In mid-October, Eeva Virolainen and Ilona Turunen brought relief supplies to the Ukrainian border in Radauti. Eeva and Ilona report:
10/12/2024 We set off from Budapest towards Romania. The car had already been almost completely loaded with relief supplies in Vienna and Anne then brought the car to Budapest. The load included clothes, food, mattresses, two beds, diapers, washing powder, a child seat, toys, children’s bicycles and even a wheelchair. It was amazing how much fit into the car. We found a few more empty spaces and filled them with wool socks and winter clothes from Finland. It was a long first day of driving through half of Hungary, but we were happy and rejoiced during the trip. After crossing the border, we drove via Satu Mare and Dej to Bistrita, where we arrived after dark.
10/13 Our route took us further to Vatra Dornei. On the way we admired the beautiful houses and gardens, where both proud roosters and hardworking chickens cackled. Flocks of sheep grazed the fields and mountain slopes. Crystal clear, fresh water flowed from the mountains, which we collected to drink and bottle. Curious, friendly dogs made themselves known at our stops. As the evening slowly turned into night, we arrived in Radauti, our destination, near the Ukrainian border.
10/14 In the morning Tanya and Stefan arrived in the courtyard of our hotel. At breakfast we had the opportunity to get to know these nice and warm people. Then the relief supplies were unloaded from the HELP AND HOPE bus and placed in Tanya’s car.
We parted with sadness: Tanya and Stefan returned to Ukraine and we began crossing the Carpathians. The landscape was breathtaking. The foliage was changing at its best and the sun shone all day.
In the afternoon we explored the area around the Vatra Dornei synagogue. To our horror we discovered that some of the synagogue’s windows had been smashed.
We looked for a place to stay on the way and ended up spending the night in a town called Dej.
10/15 Close to our hotel was the Holocaust Memorial, which we wanted to visit before continuing our journey. This was the only rainy day on our trip. It was as if the sky was crying for the 7674 Jews who were sent to their deaths in Auschwitz between May 3 and June 8, 1944.
From Dej we continued on to Oradea, where we spent a few days with our friend. In Oradea we visited the synagogue and were able to attend the Feast of Tabernacles.
Eeva: The trip was unforgettable mainly because of the magnificent landscapes, but what touched me most was when Tanya told me where the small packages of sugar, coffee and tea end up. They are transported by drones to the soldiers in the trenches. I had previously wondered if these things we bring with us are of much use, since so little can be taken with us. I realized that even the small things are important.
Ilona: What touched me most was that I discovered a new street on the map of Oradea, which had apparently been renamed. A museum employee told me that the renaming had taken place this year. I went in search of the street that was on the edge of the ghetto and in this way made my own prayer walk in the ghetto and in the street that is now called “Street of the Expelled Jews”.
Eeva & Ilona
(October 2024)