274: Long-lost siblings reunited after 66 years

This is such a beautiful story, which seems to reflect so much of life's joy and tragedy. The article, from CNN, tells of Irene Famulak and her brother, Wssewolod Galezkij. The two Ukrainian siblings were separated in 1942, when Nazis came and took Irene and her older sister away to a labour camp in Germany. Later, Wssewolod also went to work in a camp. Somehow, both Irene and Wssewolod survived the Holocaust, but whereas he returned to the Ukrainian SSR, she stayed in Germany for a while and then moved to the US. For many years, they were unable to trace one another, as relevant papers were withheld by the Soviet authorities. But in the late 1980s and 1990s, the USSR collapsed and policies towards Holocaust survivors changed. So eventually, aided by the Red Cross, Wssewolod managed to trace his sister. This week, Irene flew to Ukraine to be reunited with her brother. Naturally, there were many tears - for the years lost, but also for the joy of finding each other once again. (Photo from CNN.)