Frankl 28 family gathering
Oct.30-Nov.1, 2008, Blue-bay Hotel, Netanya,Israel
Preparations were finished a few days prior to the reunion itself. Personal kits ready with T-shirts, name tags, program and a coupon for a farewell gift. We were rearing to go – all the work of the past year was culminating that week.
We arrived at the Blue-bay hotel early to get the hall ready and wait for the family. Upon our arrival I already spotted Daniel Gildesgame and Joe Oppenheimer who arrived early and were waiting for their room. The moment of realization! It was really happening – people are already here. We hugged as if we knew each other for generations…. Andrew and Nicole who came late the night before were also up and around by then.
Early afternoon. We were waiting at the lobby for people to arrive and I felt like a hunter, spotting the arrivals at the door. I recognized each and every one of the participants – nagging for photos all this year proved itself.
Excited faces. People kissing, hugging, reaching. Smiling. No one could wipe the smile off their faces.
People settled in and after dinner we gathered at the hall that served us all through the reunion. Banners with the family tree were hung around the room. The impact was exactly as we imagined – people kept looking for their relatives, finding connections, couldn't remove themselves from the walls.
I open the reunion formally, telling the people of our experiences during the past year. For months we prepared a presentation about the family. Not a historical review but a peek into this exceptional family from different points of view. Will they like it? Is it boring? Is it too long? Too short? Finally we could share it with the entire family. Presentation over. I could breathe again. It seemed as if the family liked it.!
And then there was the film. Lisa Hickey, granddaughter of Ira Oppenheimer sent me a CD with films dating early 20th century. We chose one that was filmed during a visit of Mini Weiss Klau Oppenheimer to Europe. We could identify only a few people but wanted to show it anyhow. One of the people that was easily recognized was Geza Braun, young, happy – grandfather of Andrew Harman from Australia, whom he never knew. The excitement was overpowering.
Evening over. All was running according to plan. Time to relax. Spend some time in the lobby with people I never met before but that were close family by then. The excitement in the air. I couldn't sleep. The younger generation – people from four different continents sat at the bar as if they were used to hanging out together. Unbelievable. Dreams were coming true.
Friday morning. People were gathering on the balcony for a group photo. We thought that it was important to document it. Even that became great fun. One group photo of all participants, then each branch separately. Some branches with more participants (hoorah to Malcsi and Karoline descendants!) smaller branches with less and to our disappointment – some branches were not represented at all.
Later we opened a data center. That was the opportunity to update details which were wrong on the family tree, scan photos, buy some printed material (family stories) and even get for free Sandor Richter's special recipe for Kuglof! A guided tour of the internet site followed it and proved to be helpful for many people.
All this time, as if rehearsed for years, my daughters – Tally and Sivan as well as Moran who joined us as photographer and myself, were working together like an oiled machine. Each knowing their roles, functioning together in harmony. That in itself was a unique experience.
Friday afternoon. The most emotional part for me (or so I thought!). My father, Max Livni, prepared a lecture about the genealogical research my mother and he did, mainly in the past year. This was accompanied by a presentation of a few photos. I followed him, sharing with the family a unique experience I had in Samorin, Slovakia last May. I visited an old cemetery where many of our ancestors are buried. The experience itself was exceptional and sharing it with the family enabled me to take them all back there, to stand with me right where great grandfather Marcus used to pray, at the old synagogue.
Friday evening. Everyone is gathered in the dining room. Dov, Shoshana and David Kovacs coming all the way from the south. Bill Franklin arriving directly from the airport – came from Ohio just for that evening! All the Landau clan joining in, beating the other branches in number! John Balan says the Kiddush for the first time in his life.
After dinner we got together again. Family stories. John Balan, Bill Franklin, Lucy Noymer, Lucy Hickey, Sandor Richter, Max Livni – all prepared something in advance. And then some people joined in – Lisa Hickey, Daniel Gildesgame, Edith Bachrach, Ami Cahana. Finally Andrew Harman shared with us some of his feelings of the past few days. His meeting people who knew his grandparents, his mother, finding all this family all of a sudden. He made us all very emotional.
We concluded the evening with a sample of Kuglof that my mother prepared for Sandor Richter.
The younger generation kicked us out of the room and stayed there planning the next re-union…
Last moments. Nobody wanted to part. People were sitting in the lobby, a group here, a group there.
Saturday morning – concluding session. Saying goodbye was difficult. Nobody wanted to leave and although formally the party was over – people just stayed on and on. I tried to say a few words and choked in the process. I volunteered to carry on with a periodical newsletter – something like the one Ira used to write. We gave the participants a CD with our presentations with the hope that they will want to watch it again and even show it to other family members.
Then it was over. Luckily we took some of the participants back home with us – the Balans stayed with my parents, Andrew and Nicole Harman, Lucy Hickey and Joe Oppenheimer stayed with us in Yokneam for a few more magical days and even then we found it difficult to part.
Now I find it hard to get back to normal. In fact – I don't even want to. This was an experience I will cherish forever.
Written by Liora Cohen
Nov. 10, 2008
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20-09-2010, 09:48
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