Rachel Ouseley: holidays with Ester
I went on several holidays with Ester and Angela when Ester was young. I have happy memories of our holidays together.
We went to Spain; I recall Ester learning and practising the ‘Motzi’ (blessing before eating bread). I remember she would eat several little pieces, practising the blessing before each one, till she could say it fluently. We enjoyed popping the bubble-wrap with which the chairs were covered together. She was two at the time.
We went to Israel. We stayed in a hotel called Hotel Sonesta. On the way home in the Egged Bus, Ester would charm everyone on the bus; as she arrived at the bus stop, the driver would sing out ‘Hotel Sonesta l’Ester.’
We went to Moscow and Leningrad twice in the winter, visiting refuseniks in ‘Pharoah’s place’, when Ester was about four years old. On arrival in the bus, Ester sang ‘David Melech Yisrael.’ Unfortunately we had to ask her to stop, as people were not supposed to know we were Jewish. Some tourists did hear us – luckily they were doing the same as us. On return to Heathrow, they and Ester danced the Hora (Jewish circle dance) in the middle of the concourse. We spent almost the entire time visiting refuseniks; Ester made good friends with them and their children. She did get tired – I recall having to decide whether to give her or the big bag of goods I was carrying to the helpful Soviet citizen who offered to help, when Ester fell asleep as we were going up the stairs of the underground. I believe I gave him the goods and carried Ester. After a few days of traipsing everywhere, Ester said ‘when we have finished saving the Jews, can I play in the snow,’ which I thought was a really beautiful remark. Ester and I went to the Russian state circus, a break from visiting refuseniks. She wore an all-in-one snow suit. She was really patient as we struggled to take it off and then a little while later struggled to put it on again – all in the dark. We joined the long queue for ice-cream, narrowly missing the beginning of the show, having to grope our way in the dark to our seats. On the way into the country, she filled in her immigration form with care and charmed the immigration people with the careful way she had filled it in. Ester wore really chunky snow-boots though she did not find out till later quite how useful they had been when leaving the country!
Ester was always an interesting travelling companion, ready to go anywhere and do anything; she made friends easily and charmed everyone she met.
We went to Spain; I recall Ester learning and practising the ‘Motzi’ (blessing before eating bread). I remember she would eat several little pieces, practising the blessing before each one, till she could say it fluently. We enjoyed popping the bubble-wrap with which the chairs were covered together. She was two at the time.
We went to Israel. We stayed in a hotel called Hotel Sonesta. On the way home in the Egged Bus, Ester would charm everyone on the bus; as she arrived at the bus stop, the driver would sing out ‘Hotel Sonesta l’Ester.’
We went to Moscow and Leningrad twice in the winter, visiting refuseniks in ‘Pharoah’s place’, when Ester was about four years old. On arrival in the bus, Ester sang ‘David Melech Yisrael.’ Unfortunately we had to ask her to stop, as people were not supposed to know we were Jewish. Some tourists did hear us – luckily they were doing the same as us. On return to Heathrow, they and Ester danced the Hora (Jewish circle dance) in the middle of the concourse. We spent almost the entire time visiting refuseniks; Ester made good friends with them and their children. She did get tired – I recall having to decide whether to give her or the big bag of goods I was carrying to the helpful Soviet citizen who offered to help, when Ester fell asleep as we were going up the stairs of the underground. I believe I gave him the goods and carried Ester. After a few days of traipsing everywhere, Ester said ‘when we have finished saving the Jews, can I play in the snow,’ which I thought was a really beautiful remark. Ester and I went to the Russian state circus, a break from visiting refuseniks. She wore an all-in-one snow suit. She was really patient as we struggled to take it off and then a little while later struggled to put it on again – all in the dark. We joined the long queue for ice-cream, narrowly missing the beginning of the show, having to grope our way in the dark to our seats. On the way into the country, she filled in her immigration form with care and charmed the immigration people with the careful way she had filled it in. Ester wore really chunky snow-boots though she did not find out till later quite how useful they had been when leaving the country!
Ester was always an interesting travelling companion, ready to go anywhere and do anything; she made friends easily and charmed everyone she met.
posted by Ester memories at 4:42 pm
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