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My wife graduated from the Third Girls' High School in Sofia with excellent marks. She was a member of the Workers' Youth Union [UYW] [9] and took part in protests against high school fees. She was arrested by the police because of that. Her father, Nissim Geron, who was my uncle, was relatively well off. He had the ambition to build a factory for glucose production. Unfortunately, he had two Bulgarian partners who cheated him and he went bankrupt. The construction of the factory had already begun and even nowadays a protruding chimney can be seen on Kniajevo living estate. [Editor's note: suburban estate in the south-west of Sofia at the foot of the Vitosha Mountain.] My uncle only managed to keep his apartment, which he had very wisely registered as property of his wife. I live in this apartment now. It has three bedrooms and is situated in the center of Sofia right next to St. Aleksander Nevsky Cathedral.
I lived in Plovdiv until 1939. In 1940 I moved to Sofia where my wife lived. My uncle Nissim found me a job in a wine company where I worked until 1942. Uncle Nissim was chief accountant of that company and I started to work as his assistant. My son, Benedict Molhov, was born in 1941. My family loved music. While I lived in Plovdiv, I sang in the Jewish choir. In Sofia I signed up with the Georgi Kirkov [10] choir. My wife also had a beautiful voice and I brought her to the choir where she sang for 26 years. My wife's parents also sang very well. Thus, our son, Benedict Molhov, grew up to become a famous composer, conductor and singer.
The name Mevorah means blessed by God, in Ladino - 'bendicho'. That's why I named my only son Benedict. When our son was born, my wife asked the rabbi in Sofia what the contemporary equivalent of the name Mevorah was. He told her that that was the name Benedict. At that time [1941] I was mobilized in labor camps [11] as a soldier and I was temporarily released for the circumcision of my son. They informed me that they will name him Benedict and I agreed. Now my son is a famous composer and performer and his name can often be seen on posters. I think that the name Benedict Molhov is quite fitting for a composer.
I lived in Plovdiv until 1939. In 1940 I moved to Sofia where my wife lived. My uncle Nissim found me a job in a wine company where I worked until 1942. Uncle Nissim was chief accountant of that company and I started to work as his assistant. My son, Benedict Molhov, was born in 1941. My family loved music. While I lived in Plovdiv, I sang in the Jewish choir. In Sofia I signed up with the Georgi Kirkov [10] choir. My wife also had a beautiful voice and I brought her to the choir where she sang for 26 years. My wife's parents also sang very well. Thus, our son, Benedict Molhov, grew up to become a famous composer, conductor and singer.
The name Mevorah means blessed by God, in Ladino - 'bendicho'. That's why I named my only son Benedict. When our son was born, my wife asked the rabbi in Sofia what the contemporary equivalent of the name Mevorah was. He told her that that was the name Benedict. At that time [1941] I was mobilized in labor camps [11] as a soldier and I was temporarily released for the circumcision of my son. They informed me that they will name him Benedict and I agreed. Now my son is a famous composer and performer and his name can often be seen on posters. I think that the name Benedict Molhov is quite fitting for a composer.
Location
Bulgaria
Interview
haim molhov
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