He woke up to the piercing sound of gun shots and bombs in nearly every direction. Rather than jolt awake to the sudden outburst, he shifted in bed and covered his ears, waiting for the noise to subside. This occurrence was not an unusual one in his city of Tehran, Iran. Living through the beginning of the revolution transformed Herzel’s childhood. Nearly every school day, Herzel was sent home due to riots and shootings. At night, his family anticipated the power outages, and huddled by the warmth of their fire. The lines for gas wrapped around blocks for hours. 
Herzel’s family had to flee Iran when the Shah lost control, for the land was no longer safe for Jews to peacefully reside. On the eve of their anticipated departure, Herzel had to remain in the airport because the flight to Israel was overbooked; he built a fort with his family’s suitcases and slept in the center to keep a wary eye for thieves. After nearly two days, Herzel and his family boarded an El-Al flight which was so packed that four people were permitted to sit in a three-seater. When the plane’s wheels lifted off Iran’s soil, Herzel said an ultimate farewell to his homeland. He recalls, “I was getting so fed up with life in Iran... I thought somehow, we were not going to be able to leave... I remember the moment that plane took off, I felt like wow, finally we’re out of this mess.” 

– Sidonya

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant