בס''ד

Shavua Tov!

Dedicated to the Cousins.


The computer is a wonderful invention. We can use it to better our lives, for information, entertainment or it can also be used for garbage. We all have free choice on how and why we use the computer.

This new entry on my blog is dedicated to my husband and his cousins. Using the computer, my husband and I have been able to find and reconnect with his entire family from his father’s side, who we hadn't seen in years.

My husband Avraham’s extended family, aunts, uncles and cousins were an average size family. The family was originally from Montreal. Over the years, for one reason or another, everyone went their own way and most lost touch with each other.

Unfortunately, all the aunts and uncles and my husband’s parents a”h have passed away.

Their children, our cousins are spread out all over... Florida, Toronto, Montreal, Iowa and us in Israel.

One day, several months ago, my husband and I were talking about the family and how it was too bad and sad that we lost touch. I suggested to Avraham that we try a search on Facebook.

We started with his oldest cousin Stan, typed in his name and two fellows with the same name, popped up. One had a picture the other didn’t.

After looking and looking at the picture, it had been forty years since we last saw him, I sent a note asking if his parents were so and so.

A few hours later, we received a note back. Yes! Those were my parents. Back and forth, he and Avraham wrote and sent pictures of children and grandchildren.

So much news to catch up on. As it turned out, our cousin and his wife were planning a trip to Israel in November. We arranged to meet and they came to visit us in Netivot. We took them to meet one of our daughters and some of our grandchildren. I can’t even start to describe what this reunion was like.

From Stan we got the e-mail address for his brother, Barry. He also gave us the address to another cousin, Bev but wasn’t sure it was still active.

Avraham sent a note and sure enough it was her. After writing about her family she sent us the e-mail addresses of her sister Ava and twin brother David.

Attached to her first note were several pictures of the cousins as children. Memories were flowing and more pictures were arriving.

After contacting the rest of the cousins, the correspondence and more pictures were going back and forth.

One day last week, my husband opened Google talk, saw that his cousin in Iowa was on, so Avraham sent a hello note. The two cousins must have ‘talked’ a half and hour maybe more when his wife joined in to say hello, nice to meet you. After speaking for a few minutes we discover that she had family in Israel. Our cousins asked what our phone number was and a minute later the two cousins were really speaking.

Avraham was so happy.

We sent all the cousins pictures of themselves from our wedding. Stan was an usher at the wedding. The others were children. We had a great picture of all the aunts and uncles sitting together. I always say, pictures are not for today, but for tomorrow.

So to Stan and Helen, Barry and Lori, Bev and George, David and Rachel and Ava, we are so happy to have you back in our lives.

Family is so important, even if the relationship is long distance.

Perhaps some time soon we can arrange a family reunion in Israel.

Miriam