Birthdays in Arizona 2008

We were in Arizona in the winter. Our very good friends invited us to celebrate my own Birthday and four days later Judy's Birthday.
As you see in the first pictures they surprise me with two important candles: 8 and 4, and a very big cake. It was easy to blow the candles and difficult to eat the whole cake, but other guests were helping me.
Four days later Nathan, her charming husband invited us and his parents, and of course their son Andrew to celebrate Judy's 50+ Birthday in the Royal Palm Resorts Restaurant. You can see her chocolate Birthday cake. After a nice dinner and a Birthday song we almost eat the whole cake. I will never forget the two celebration!

Global warming in Montreal

Global warming is here, but in Montreal the month of December in 1977 was different. Snow was plenty, the Celsius was very, very low and the cold wind was very strong. Where is the melting ice?

Please tell me the truth.........

CHRONICLE-TELEGRAPH
QUEBEC, CANADA.
(North America's oldest newspaper since 1764.)

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR SHARES STORY AT CHAMPLAIN-ST. LAWRENCE COLLEGE.
In St-Foy CEGEP. (In the picture: Joan Lugtig, the dedicated teacher with her students, writer Albert Asatryan and Leslie Vertes.
By ALBERT ASATRYAN, SLC STUDENT.

Published: November 28, 2007.

Champlain-St.Lawrence College had the privilege of welcoming Leslie Vertes, a remarkable man with a painful past and an extraordinary passion for life on October 16. At 83 years of age, Vertes is one of the few remaining survivors of The Holocaust, the event responsible for the murder of six million European Jews during the Second World War.

In an hour-long talk the students, he shared his experiences as a victim of the unutterable horrors that took place less than a century ago.

As our ears listened, our mind struggled to make some sense of the inhuman treatment that these innocent men, women and children suffered and died from. There are no words to describe such cold-blooded crimes, but Vertes, though pained by his memories, tried to help us understand. With our mouths wide open, we listened and tried to imagine what Vertes went through.

Vertes survived a firing squad of the Hungarian Nazi Party, The Arrow Cross, by playing dead when a Jewish girl, just shot and bleeding, fell on him. He survived in hiding for months false papers stating he is Catholic, but was caught and nearly tortured, escaping only to luck.

He was put into a Russian Gulag and nearly starved and worked to death, but again luck intervened, and he was brought back from near-death by a compassionate intern. This is why Vertes says he was born four times.

Vertes mentioned several times in his talk that genocide is the direct consequence of exclusion, discrimination and hatred. Vertes tells us that no culture or civilization is immune to racism and discrimination and people must build a better foundation to their society by speaking up against injustice.

This is why Vertes feels obligated to tell his story, even though it is very painful for him to recount it and he doesn't sleep for days before and after giving a talk like this. Vertes believes, and I agree with him, that it is by informing future generations and by fighting with our minds against prejudice that will prevail in ending hatred and genocide.

The Jewish Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, the Rwandan Genocide, the Genocide of former Yugoslavia - these are crimes against humanity that we must speak out against. As Vertes says, "No human is more human than another.

Thank you, Leslie Vertes for coming to talk to us, for remembering your painful past to help us make the future better.

GLOBAL WARMING for me and for my grandchildren.

EARTH. FIRE. WATER. HUMAN.

Earth. Earth.

The farmer is working... The wife is cooking...

The shepherd is watching...The teacher is teaching...The student is learning.

This is peaceful place.

This is a quiet peaceful place; life is simple year after year.

Some of their friends are across the river, some are right here.

Deep down in the earth there is war for a long time with grumbling sound,

And now the angry fight is erupted upward and shakes the ground.

It takes just a few minutes and the landscape is change forever,

Rubble, destruction, thousand of dead is bodies are everywhere.

Farmer? Is no more, the cooking wife, the shepherd are gone.

The injured are crying, more than a thousand and one.

The school is not there anymore, no children, old or young,

Nobody is studying, nobody is chanting a song!

The earth swallowed a whole village. Parents are childless,

Children without parents. Rich became poor, the poor is hopeless!

FIRE.FIRE.

In the middle of the forest the timber was dry.

The fire started suddenly, nobody knew why!

Like a hurricane, the wind was blowing one direction,

The killer smoke was getting thicker without salvation.

A few acre first, than two, than five and ten...

They tried to stop the fire, but now nobody can.

Thousand of healthy, old trees, hundreds of new homes stand no more,

Only a a charcoal skeleton shows, there is no branch, no roof and no door.

Heroes fight the raging fire from above and on the ground,

Trucks, hoses, shovels and helping hands are all around.

A little water from haven could help now, or tomorrow...

But today there is no future, no hope, only tears and sorrow.

WATER. WATER.

The sky was clear, painted blue and bright;

With little breeze the wind was light.

The ocean looks calm, the waves are rolling gently,

In the quiet bay the laud fishing birds were plenty.

But just in a short time the wind changed direction

Blowing stronger and stronger; ready for destruction.

Dark paint changed the colour of the sky...

The waves were jumping many stories high.

Heavy rain was pounding with thundering noise,

Still, you can hear the cry and the begging voice:

Nowhere to run! Nowhere to hide!

Must climb higher to escape the tide!

The water will destroy everything; the riverbed is not dry

Tragedy is everywhere, tomorrow more people will die!

HUMAN. HUMAN.

In the name of PEACE, they are killing the innocents!

In the name of FREEDOM, they are torture hostages!

In the name of LOVE, they destroy lives!

In the name of DEMOCRACY, they create anarchy!

What the EARTH didn't do...

Places the FIRE saved not long ago...

Where the raging WATER didn't go...

