Stephanie Holmes: Family ties

Jerusalem, Israel. Photo / 123RF

As you read this, I'll be visiting Israel for the first time. It's somewhere I've longed to go since I was small. My paternal grandmother was born in the country to Russian immigrant parents and lived there until the late-1940s, when she moved to England with her new RAF husband.

Sadly, the knowledge of my Israeli genealogy ends about there. Estranged from her family, my grandma spoke little of her former life and discouraged my dad and uncle from asking too many questions. She died when I was a teenager, so now it's too late to ask her myself.

To make sure my own memories of Israel won't be lost, I'll be documenting every moment of my trip. Follow me on Instagram — @nzhtravel.