Back to homeland - with football kit
Algis Vaskevicius
Eli Rutstein, 61, living in London, last weekend spent in his hometown Vilkaviskis, Lithuania. In this small town close to border with Russia, Kaliningrad region he was born in 1948 and lived till 1964, when together with his father Meier Rutstein and family left to Israel.
Rutstein family lived in Vilkaviskis for many years. They have a nice house in the center of Vilkaviskis. Eli went to local school and has many good classmates. Meier Rustein was a big fan of local football team „Metalas". Family survived Holocaust, because Meier earlier was sent to Siberia.
"May father wanted to emigrate to Israel very much. We were the last Jewish family in Vilkaviskis, where before The Second World War about 60 percents of all inhabitants were Jewish. Father appeal and wrote to Soviet authorities many times asking the permission to emigrate. I remember very well the 23rd of November 1963 - at that day the president of USA John Kennedy was shot and at the same day we got a permission to emigrate - it was eight attempt", -- said E.Rutstein.
Eli was 16 years old, when left Vilkaviskis. His classmates came to railway station to say goodbye to their friend. Eli gave to girls a small souvenir from cherry tree he made himself.
E.Rutstein said, that after family came to Israel his father very soon was disappointed and wanted to return to Vilkaviskis, but is was absolutely impossible. Eli went to army for 4 years, where he was repairing army cars. Later he decided to get some education.
"I understood how important was to educate. I haven't finished school in Lithuania nor Israel. I decided to go to London, where I am staying now for more than 30 years. I have motor shop in London and doing well. I married Loraine, we have 3 children - Adam, Nathali and Sarah", - told he.
All these years he wanted to visit his hometown. And last year, when he celebrated 60 years anniversary, his children decided to give him a special gift - trip to his homeland. He arrived to Kaunas, rented car and reached Vilkaviskis. He founded his parents' house, met his teacher of sport and said he will return in 2009.
"In 1965 my father sent to Vilkaviskis football team kit of sport uniforms. For them it was a very important gift. Players made a photo and sent to my father. When last year I came to Vilkaviskis and showed that photo to my teacher, he took the same photo from his pocket and put on the table. We both almost were crying", -- said Mr.Rutstein.
This year he decided to repeat the same thing in memory of his father - from London he brought 15 kits of uniforms to local football veterans' team. The team last Saturday in the stadium of Vilkaviskis played against other team, where were players born in Vilkaviskis but now living in other places.
In stadium, were about 200 people gathered, Eli told the story of his family and about the gift. The players were very happy about uniforms that look perfect in the field. After the game they invited Eli (in his British passport is written his birth place - Vilkaviskis) and his family for Lithuanian bear and beans.
This time Rutstein family visited the house, where Eli was living with his parents. They went to old Jewish cemetery, where is the grave of Eli' grandmother. But the most impressive meeting was with his classmates.
"They met me with flowers and old photo, asking to recognize who is who. Ladies about 60 and more years old, came with these small souvenirs I gave them 45 years ago, when they were 16 years. We were laughing, hugging, almost crying - it is difficult to describe the feelings I had", -- told Eli.
He said he left his hometown Vilkaviskis very happy, because met there so many nice people, heard so many nice stories about his family and himself. Memories are still alive, and the gift to football team will help everyone to remember that special story from the past.
