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My father’s half-sister Anneta was born in1888. In 1911 she married a Jewish man from Odessa. They owned a small hardware store in Odessa. I don’t remember whether they sold their store or it was expropriated from them after the NEP.
Her son, whose name I don’t remember, was recruited to the army before the Great Patriotic War. He served in a frontier unit in Azerbaijan and perished at the border during the war with Iran. Anneta’s husband stayed in Odessa and perished.
Anneta evacuated to Tashkent with Uncle Motka’s son Isaac’s wife and daughter. After the war she returned to Odessa. She was 67 and spent the rest of her life in Isaac’s family. She died in Odessa in 1963. She was buried in the Jewish cemetery, but no Jewish rituals were followed, which was a common thing at the time.
Another half-brother of my father was born in Mayaki in 1892. I don’t remember his name and have no information about his life.
My father’s half-sister Sonia was born in 1895. She moved to Odessa in 1916 and married a Jewish man. His name was Israel Topelberg. He was a diver. Sonia was a housewife. She died in Odessa in 1938. I don’t remember when Israel died. They had two sons. Fascists hanged their older son Ziama in Odessa during the Great Patriotic War. He was a partisan. Their younger son Grisha was a driver. Grisha married his cousin sister Bella, Uncle Nuska’s daughter. Bella died in the late 1990s. Grisha lives in Odessa.
My father’s half-brother Nuska was born in 1897. He was handicapped. He had cerebral paralysis of his legs. In 1916 he also moved to Odessa. He had no education and worked as a shoemaker. He had a small shoe-repair shop. He had a license. He married a Jewish girl named Rukhl. They had two daughters: Bella and Lisa, and two sons: Izia and Misha.
When the Great Patriotic War began Nuska, his wife, their two daughters and Misha evacuated to Tashkent. Their son Izia stayed in Odessa. His cousin Ziama and he joined the underground movement and fascists hanged them as partisans.
Her son, whose name I don’t remember, was recruited to the army before the Great Patriotic War. He served in a frontier unit in Azerbaijan and perished at the border during the war with Iran. Anneta’s husband stayed in Odessa and perished.
Anneta evacuated to Tashkent with Uncle Motka’s son Isaac’s wife and daughter. After the war she returned to Odessa. She was 67 and spent the rest of her life in Isaac’s family. She died in Odessa in 1963. She was buried in the Jewish cemetery, but no Jewish rituals were followed, which was a common thing at the time.
Another half-brother of my father was born in Mayaki in 1892. I don’t remember his name and have no information about his life.
My father’s half-sister Sonia was born in 1895. She moved to Odessa in 1916 and married a Jewish man. His name was Israel Topelberg. He was a diver. Sonia was a housewife. She died in Odessa in 1938. I don’t remember when Israel died. They had two sons. Fascists hanged their older son Ziama in Odessa during the Great Patriotic War. He was a partisan. Their younger son Grisha was a driver. Grisha married his cousin sister Bella, Uncle Nuska’s daughter. Bella died in the late 1990s. Grisha lives in Odessa.
My father’s half-brother Nuska was born in 1897. He was handicapped. He had cerebral paralysis of his legs. In 1916 he also moved to Odessa. He had no education and worked as a shoemaker. He had a small shoe-repair shop. He had a license. He married a Jewish girl named Rukhl. They had two daughters: Bella and Lisa, and two sons: Izia and Misha.
When the Great Patriotic War began Nuska, his wife, their two daughters and Misha evacuated to Tashkent. Their son Izia stayed in Odessa. His cousin Ziama and he joined the underground movement and fascists hanged them as partisans.
Location
Ukraine
Interview
Isaac Klinger