Cousins

He continued, “Carl Berliner had two sons, and Carl sent them to Sweden for safety, too. But they didn’t get out of Germany on the Kindertransport. They made it to safety a different way, sent to work on isolated farms deep in the Swedish countryside. Those boys were my dad’s cousins, but they lost touch with each other.”

Best Surprise

Gert is extremely happy. It is the best surprise he has received in his entire life. The man got back his family after so many years. Gert describes, “It’s a gift.” “In my old age, I have discovered I have a family.”

Re-established

Uri said, “Now, some 80 years later, a bond has been re-established with the help of a tattered toy monkey. This summer, I traveled to Sweden to meet my newfound relatives and to retrace my father’s steps. I met Agneta and her family on Sweden’s solstice holiday — Midsummer Eve, and we celebrated together with a traditional Swedish feast lasting well into the evening.”

Amazing And Delicious

He added further, “The famous meatballs, salmon, toasts with schnapps and a beautiful cake with more strawberries than I’d ever seen in my life. Even though we had just met it felt good to be around my newfound relatives. To be part of a larger family — a family that hasn’t just survived, but has grown and thrived.”

Close Connection

Uri himself felt an intimate connection with them. He had met them only once. The family was extremely comforting. He did not feel for once that he was seeing them for the first time. They had a lot to catch up on.

Telling Him

Uri said, “My dad didn’t make the trip. So we called him in New York — Erika, Agneta and me all on speaker, filling him in our visit. It was a bittersweet call. At 94, my dad doesn’t get out much. He’s alone a lot in the apartment with time to reflect.”