Tag #151806 - Interview #84041 (Yacob Hollander)

In Mochola I was elected secretary of the Komsomol organization of the village. I was to conduct Komsomol meetings and take reports of our Komsomol activities to the district Komsomol committee in Beregovo. When I returned to Beregovo I joined the party in 1954. It wasn’t my initiative and nobody asked me about it. My friend Yakubovich just told me that it was a necessary step or they wouldn’t keep me in my position if I didn’t do it. Our bosses could close their eyes on the fact that I was a Jew, but a non-partisan Jew in the position of deputy director was too much. I submitted my application and obtained recommendations. When my candidateship term was over a general meeting admitted me to the Party. I didn’t feel that I was honored. I just needed it to be able to keep my job. This had its effect: in 1956 I was appointed director of food stocks and in 1957 I was elected a member of the district party committee in Beregovo.