Uncategorized

Helga Merits   Anatomy lecture.  Archive photo   Whatever will be will beThe future's not ours to seeQue sera sera After the Second World War, most students in Europe wanted to study either medicine or architecture.   They had seen so many lives devasted, so much destruction that they wanted...

SAVE THE DATE: On Friday, July 17, the Estonian Society in San Francisco, CA, is hosting a virtual screening of the 2019 Estonian start-up comedy "Chasing Unicorns (Ükssarvik)" for our local community. After the film, join the filmmakers for a Q&A about the film, which was shot in both Estonia...

Helga Merits   Girls at the Baltic University.  Archive photo by Helga Merits   Toilet paper seemed to have been the most sought after item to have in a time of a lock-down.   People were buying it in large quantities, afraid that they would not have enough while stuck...

As both chambers of Congress deliberate the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2021, the Estonian American National Council (EANC) and Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC) have been engaging with House and Senate staff to call attention to bipartisan Baltic Security Initiative amendments confirming U.S. support for Baltic security...

Helga Merits   The Baltic University in Hamburg, Germany, opened in March, 1946. Photo courtesy of Helga Merits   For us displaced persons, an essential part of our life is hope. Without hope, our life would be intolerable. Hope for our future, hope for a better fate of our native...

The European Union has confirmed that American citizens will not be allowed to enter its borders as the bloc begins to ease travel restrictions imposed earlier this year in response to the pandemic.   Travelers from America, as well as Brazil and Russia, have been barred from entry because of...

  In June 2020, we marked 80 years since the tragic events between June 15-17, 1940, when the Baltic countries were occupied by the Soviet Union and lost their independence.   The sacrifice, bravery and hope of the people of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, eventually led to their regaining independence...

Helga Merits   Andres’s family.   There are many stories of people that I interviewed or just spoke with, which come to my mind these days. Stories about uncertainties, about loss, about waiting and the need for being patient. One of these is The Story of Andres, an Estonian refugee:...

Estonian American Fund Press ReleaseJune 22, 2020     NATO troops pitched in on June 15 and 16 to move the Tartu Christian Adolescents’ Home to its new home.   Twenty-two soldiers from Great Britain came from the base at Tapa, bringing their muscle and equipment to help the staff...

Helga Merits   Emigrant Screening and Medical, photo courtesy of Helga Merits   The corona virus has changed day-to-day life for all of us. For me it has meant that I couldn’t do all the research I wanted or needed to do, I had to postpone my travels and cancel...