From the left, myself, my in-law Eliyezer Altaras, and a very good friend Yakup Adivar. We had gone on a trip to Portugal. I don’t remember who took the picture, probably my wife took it.
I, Albert Özlevi, was born on May 3rd, 1936 in Edirne.
I did not go to preschool at all. My mother raised me. We have 20 months between my older brother and me, we grew up together. Because I grew up with my older brother I grew up as someome older than my age. Because we were always together with my brother.
I don't remember what we used to do before school, of course we went to school when it was time.
I started school a year early. My grandfather used to carry flour to bakeries at the time. The principal of the elementary school was either the friend or best customer of the place where he delivered flour. As a result, due to his request, I enrolled into Gazi elementary school right below the the religious school that was below Selimiye Camii(mosque). My older brother attended Kurtulus Ilkokulu(elementary school) a little further down. These were public schools. My older brother and I are 20 months apart but because I started early, we were only one grade apart.
While the children were growing up, we would go to the movies, theatre, concerts all together. I especially loved the movies. The movies are still my hobby. I like listening to music in my spare time.
Other than this, we used to go and see friends and families most of the time. We visited with all the relatives. We couldn't go on vacations for a lot of years. Until 1974-1975. After this date we went to Büyükadaya for the summer for one year. I do not know the reason, it did not sit well with me, we did not go again. After two years we moved to Suadiye during summers. 7 friends, we lived in the same apartment. All were Jews. The landlord in the apartment was our friend too. We went there every summer until the 1980's. We had very pleasant days there. We still recall and miss those days.
