On Sunday, January 21, 2024, we woke to the coldest temperatures in west central Florida so far this winter: 37+/- degrees F. It was only fitting that 30 members of the Estonian Society of Central Florida/Kesk Florida Eesti Selts (KFES) gathered for their annual soup and sandwich luncheon (supp ja võileiva lõunasöök), which also happened to be the day after National Soup Swap Day in the United States.

(Pictured left to right) Lisa Mets, Lia Milli, Ulve Nurmet, Reet Regina Cabrera, Moonika Mägi, Livija and Peep Rebane, Heikki and Inne Joonsar, kneeling Vincent Delaidatti with Birgit Delaidatti, Ludmila Stelmokene with Hannes Jakobson, Rein Allikberg with Anneliis Kuusik, and Sirje Kiin with Jack Walters. Märt Ulve is hiding in back. Missing from this photo but joining us too this afternoon: Aleksandra Kroon, Thomas and Ronit Soracco, Uno and Luule Tiisler, and the Jüri Toomepuu family. Foto by Erkki Taada
Arriving members were welcomed at the door and asked to sign the guest book. Once we were all in place, our wonderful hosts–KFES Treasurer and Acting President Heikki Joonsar and Vice President Inne Joonsar–greeted us all and outlined the afternoon’s program. Thank you to Heikki and Inne for hosting us in the wonderful community center in their residential neighborhood. What a perfect location for us!


Once again our members delivered a wonderful smorgasbord of what we consider representative traditional Estonian luncheon delights. Cabbage soup and pea soup and a new Spanish bean soup in addition. Sandwiches included kilu, ham, herring and salmon. Accompanying the soup were two homemade loaves of bread–oatmeal bread with chia seeds and rye bread–from Jae Toomepuu’s kitchen. Our talented bakers contributed delightful desserts.




Our KFES Board planned an engaging program for us this afternoon. Peep Rebane, dressed in his academic PhD regalia and looking quite serious, delivered what quickly turned out to be a humorous presentation of a lecture titled Eesti Rahva Rändamisi, which introduced us to ancient Estonian migratory influences across the African, Asian and European continents. The photos show how much we enjoyed Peep’s presentation.



Our seating and our numbers provided the perfect setting for an engaging group conversation following Peep’s presentation. Heikki Joonsar invited members to share experiences speaking, learning and teaching Estonian, English and other languages. How the Estonian language has evolved since our members were children in the 1940s and once Estonia regained its independence in 1991! Here are photos of some of the members who contributed to the conversation.




After the formal program, members had plenty of time to mingle and mix and enjoy each other’s company. Enjoy these photos of our members!







PLEASE SAVE THIS DATE: THE ESTONIAN SOCIETY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA/KESK FLORIDA EESTI SELTS (KFES) WILL CELEBRATE THE 106TH ANNIVERSARY OF ESTONIAN INDEPENDENCE [EVA 106] ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2024, FROM 12:00 TO 4:00 PM, AT OUR FAMILIAR LOCATION: FEATHER SOUND COUNTRY CLUB, CLEARWATER, FLORIDA. RESERVATIONS WILL BE REQUIRED. PLEASE STAY TUNED TO YOUR EMAIL, THIS WEBSITE, AND THE “KESK FLORIDA EESTLASED” FACEBOOK PAGE FOR INFORMATION. TO JOIN OUR EMAIL GROUP, WRITE TO HEIKKI JOONSAR AT KFES1918@YAHOO.COM.


































































