Anna Danon's father Haim Iakov in Israel

This picture was taken in Israel in 1964. This is the circumcision of my sister Klara's first grandson - Reni's child. It is her first-born son, she has two more. The man holding the baby is my father. The third man from the left, behind the rabbi, is my brother-in-law. My father went on a visit to Israel and the ritual happened to take place then by pure coincidence. They were supposed to wear kippot on their heads. My father didn't have one, so he replaced it with some kind of a kerchief, or a paper one in order to meet the requirements. Klara moved to Israel in 1948 because she didn't approve of the communist regime. We, under Ester's influence, stayed here to build up the new Bulgaria. At first we had difficulties in contacting our relatives in Israel, as it happened through letters. Now it is much easier via telephone, and we communicate almost every day. The first time I went to Israel was in 1959. I was so happy. My sister, my brother-in-law as well as my friends also came here, though they had to face many more formalities.