When they left Romania in December of 1962, Liviu's family left by train and went to Rome. At the time Rome was a big way-station and center for Jewish immigrants whose plans were to get to Israel or the United States. Liviu's parents "were trying to figure out where to go" so they ended up spending time in many different places. After spending a number of months in Rome and Paris, Liviu's family traveled to Israel where they would end up staying a couple of months. They wanted to visit Liviu's grandparents, as his mother hadn't seen her own mother in years and was someone whom Liviu he had never met because they left Romania before he was born. After staying in Israel for a little while, Liviu's parents made the decision to travel to the United States.
Haifa, Israel, where Liviu stayed in his time in Israel
Liviu on a boat as a child
One of the main difficulties that Liviu had to face was the frequent moving. However, it was not the moving itself that made it difficult, it was the language barrier when it came to education that was difficult. Liviu talked about how "within a one year period, I went to school in 5 countries, in 5 different languages, and I was completely flummoxed." Another difficulty in immigration that Liviu talks about is just how draining the whole process is. He made it clear that "for any immigrant it's unsettling to have to move, learn a new language, learn new skills, and try to figure it all out. "