family

My name, as you guessed is Simon Polak (cv).
I was born 22 April 1942, so middle of the war. As I am Jewish and this was occupied Holland it is a miracle that there were people risking their lives to save me. After the war my parents " did not come back", as this was euphemistically called at the time. So the people saving me during the war became my foster parents. And I grew up as any normal child not then and not later really experiencing consequences of the war.

Graduated from high school in 1960 (or was it 61) went, no not to a conservatory, but to University to study Mathematics. I have been a math's teacher some years and then worked as a mathematician in research in Industry .
In my thirties I started trying to play the Traverso. Some sixteen years ago I did the evening joiners education. Bought a lathe. And from one thing to another I found that flute making was a professional vocation for me.

allemaal

This picture was taken by Alysha

Further there is Pim,physiotherapist by training but now with a very posh MBA, one of those where one week study is in Hong Kong and one in Mexico. He is working in industry in computer aided surgery.

We are quite a lot again, I have three grown up children and two teeners.

tam

Shoshana, a real lawyer at a one of those law firms. The next family member is there, sun of Shoshana and Remco Snijders. I do not have a picture of Remco but David so much looks like him that I am simply showing two of David

Ah there we have Remco himself nevertheless!

This is Tamara my oldest daughter.
She did a law degree and has a job in industry.

Then I have two teener children, Alysha,fast....

and Tanja, well well 17 years as she shows and who will tell her what.

When they were younger they were so nice, have a look.

I am married with Monika. Monika is Austrian by birth but already seventeen years in Holland, so more Dutch. She studied biology at the University in Nijmegen but now is a garden designer with her own small firm. She is the mother of Alysha and Tanja.

My first wife Lies is the Mother of Tamara, Pim and Shoshana. Tamara married in August 2002 with Wilco de Vries .

there is a Daniel

There is a next generation de Vries/Polak There is a Noah!

and there is a Roos!

Pim is married with Renee she is the mother of his (and her) two

o children Floor en Isabelle

And yes, me.This looks like I am a real player (making music with Karin Elkerbout), but I am really a maker.

And of course our home(many more pictures here) with the workshop at the right.

Our living rooom.

children
grow and grow
and
grow and grow
but like everything
it passes
they grow up
it is a pity but it must
life passes by
until nothing is left
but children
and children's children
also ending in the end
so why

future looked forward to
passed
nothing stayed
nothing grabbed
because
getting old
does not happen
until it happened

not
the end
but
the final phase
counts
and is
counting
howmanytimes
still

Simon Polak: Early Flutes

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