Dan and Cecilia Mizrahy on their wedding day

This is a photograph of me, Dan Mizrahy, and my wife, Cecilia Mizrahy [nee Dimitriu], on our wedding day; it was taken on 24th September 1964 in Bucharest.

On Tuesday, 24th September 1964 I got married to Elena Cecilia Dimitriu. Cici [affectionate for Cecilia] was born on 22nd May 1933 in Bacau. During the war she lived with her family in Cernauti until 1944, then they stayed in Abrud for a few months, and finally got to Bucharest. After graduating from the Conservatoire, she started to teach canto at the same school where I worked, the People's Arts School. She worked there from 1959 until the year of her retirement, 1999. She was interested in the art of singing, had a beautiful soprano voice, and proved to be an extremely good teacher, with remarkable achievements in this field.

Cici is a part of me. She's a component of mine, and I probably am one of hers. We usually think alike and, when we don't, we respect each other's point of view. We have the same sense of humor. She has been a very good travel companion throughout the 41 years of our marriage. She's an excellent cook - and I'm not being subjective here, for all our friends admit she is. She has never had racial prejudices. Without denying her religion - she's a Christian-Orthodox - she embraced the traditions that I am fond of; she is familiar with the Jewish holidays and their meaning. During our countless trips to Israel, she learnt many words in Hebrew, to the great surprise of my relatives who live there. She is very discreet and very picky when it comes to choosing her friends. But, once you are among her true friends, she is totally devoted to you.

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