Sivanne Weiss was born as Hanka Szlesinger in Katowice when it was Poland (Germany kept its eye on upper Silisia and annexed it from time to time). She became Chani in Israel; studied at Herzliya High School; left Israel and studied at Syracuse University in upstate New York - Architecture, Math, Science and Piano; worked in Systems Development and loved it. She came back to Israel after the Six Day War for a few years. In 1973 she returned to US where she worked as Major Systems Project Manager for one of San Franciscos leading banks. In 1986 she returned home (to Tel Aviv and Israel) and became Sivanne Shir - a writer and translator in Hebrew and English. Although retired, Sivanne keeps writing.