At the beginning of the new year, we – Hannu, Anne and Andrei Roth – made a long trip to Romania. The main goal of this trip was to meet friends we had not seen for years, but also to take relief supplies and personal gifts. We crossed the northern part of Romania from west to east – from Satu Mare County to Iasi County. Our friend Andrei Roth accompanied us on our trip and also acted as an excellent interpreter for friends who only speak Romanian.
The highlights of the trip were the many encounters with friends, some of whom we had not seen for years. We were welcomed with indescribable hospitality and the abundance of gifts we received made us humbledly grateful. The words of a friend who said goodbye to us in Satu Mare warmed our hearts deeply: “It means a lot to me and my family to start the new year with you.” During the visit, we heard from friends, but also got an insight into the situation on the ground.
There is a new need for refugee work in Chernivtsi, as mayors in eastern Ukraine have been forced to relocate people to the west because life in the villages has become too dangerous. These new residents need everything for their temporary homes, including household items, pots, pans, household textiles, bedding, towels, etc. In Dorohoi, we again enjoyed the wonderful cooking and baking skills of a friend, and we were given several jars of homemade jam to take with us. The widow of a deceased friend recalled in good German her great love, who had passed away 13 years ago – after 63 years of marriage together. Some friends have left us, and sadness was also present during the visits, but when saying good-bye we were happy to see that each friend’s face lit up with a smile and gratitude that we had not forgotten them. The trip was also meaningful for Andrei, as we visited places he had never been before. Here is his personal travel report:
2501 km in eight days – a HELP & HOPE aid transport to Chernivtsi
When my Finnish friends Hannu and Anne offered me to accompany them on the Vienna – Radauti trip, I was delighted at the chance to combine local tourism with a useful mission. Although I have lived in Romania for 43 years, I have never visited this part of the country. We set off on December 30th. Our first destination was Budapest, where we celebrated New Year’s Eve and prayed for health, joy and, above all, peace on earth in 2025! We visited the Christmas market in Budapest, went for a walk and admired the banks of the Danube, a landscape that inspires us at any time of the year. On January 1st, we set off for Satu Mare, where we enjoyed the endless hospitality of the former president of the Jewish community and his family. Over a hearty meal, we enjoyed local delicacies and a wonderfully filled cake that left us speechless!
We also took a walk in a street in Satu Mare, which was a ghetto during WWII.
After lunch we continued our journey and arrived at our first hotel in Dej in the evening. On the way there Hannu and Anne took turns at the wheel. Unfortunately I don’t have a driving license – I usually say that I only drive the piano…
After breakfast we set off for Borsec. The landscape became more and more interesting. The frost covered the fir forests in a white veil and there was some snow on the ground. My great photographic instinct was unleashed and I was able to take some impressive landscape shots.
I visited Borsec many years ago as a student and now – after decades – I am back in Borsec. A friend showed us the sights of the place – here winter was already showing its true face! We were served traditional Romanian meat dishes and a fresh lemon jam for dessert.
From Borsec we drove to Radauti, where we stayed overnight in Gerald’s hotel. In the morning we visited the oldest synagogue in Radauti, after which we met Tanya and Stefan, who had traveled from Chernivtsi. The unloaded the carefully packed cargo from Hannu and Anne’s HELP & HOPE bus and piled everything into Stefan’s car until it was finally full to the brim. I had the pleasure of meeting these friends for the first time and having breakfast with them. After all the gifts we had brought with us were handed over, we continued our journey to Dorohoi, where the wife of the late chairman of the Dorohoi Jewish community was waiting for us at the lunch table, which was full of delicacies: cold cuts, beef salad, cabbage rolls, poppy seed and peanut cake! We also got wonderful berry jam: sour cherry and strawberry jam.
From here we continued our journey to Iasi. Due to an error in the hotel booking, we had to walk a few meters further. Our hotel was called Piața Unirii, but we originally wanted to stay at the Unirea Hotel. Luckily, both hotels were close to each other. After leaving our luggage at the hotel, we visited a family – a member of the Jewish community in Iasi and his wife welcomed us into their home. We enjoyed the delicacies of these hospitable people and then visited the Christmas market in Iași, the magnificent building of the National Opera and the City Hall, so that we could digest the treats with a little evening stroll!
After our visit to Iasi, our trip took us through Piatra Neamt, where we visited the old wooden synagogue.
From Iasi, we headed towards Gheorgheni and to our greatest surprise, we passed through the Bicaz Gorge (photo below), one of Romania’s natural highlights – snow-covered fir trees, in a word: a breathtaking landscape!
In the evening, we drove through the Red Lake, Praid and Sovata to Gheorgheni, where we visited three families. The families were happy with the packages we distributed. Each package was additionally supplemented with locally purchased basic foodstuffs. Our hearts were happy when we saw the joy of the recipients of the gifts. We headed to our hotel, where we enjoyed a hot soup prepared by our hosts for dinner.
At breakfast, we met a friend and then continued our journey to Cluj, the city where I studied for eight years between 1965 and 1973 and where I also started my four-year engagement at the Romanian Opera in Cluj. My heart was pounding in my throat when I saw the places I knew 50 years ago! We visited the Kövary-Socaciu family and were happy to see them again after our last meeting in Vienna, where their son is studying.
Then in the afternoon, we drove to my hometown of Oradea. Unfortunately, time did not allow us to stay longer than one night, as we left for Budapest the next morning, where Anne prepared a hearty lunch for us travelers. The trip was a success and the goal was achieved – to bring a little joy to where it is needed most!!!
In the evening we arrived in Vienna – tired, grateful, happy, healthy and full of impressions and emotions that will stay with me for a long time! I learned from what I saw and heard that it is never too late to help where it is needed.
Andrei
(January 13, 2025)