A message to Izi

Dear friend,

We met for the first time almost 65 years ago, when my father took me to your parents’ shop and ordered half a dozen shirts for him and one for me. (Your family’s business, the firm Grabois-Lorberblatt, were among the elite fashion designers in Galati during the mid nineteen-thirties).

Being the same age and living in the same neighbourhood, we became friends and went to the same public school, later to the same and only Jewish high school in town.

You ascended to Israel in your teens and I followed you a few years later. We reestablished contact and after we both got married, our friendship turned into a family friendship: Ziva and Tedy became naturally the friends of Devora and Izi.

Ziva considered you always to be her friend, as much as you are my friend. She has a fascination with your voice and calls you "Baal Hakol".

After we moved to Canada and you became an El-Al pilot, we kept seeing each other during your training sessions and frequent flights to North America and during our visits to Israel. In Ramat Aviv, your home was our address and when on one occasion we checked into a hotel, Devora and you called next morning and ordered us to move immediately to your house, where we belong.

We always loved you. You are genuine and your interest and participation in the joys and successes of our family was always genuine. "A friend in need is a friend indeed". I am adding to this saying and claiming that a friend in joy and during happy times, is a friend indeed as well. You are that friend.

We think and talk about you every day. When we discover a new gourmet restaurant, we think that this would be the place to take Izi and Devora next time when they are in town.

A few years ago, you discovered a new coffee brand named Maragojipe, during a trip to Mexico, but later you couldn’t find that brand in no store in the US. I found it in a little store in Toronto and since then, every time I or one of our friends travels to Israel, I make sure that your favorite coffee is being delivered to you.

Next time when we arrive in Tel Aviv, I promise to bring a fresh supply of Maragojipe. We will visit your family, Devora will brew the coffee and we will all smell Izi’s favorite aroma, taste Izi’s favorite flavor and share a few memories, a few laughs and a few tears.

Tedy Fichman (Bimbo) Toronto, July 2001