Here I am with other children at the Jewish youth camp in Tserovo village, organized by ‘Akeva’. On the back of the photo there is an inscription in ink: Tserovo 4th August 1940. In the first row, from right to left, are my friends Viska Lazarova, Sophka, me, Lily. Behind Lily is my mother Elvira Lidgi who had come to see us. I don't remember anything about the other people. We are wearing the ‘Akeva’ uniforms.
When I was in primary school I was a member of a Jewish society. It was called 'Akeva'. I don't remember how I had decided to join 'Akeva'; I only remember that it was on the last floor of Bet Am [The Jewish center in Sofia today, housing all Jewish organizations.]. At one point, it was run by Rebeka Arsenieva, [Rebeka Arsenieva was a radio director for many years at the radio theater in the Bulgarian National Radio] Ani Mayler's mother. There we used to sing songs, play, dance Israeli, Palestinian, called Jewish dances at the time, we learned the basics of Hebrew, we used to have meetings. Moreover, we had a uniform and an emblem - a piece of cardboard with three stars. This organization was Zionistic by nature. We used to talk often about the remote country of our ancestors - Palestine. I was sent to a youth camp in Tserovo through this organization. My memroies of the stay there are vague. In June 1942 I finished my primary education with excellent marks, and then we put the badges [yellow stars].
