Archive for the ‘family’ Category

I am a Levite

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

Jewish Temple Jerusalem

Jewish Temple Jerusalem

I just found out I am a Levite! I was told by my cousin Ludlmila Fromchenko, the daughter of my mother Ninel Berger’s brother Igor Fromchenko that my great grandfather Isaac Fromchenko was a Levite with last name Levin which he changed to Fromchenko because he would have been called if he did not change the name during the Russian Pogroms in Ukraine. But in Judaism the tribe is determined by the father’s side. So I called my uncle Michael Berger, the brother of my father Vilem Berger, and he told me I am a Levite.

I always felt I am a Levite but did not exactly knew it until I found out. I always knew that I am a servant of God, Amein. Now I have to server Hashem in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem! Baruch Hashem, Amein

Message to Barack Obama the next President of USA

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

To the next President of The United States of America Barack Obama. President Obama my name is Igor Berger and I have some grave news to share with you.

I am an Israeli citizen who use to leave in America, but I left America for Japan to live with my Japanese wife. My mother a USA citizen lived in America alone. I am sorry I am referring to her as lived, because she died a few weeks ago from Alzheimer’s disease. I tried to be with her and applied for a American visa in Osaka, Japan but was denied the visa with the reason for denial that I cannot prove that I will come back to live in Japan and not stay in USA illegally. I have been living in Japan with my wife for the past 18 years, but currently I am unemployed. I do work from time to time when I find work, my wife works, and we live off our savings. I have no intent of staying in America illegally. The USA consultant sad this is not good enough!

My family and I immigrated from communist Russia to America in 1974. We left Russia because of religious prosecution and oppression. We are Jews who came to America to start a new life. My parents became American citizens but I did not, because at the time they were naturalized I was over 18 years old and did not qualify automatically. I applied and went to Japan to work. One day coming back to America at Hawaii I was told because I do not reside in America I must surrender my American green card. I had no choice but to surrender it because my business and my wife were in Japan.

America is a democratic country with freedoms for its citizens, but these freedoms were denied to my mother a United States citizen Ninel Berger. American constitution is set up to protect American citizens but it could not protect my mother. America denied my mother her right to be with her son before she died. All I wanted to do is to see her and hold her hand and say our last goodbyes, but I could not. She died all alone in a nursing home.

I beg of you please help me to come to America and pay my final respects to her at her grave. You say you are a President for change. You say you care about American people. Please help a son to see his mother, even if it is just in spirit!

Thank you,

Igor Berger

Goodbye Ninel Berger from Igor Berger

I have been trying to get attention to this matter for a long time now, but all in vain. I guess I will try to go to Israel and apply for USA visa there. But unless I have permanent employment I doubt I will get a visa there either.

Please read some other posts that I have written on this subject.
USA visa application refused
Congressman Bob Barr protect American people
America what did I do wrong?

Congressman Bob Barr protect American people

Sunday, August 10th, 2008

Petition to Congressman Bob Barr:


The Jewish People

Friday, July 11th, 2008

To my Jewish brothers and sisters! We The Jewish People are a nation of people who are strong together! Now in diaspora as for centuries we are fighting for our rights as people.

We as Jewish people have been persecuted by other races since God gave us Israel through the hand of Abraham our patriarch. One exile after another we were condemned to bondage and suffering!

We have been in Bondage in Egypt brought out by Moses via an Exodus! We have been in Babylonian Captivity. The Romans dispersion of the Jews from Israel after the Bar Kokhba Revolt. The religious persecution of the Jews under Spanish Inquisition. Then again Anti-Jewish pogroms in the Russian Empire. Then under the Nazi Germany we went trough Holocaust and almost exterminated by Hitler.

Now most of us are in Israel fighting with our Palestinian brothers to defend our land, or we are in America getting rich. Still many of us are scattered all over the world!

Being Jewish is not just a religion but a way of life. It does not matter if you live in Israel or in another part of the world, you are still Jewish!

As Jewish people why have we been so persecuted and despised by other people? Could it be because we do not respect people? Could it be that we are scared and just want to be left alone? Could it be that we are afraid to be Jewish?

If we want other people to respect us as a race we need to respect each other first! We need to stop being afraid! We need to believe in who we are!

Jewish Diaspora Immigrants

Jewish Diaspora Immigrants

I fear if we fail to stand up and speak against injustice! If we fail to fight against oppression! If we fail to fight for Human Rights and for Freedom of Speech, America will be the next land of Jewish persecution!

It is not just about businesses and leave me alone! It is about all people Jewish and non-Jewish! Respect and stand up for your fellow human beings!

USA Visa Application Refused

Monday, January 14th, 2008

I was born in Leningrad, Russia and immigrated to USA with my family, via Israel, when I was 11 years old. Living in America was very hard for all of us, but I tried my best and graduated from New York University with a degree in finance and computer information technology.

After graduating NYU, I was not able to find a suitable job because of an economic downturn, so I decided to come live in Japan with my new Japanese wife that I have just met in New York. We both came to Japan, I thinking of working as an English teacher and my wife not really knowing what she was going to do. By sheer luck I brought with me Gutamala friendship bracelets which I wholesaled at Harajuku for one usd each. After that I decided to start an import company, which I ran and managed for 10 years.

We were doing really well and saved up some money and even thinking of coming back to live in the USA, but one day when we went on vacation to Hawaii the USA immigration took away my American green card. They told me that because I spend most of my time outside America I cannot have a green card. Both my parents became neturalized American citizens, but because I was over 18 years of age at the time of application I did not become American citizen automatically but had to apply on my own, which I did not because I was busy running my business in Japan.

Now everytime I wanted to go to America I had to get a visa, which I was granted but had to come up with a lot of paper work. During that time, my father died at the age of 65 and I was not able to attend his funeral. My brother died from cancer at the age of 46, and I was not able to attend his funeral. I was not able to attend both their funerals because I did not have a valid visa at the time.

Four years ago, after living in Japan for 14 years, I’ve tried getting a USA visa so I can visit my mother who is 78 years old now and lives all alone, and the USA consulant in Osaka, Japan refused my visa, saying that I cannot prove intent of not wanting to immigrate to USA. My mother is sick and she does not have any living reletives who can help her. A few times when I called her I found her in a hospital on her death bed. God help me, for American is wrong! She is an American citizen and I her son cannot visit her. America claims it is fighting for freedom and democracy, but meanwhile it does not respsect its citizens human rights and The US Bill of Rights

Ninel Berger, Kayo, and Igor

Ninel, Kayo, and Igor

Mr. Uyama, Atsuko, Kayo, and Igor

Mr. Uyama, Atsuko, Kayo, and Igor

My old Iggy’s accessory shop in Osaka, Japan

Iggy's accessory shop in Osaka, Japan

My, Igor Berger Israeli Passport

Igor Berger Israeli Passport

Igor Berger Japanese Permenent Residence

Igor Berger Japanese Permenent Residence

USA Goverment says No to Igor Berger visa request

USA Goverment says No to Igor Berger visa request

My mother died October 20th 2008. I was not able to say goodbye to her, so I did it in this post. Goodbye to Ninel Berger!