Anna Kohen as the "Flower of Vlora" returns to her Albanian roots

Like many Jews, her family also found salvation among the Albanians. Anna Kohen was born in Vlora. It is natural for him to call Albania his birthplace, to which he has always returned, even physically, never forgetting it. Now, she reveals her life through which the life of others can be read with the book "Flower of Vlora". "I decided to write and forever remain the story of how a Jewish-Romanian girl, who grew up and lived in Vlora with her family, preserving the ancient traditions - as I write in the book, in the communist regime," he said to TIME at the inauguration of her book in Pristina

A visit to Kosovo was a long-time dream for Anna Kohen, a Jewish woman who grew up in Albania. Writing a book was never in her plans. Her journey is connected to Albania, Greece and the USA, opening chapters for those who constantly had questions about the history of this woman. During World War II, her Jewish family took refuge with a family in Vlora.

In her book "The Flower of Vlora" she describes the time of communism in the eyes of a Jewish woman. Although a quarter of a century has passed since he left Albania, he calls himself Albanian. She calls Albania her homeland. In the book, she reveals to her friends for the first time that she never had Albanian citizenship. This was not allowed to her during Albania's oppressive and violent communist dictatorship, despite being born in Albania as a Jew and part of a Jewish family with Greek roots. Anna Cohen stood out from her peers. He was born in Vlora, from where he left with his family in 1966, settling first in Greece, where he completed his studies in dentistry. In 1970 he immigrated to the United States of America. A feminist dentist, a philanthropist and always ready to help people in need, she was described on Tuesday by the former ambassador of Kosovo in New York, Teuta Sahatqija.

"I know Ana, speaking fluent Albanian and being proud of her multiple origins, Romanian Jew, Albanian - flower of Vlora, American, philanthropist, open-minded and always smiling", said Sahatqija at the beginning of the speech at the inauguration of her book "The Flower of Vlora" on Tuesday at the National Library of Kosovo. He emphasized that he has enriched his impressions of Anna with a wide spectrum of wonderful colors. She has shown that there Anna refers to herself as Albanian.

"'Foreigners call our nation 'Albania' instead of 'Albania', as we call it ourselves." When Anna talks about the faith, she refers to the Albanian nation as 'our nation', feeling herself part of the nation. "Anna speaks emotionally, but with competence about the faith, she speaks from her own family's experience of rescuing Jews from Albanians in Albania as well as in Kosovo with concrete examples," Sahatqija emphasized.

An announcement in the "Illyria" newspaper about her dental services in 1991, Kohen in New York announced to the Albanian community that she spoke Albanian well. From that day on, the connection with the Albanians only deepened. Newly arrived Albanians also turned to her for any questions and help. Kohen, who had gone through the same period herself, was always open to every Albanian - who reminded her of the nation that saved her family's life. Since then, her humanitarian mission for the Albanians did not stop. Even her connection with the Albanians surprised anyone who did not know her history. This great curiosity prompted him to summarize everything in the book. Dr. Kohen has served the Albanian community for more than 30 years as president of the Organization of Albanian-American Women. Within its framework, it had also helped Kosovo a lot during the last war.

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Shqipe Malushi, who is also a member of this organization, has described Koheni as a visionary woman who believed and had no doubts when it came to the work of Albanians. Moreover, her courage was persistent. Malushi confessed that when the association was legalized in 2001, funds came from the state and the association became even more professional. With this he added that a door was opened for the community where programs started to be created that dealt with the issue of identity and integrity of American society.

"Dr. Kohen worked non-stop, he had a lot of energy. We have created 22 programs, we had 16 workers, 200 volunteers, the magazine 'Shpresa'. Dr. Kohen has never interfered to say that something is done or not, it has trusted us, supported us and given us freedom that we have received a lot of power and have been independent", said the activist Malushi.

Edwin Schwartz, who translated this book, said that he also saw it as a moral obligation. According to him, the book describes the story of a family divided into three countries - continents, and all the vicissitudes they have gone through are like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

"A family that has survived, triumphed, succeeded, adapted to three different regimes, in three different countries. It has also triumphed over communism, capitalism, especially Nazism. He did this based on the moral and ethical code and on the Jewish religion and mixed with the best Albanian customs, such as loyalty, generosity, faith and the invincible spirit", said Schwartz in front of the audience.

Ten years ago, Anna Kohen came to Albania for the 100th anniversary of Albania's Independence and visited the village where her family had taken refuge. From there he went to the abandoned house of Kadri Lazaj, who had become a guest house. There she decided to document her story first for her nephews and nieces, but then, since the interest was great, she was convinced to reveal it in a book which she can share with the entire Albanian people.

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"Since the end of communism, the return to Albania was continuous and the memories with Albania were permanent, that's why I decided to write and forever remain the story of how a Jewish-Romanian girl who grew up and lived in Vlora with her family, preserving ancient traditions - as I write in the book, in the communist regime", she expressed to the audience. She says that her many commitments have not left her much time for reflection - and from this reflection came her book "Lulja e Vlora", which has an autobiographical approach.

"There comes an age when the speed of these daily activities changes and one looks back to look at the past. 'Lulja e Vlora' resembles an artistic novel, in fact it is an autobiographical book. My autobiography that I leave as a legacy to my children, nephews and nieces, the Jewish community and all you Albanians", she added further.

Historian Frashër Demaj has stated that the history of relations between Albanians and Jews is very early. The basic reason that has encouraged researchers to think about these relations is the Albanian uniqueness in the period of the Second World War, when the Nazi fascists were persistently looking for Jews to arrest and send them to concentration camps, while Albanians are among the rare peoples in these three that protected them. This, according to Demaj, is not based on religious rules but on the tradition built in the Canon.

"Their generosity is not religious, but national because all Albanians, regardless of their religion, showed themselves to be very humane in the most difficult moments when the Jews needed shelter and support", said Demaj during the inauguration of the book.

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"The roots have always drawn me and called me to return, because I continue to call myself a Jew-Albanian-Greek", emphasized Cohen.

In 1991, with the help of several Jewish organizations, she took 37 of her Jewish-Albanian relatives to the USA. In 2004, the President of the Republic of Albania awarded Dr. Kohen with the medal "For Special Civil Merits" with the motivation: For valuable contributions to help Albanians during the humanitarian crisis in Kosovo.