Number 47: When l was in Matric in 1976 at Herzlia, l went on a school tour to Johannesburg. I was in the drama society and we were performing in a cultural exchange program with King David Johannesburg . I was staying at a family of three sons. The oldest Eli, was at King David and was my age. I remember clicking immediately with the mom Natalie who was engaging, had a beautiful home full of books and art and l loved spending time with her. I have no memory of the school tour. But l did get a recipe of curried fish balls from Natalie which l took home to my Mom.

My Mom phoned and thanked Natalie for hosting me and said if they were ever in Cape Town that she and her husband Stan should come over for a meal. They told my folks that they had a holiday home in Muizenberg and that they came to Cape Town every December. They ended up meeting my folks and getting on very well with them.

Some years later I married and Ray and l left for Israel. At some point my sister Margo (who is 4 years younger than me) brought a friend who was studying Biomedical Engineering at UCT over for a meal. When playing Jewish geography my Mom uttered these words to Dan: “I think we know your parents….” Dan was the youngest of the three Gordon family brothers that I had stayed at on tour to Johannesburg.

A few years later in Israel, Margo and Dan decided to marry. So my parents and Natalie and Stan become ‘machetonim’! ( in- laws).