Gavriel's original English project in the 10th grade age 14 and a half

 

My Family

 

By Gabriel Hoter

 

I was born on April 18th 1985, (27th Nissan 5945) in the Hadassah hospital Mount Scopus. I weighed 3.9 kilos.  I was born on holocaust day. My circumcision was on Israel Independence Day. We were living in Kfar Adumim.

 

Why was I called Gabriel? I am the only blonde "Ashkenazi" in the family and my brothers said I looked like an angel, so they called me Gabriel. The rabbi in Kfar Adumim, Gabby Goldman is also called Gavriel and he told my parents not to call me Gabby for short, so they didn't – so people call me Gavri for short but I prefer Gavriel.

 

I grew up in Kfar Adumim. We lived in a 2 room caravan and when I was 3 years old we moved to a three room caravan. I went to the children's day center when I was 3 months old.

 

We had a dog that liked me so she went with me to the "maon" and stayed all day by the door until I came home.

I liked to play with lego and spent many hours playing. I really like to work with plastercine and when I was little I made models and my brother made movies with them. When I was 9 I met Roni Oren the palstercine artist and I wanted to be like him.

 

Every night my father read stories to me from the Bible. I liked the stories about King David.

 

The night before the first day of school I couldn't sleep. I was very excited! I had a good teacher and I liked school! In the third grade I hated school and in the fourth grade I liked school again. I liked all the subjects except electronics. We had a very good teacher for art and I enjoy making things and also looking at art.

 

When I was 7 we moved to a house. A big house my father designed and built with his own hands. Before we moved I slept with my brothers and sisters in one room (five of us) on the first night in the big house everyone had his own bed and room. In the morning my parents woke up and found all the children on one bed together!

 

When I was 8 I went with my father and 2 older brothers to Europe. We went by boat from Israel to Italy and then by car to England. We went to all the museums but my brothers were cross because only I wanted to see the [pictures. They wanted to have fun!

 

When I was 10 I went to the childrens opera. I had a very high voice and once I was in the opera Oedipus at the Jerusalem theatre. I sang and sang until my barmitzvah- then I didn't have a high voice.

 

I go to the scouts and like camping and I like to go on trips. In my family I am strange. Most of the time I don't feel cold.

 

I like to learn, especially "kodesh" [Jewish studies] I had lessons with Rabbi Grodner from the first grade, he was a student of Rabbi Solovechik.

 

Lat summer my family moved to the Golan mountains, but I wanted to stay in my beautiful Yeshiva in male Adumim. But when I go home to Alloney Habashan, there is a small house just for my brothers and me.

 

 

 

My parents brothers and sisters.

 

 

I have a very interesting family. My mum is from England my father is from Yemen. They got married 23 years ago.

 

My father is a tour guide but he has worked in almost everything – (for example agriculture, microbiology, teacher, changing diapers, building roads, bridges, houses, architect, tour guide abroad, electrician, pickling olives, making wine, olive oil, etc. etc. etc…….)

 

 

My mother she teaches teachers to teach teachers and students or something like that. She is 24 hours a day at the computer (her eyes are square) she is working about the subject how you can teach on the Internet.

 

My oldest brother is called Ben-Yeshai. He is 22 years old and is married to Adina. He is a medic in the army and now lives in Ein Zurim. He was a very "good: brother and played with me a lot when I was small. He is very tall and has size 52 shoes. His wife is learning to be an English teacher!!!

 

 

Next is Sephy. He is 19 years old and we are very close. He learns in Otniel Hesder Yeshiva. He likes to make movies and works for the religious scouts.

 

All my family like to sing together and when we are all home for Shabbat we sing most of the night. (until 12)

 

 

Next is me (go to page 1) then my sister Michal

 

She is nearly bat mitzvah. We have signed a peace agreement. This works well when I'm in the Yeshiva or in the other house. Michal likes to sing and ice skating. She also likes to work in the restaurant.

 

 

 

Next is Orit. She is 10 years old, in fourth grade. We get on well together. We both clean the toilets in the house. She is good at all sports not like me!

 

 

 

Last and the best is my little brother. He is a year and a half and is called Avichai. He is very big for his age and soooooooooooooooooooo cute (blee ayen hara). He calls me "Gea". He is happy when I come home and cries when I go. We call him "master of disaster"

 

 

 

My fathers family

My father was born in a tent two years after his family arrived from Yemen. His father was born an orphan. He married in Yemen but both his wife and son died. He married my grandmother and they walked for 3 months to Aden and then flew on the magic carpet (on a big metal eagles wings) to Israel. They were very frightened but they had been told that in Israel there will work with gold. They arrived and really worked with gold-gold oranges.

 

They lived in a camp. They had a daughter, a beautiful daughter named Mazal. She was stolen and my grandparents didn't find her until this day. When my father and his sister were born my grandparents were frightened that people would steal them. They put them under the bed in the orange box until my father was 2 years old. Then 6 more children were born.

 

My grandfather worked with leather, he made bags water bags and shoes. He had a difficult life. He said that everybody who has the name Yosef must have a difficult life! - from experience of many generations. His father grandfather great grandfather etc. were all called Yosef ben Yosef.

 

In Israel they lived in Elyachin near Hadera. My grandfather worked in agriculture and grew fruit and vegetables and chickens in the garden , He was the guard in a school for 9 years. Now he is on pensions and learns in the Kollel.

 

My grandmother got married by a shidduch, but she was very old-12 years old! But she didn't like the man- he was too old, so she ran away and got a divorce. She married my grandfather when she was very old-16 years old. She makes good Yemenite food.

All my Yemenite family likes to dance. I have many cousins, three live in America, the others in Israel.

 

My mothers side. The Hellerman family

 

My mothers side is from England. Before that they lived in Austria Poland and Russia. My mother has 2 sisters and one brother. They all live in Israel.

 

My grandfather was in the British army. He worked with the radio in Egypt and Kenya. He imported things to England. He is very tall. His mother was a pianist and when I was little I remember her playing my stories. She played for the silent movies. So I told her a story and then she played the story on the piano. She died when I was 9. My grandfathers father died before I was born.

 

My grandmother was born in a fish and chip shop. Her father was a member of the communist party and was active before Hitler came to power. My grandmothers mother is still alive. She lives in London. She made hats and made me many sweaters and blankets.

 

It's very good that I have family in England. I can go and visit!

 

My mum has 2 sisters and I brother. They all have children and we like to get together.