Simon Rapoport

This is my most recent picture, taken in Tallinn, 2005. Before Estonia gained independence, in late 1988, the Jewish Community of Estonia was founded. It was given the premises of the former Jewish lyceum, where I and my siblings went to. In spite of a small number of people, it is a very good and strong community. Each of us starts to make a possible constitution. My wife and I are interested in the things happening in our community. Unfortunately, I don't do much for the community as I am working and it is time-consuming. I take my work very serious and try to be useful to people. I am appreciated at work and it is very flattering. The house-building organization, headed by me, owns a block of houses unprofessionally built by criminal convicts after the war. Of course, the quality of work is much to be deplored, and used construction materials are of low grade. You can only imagine how those houses looked like when I came to work there. It was hard to bring them in order. There was lack of finance - as the project was not state funded, but financed by the dwellers of that building. Gradually there appeared much more comfort in those houses. People understand and appreciate it. I get the Jewish newspaper, ?Hasahhar.? My wife and I take an interest in the paper and read it regularly. I go to the synagogue on Jewish holidays and recite the Kaddish on the commemoration days of my deceased relatives. There is a small synagogue on the second floor of our community office. The new building of the synagogue is being constructed. The community is doing a great job helping lonely, old and indigent people. Of course, dinner, feasts and product rations are very important for poor people, but the symbolic meaning of these events is of great importance as well. It is great, when you know that some people from your nation are taking care of you, making you feel that you are a part of that nation.