin, where my wife’s brother and his family reside. They moved there many years ago. And as a result, we’ve visited Berlin and traveled through Germany’s beautiful countryside many times. Berlin can be an interesting city to visit for many reasons, and in the past, I crisscrossed it on foot (which drove my wife crazy and tired her out).

This time, we mostly focused on seeing our family, but we did venture out to visit the former Jewish neighborhood Mitte, which has become a popular destination for tourists as well as for locals. Real estate prices in this part of Berlin have gone up significantly. Berliners are different from people living in other parts of Germany or Europe. It is the only city where people have objected my photographing them. I do not know the reason, but in the past, I was not comfortable to be here. Was it subconscious? After all, I was born in Riga, Latvia in 1947. It was occupied by the Nazis, and most of mine and my wife’s aunts and uncles were killed by the Germans and their collaborators.

After the end of WWII, Germany recognized its role in the Jewish genocide and created an environment where the expression of antisemitism was prohibited. They established a fund to compensate survivors, many of whom moved to Israel. It also developed close business relationships between the two countries. Even though there are over five million Muslims living in Germany, it has deep support for Israel during the war against Hamas. My prayers of peace are for both Israelis and Palestinians. I believe that after Hamas rulers are going to be removed, the two neighbors will finally get closer. During our visit to the Jewish Quarter, I photographed brass plaques on the sidewalks, as well as a sculpture of Jewish Victims at the entrance to a Jewish school named after Moses Mendelssohn.

Enjoy and Share with a Friend!