With the Lamp of My Soul

Jelena Bango (aka Helene Kvajic Rochstein), grew up in the land of
the crossroads of cultures. She was born in Belgrade, in 1939, former
Yougoslavija, at the beginning of the Second World War. During the war,
Jelena's father, a Makedonian, disappeared.
Almost immediately, her mother being from Croatia, moved the baby
Jelena into Legrad, a small village in her native country. There, Jelena grew
up sheltered by the Catholic nuns of the village church and by the quietness
of the almost mystical surroundings of the rivers Drava and Mura.
Jelena's heart was always wide open to God, while at the same time, her
mind was open to learning about other cultures and other religions.
Under the guidance of the hidden hand of God, Jelena relocated to Paris,
France, and shortly after to Montreal, Canada. There she married into
the Eastern Orthodox religious culture. She could never understand the
reasons for religious separation of the churches and this was a hidden pain
of her heart. Several years later, the family moved briefly to New York and
then to the East Coast of Florida. Jelena continued her search for God
and for the meaning of life. She became an enthusiastic student of the
Ancient Wisdom and philosophy. The hidden Hand of God then thrust
her into the Jewish mystical and cultural environment. This gave Jelena the
opportunity to open deeper the path of Light at the call of her soul. Today,
Jelena understands more profoundly other peoples' struggles for Light, and
she appreciates more deeply her own religion.
Poetry writing was the means of her heart's language. Poetry could easily
open the gates of the muses. The entire universe became Jelena's garden
filled with flowers of many forms and of delightful colors. Jelena is grateful
to all and to everyone who graciously contributed to the growth of her soul
into light.