Here I am with Prof. Simanto Avramov, a neurology specialist, during the Congress of the community centers in Bulgaria. The photo was taken in Sofia in 1990.
Prof. Simanto Avramov (1919-1996) is a neurologist, a distinguished scientist and internationally known specialist in the area of clinical neurophysiology. His works and theses are frequently quoted in Western European and Russian monographs and scientific researches. He was chairman of the Jewish People's Community Center in Sofia (1973-1993). He studied medicine in Belgrade in 1941, but due to the anti-Jewish laws that were passed there, he came back to Sofia in 1942. In 1949 he was appointed in the Ministry of People's Health chief expert of the village health service. In 1955 he became head of the 'Secondary Medical Education' department there. Between 1963-1966 he specialized in Leningrad, where he applied with a thesis on 'Dynamics of the constant potential in the deep structures of human brain'. In 1982 he defended a thesis on 'Bioelectric activity in cases of sharp dysfunctions of brain's blood circulation'. He retired in 1989 in Sofia. At the congress, at which this picture was taken, Prof. Avramov read the main report regarding the reorganization of the community center union.
After 1989 my contacts with the Jewish community changed. Firstly, the activity of the Jewish organizations increased, because the new conditions allowed it. Many institutions were created within the framework of the Shalom organization in 1990. The Organization of Jews in Bulgaria has existed for decades. Until the changes on 10th November 1989 it was chaired for many years by Yosif Asparuhov, who was a deputy of the Bulgarian Communist Party and represented Jews in the Bulgarian Parliament.
In the second half of 1990 the organization’s name was changed to OJB ‘Shalom.’ It was chaired by the theatre director and art critic Eddi Schwarz. He was a chairman for two mandates and then he was replaced by Emil Kalo, who is doctor of philosophy sciences and has lead the organization ever since.
I was a chairman of the Jewish State Community Center ‘Emil Shekerdjiiski’ for four years and member of its management for eight or ten years. For two years now I have been a member of the ‘Golden Age’ club uniting the efforts of 100-150 retired Jews living in Sofia. Every Saturday there are some programs and birthday parties organized, we mark the contributions of various people from our community to different areas of culture – music, art.
The Jews in our town live in the same way as those around the world – everybody has some problems, but the good thing is that we can get together at events organized by the Jewish community.
