The Yulzari family with their Bulgarian relatives

At this picture is my family together with the relatives of my son-in-law, Svetlozar Cestnik, who is Bulgarian. The photo was taken in Ruse in 1963.

From below upwards, from right to left, you can see me, my mother, my granddaughter Irena, granny Velichka - Bulgarian, maternal grandmother of my son-in-law Svetlozar -, his mother Stefanka, at the utmost left, from below, his father Nikolay, at the utmost left from above, my son Sinto, my daughter, Buena Cestnik, nee Yulzari, my son-in-law Svetlyo, and my husband, Mois Yulzari.

My life after 9th September 1944 was calm. We weren't well-off, but we had everything we needed. My husband was a director of 'Toplivo' for twenty years. I want to emphasize that my husband and I never had any problems at work because of our origin.

At present both my brother's daughters live in Israel together with their families. We still keep in touch. They came to visit us and I visited them twice - in 1959. The second time was in 1960. I have never had any problems concerning political matters or any other problems connected with my trips to Israel or my keeping the relationship with the nearest and dearest.

When I was back from Israel I was always carrying presents for my colleagues – Bulgarians. I used to bring them ball-point pens, because in Bulgaria at that time people wrote with pens, that is, penholders dipped in ink, and the modern ball-point pens were still unknown. Before my departures it was these friends who saw me off.

Nobody has ever said anything bad to me. Something more – in 1963 the director of the enterprise where I worked invited my sister together with her husband to have a look at our modernized enterprise during their visit to Bulgaria.