HUMAN found new reason for destruction.
How and who will do all the construction?

The bullets are flying,
The bombs are falling.

NO PLACE TO HIDE, NO PLACE TO RUN:
EARTH, FIRE, WATER OR A KILLING GUN?

Earth, Fire, Water, Human............
What will be next? I would like to know!

Please tell me good news; today my hope is very low.

A hopeful Leslie Vertes)

Together forever.

They say: "For better or worst, for good or bad time, to respect and love.......

TOGETHER. FOREVER.

Two leafs were born in the sunny early spring,
Shiny new lovers vibrating like butterfly wing.
With the breeze, warm rain, promising sunshine
They grow fast, getting bigger, smooth and fine.

They promise to love and stay close to each other,
Always side-by-side. to be forever together.
The summer was a very happy time, and lovely.
Facing each other, dancing, whispering, never lonely.

One day in October a new wind came with the brush...
Started to put on rusty paint. Slowly, no reason to rush.
Green turns into red and brown and yellow....
The trees became noisy, far from mellow.

But they stay together, as they promise they will,
Caring only for the warm sunshine, not the coming chill.
November came, the breez change to windy blow,
Dead leaves cover the ground. No more to grow.

One of the lovers broke away and fall
Resting on the ground not far from the wall.
The other left alone, the heart is broken.
The partner is gone, the love was stolen.

With a strong will, slowly falls after the lover,
And again they stay side-by-side, happy as ever.
The wind understand love. Dead or alive!
Carried them to eternity, until spring will arrive.

(Montreal 2000)

Holocaust presentations.

The best way to fight the rising discrimination, hatred, genocide and mostly the rising Anti-semitism is: TO TALK TO THE YOUNG GENERATION ABOUT THE WAR, THE HOLOCAUST. They are the future!

As you see in the pictures and in the following list, I try to do my share.
The pictures are in the Scholomon Schechter Academie, for the students from Villa Maria Highs cool, in the St-Lambert CEGEP.

2004 March 4. In the house of Mrs. Dania Smulovich, City of Aventura in Florida. Organized by N'AMAT USA East division. About 35 middle age, middle class adults emigrated from South America.

2005 May 2. In the Waldorf Jewish Retired Home, in the City of Cote St-Luc, Quebec. Organized by Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre. More than 150 retired people.

2005 June 1. In the Gerber Hall, City of Montreal, Quebec. Organized by the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre. 50 High School students from Toronto, Ontario.

2005 September 20. In the Chamolain Regional College (CEGEP), City of St-Foy, Quebec. Organized by Joan Lugtig.More than 250 English and French speaking students, age 17-19.

2005 November 28. In the Champlain Regional College (CEGEP), City of St-Lambert, Quebec. 38 students, age 17-19.

2006 April 19. In the Champlain Regional College (CEGEP), City of St-Lambert, Quebec.Organized by Kim Hershorn. 125 student, age 17-19.

2006April 26. In the Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors, City of Montreal, Quebec. Organized by Lynn Gordon. 7 interns of Social Worker Faculty.

2006 May 24. In the Gerber Hall, City of Montreal, Quebec. Organized by the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre.From the City of Sherbrooke, Quebec, 150 High School students, age 13-16.

2006 June 20. In the Gerber Hall, City of Montreal, Quebec. Organized by the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre. From the City of Brookville, Ontario. 50 High School student, age 13-16.

2006 November 5. In the St. Thomas Anglican Church of Canada, in Montreal, Quebec. Organized by Reverend Canon David Oliver. Members of the Parish, 50 young and old people.

2006 December 6. In the Champlain Regional College (CEGEP), City of St-Lambert, Quebec. Organized by Nadine Korte. A few teachers and more than 140 students, age 17-19.

2007 April 13. In the Solomon Shechter Academy, City of Montreal, Quebec. Organized by Dr. Shimshon Hammerman Principal. 200 or more young Jewish students, age 10-12.

2007 May 14. In the Gerber Hall, City of montreal, Quebec. Organized by the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre. From Villa Maria Catholic High School 40 girls, age 13-16.

2007 October 16. In the Champlain Regional College (CEGEP), City of St-Foy, Quebec. Organized by Joan Lugtig. More than 200 students, age 17-19. There were lots good questions before and after the lunch.

2007 November 14. In the Champlain Regional College (CEGEP), City of St-Lambert, Quebec. Organized by Nadine Kortes. 200 or 250 students, age 17-19. Many smart questions were ask even after the presentation.

2007 November 21. In the Gerber Hall, City of Montreal, Quebec. Organized by the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre. St. Mary's Catholic High School from Brockville, Ontario. 60 students, age 13-16.

2008 March 27. In the Bialik Auditorium, City of Montreal, Quebec. Organized by the DARFUR CHALLENGE student committee. More than 300 students, age 13-17.

2008 April 9. In the Gerber Hall, City of montreal, Quebec. Organized by the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre. Ste-Agathe Academy High School students, age 13-17.

Canadian.

Everybody is talking about immigration, citizenship and more.
We received this letter not long ago from the PM office:

PRIME MINISTER - PREMIER MINISTRE.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Vertes:

It is with great pleasure that I extend my warmest greetings and congratulations to you on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of your arrival in Canada.

Our country's strength and vitality are derived from individuals like you who chose to make Canada their home.
This special milestone offers a chance to remember your journey, to reflect upon the significant events which have shaped your life in Canada, and celebrate you contribution to our great country.

I join with your family and friends in wishing you the very best on this occasion, as well as every happiness in the years to come.

Yours sincerely,

( Signed) Stephen Harper. Gold Seal of the PM.