Estera Sava at the Temple

This is me, Estera Sava, at the Temple here, in Bucharest, in 2003. I am lighting the candles for Sukha.

I am in constant contact with the Jewish community and the synagogue here, I’m the most loyal temple-goer - no one comes to the temple as often as I do, at all the ceremonies! The Sabbath begins like this: the candles must be lit on Friday evening. I have a calendar and I light the candles according to that calendar - to make sure I don't do it too late or too early. The following day, I prepare my food and, of course, I light the candles again. In the morning I go to the temple. But, I'm not a bigot. I do it because it's the natural thing to do. If you're not religious, you're not human! 

I also go to this Circle of ours. We read newspaper articles, jokes, recipes, we knit, and we sometimes go places together: parks, and, once a year, the cemetery. We go visit our graves, at the Giurgiului Cemetery. When the Week of Charity came, I made a commitment. There's this lady that I go to; I buy her things and I stay with her. I also asked my boss to find me an old man who's sick and can't move - who can't come out of his home. I would go to his place and cook him a warm meal. Well, when I could, because I'm 83 years old myself. Then there's the president's wife, who has an assistance service of her own. For instance, she has the Braille service for the visually challenged. Once a week, she has a circle that we attend too. But it's not actually held every week.