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My mother’s parents also lived in Mogilyov-Podolskiy. I don’t know, when or where they were born. My grandfather’s name was Faivish Weinstein and my grandmother’s name was Riva. I don’t know my grandmother’s maiden name. I was named after her. There were five children in the family. The older son’s name was Srul and then came three daughters: Sheila, Lisa and my mother Golda. Mama was born in 1891. The youngest Mikhail, his Jewish name was Moishe, was born in 1895. My grandfather was a tailor and my grandmother was a housewife. My mother told me that the family was religious. They celebrated Sabbath and Jewish holidays at home. They spoke Yiddish. I don’t know what kind of education mama, her sisters or brothers got. Mama could read a write a little, but I don’t know how she learned it. My grandfather taught his daughters his profession. I don’t know what my mother’s brothers did for a living. My grandmother and grandfather died in the early 1900s, when my mama and her younger brother were still in their teens. My mother’s older brother and sisters raised the younger children.
My mother’s older brother Srul got fond of revolutionary ideas after World War I and attended a group where they studied works of the theoretical revolutionaries. When the czarist government arrested few members of their revolutionary underground organization, Srul and few other members moved to Brazil. As far as I know, there were no contacts with them. Sheila married a Jewish man from Simferopol and moved to live with her husband. This is all I know about her. My mother’s sister Lisa married Abram Goltzman from Mogilyov-Podolskiy. Lisa was a housewife. She had two daughters: Mariam, her Russian name was Maria, and the younger one was Riva, like me, also named after our grandmother. My mother’s younger brother Mikhail moved to the USA during the revolution of 1917 2. For some time the family corresponded with him. In 1932-33 during the period of famine 3 Mikhail sent us food parcels and money. Shortly before WORLD WAR II having relatives [Keep in touch with relatives abroad] 4 was no longer safe. This raised suspicion of espionage. Mama was very scared that authorities might learn that she had relatives in America. They kept writing us for some time and sent wedding photographs of their children, but mama did not reply and then the correspondence terminated. Mama destroyed the photographs and the address and later we didn’t try to find our relatives.
My mother’s older brother Srul got fond of revolutionary ideas after World War I and attended a group where they studied works of the theoretical revolutionaries. When the czarist government arrested few members of their revolutionary underground organization, Srul and few other members moved to Brazil. As far as I know, there were no contacts with them. Sheila married a Jewish man from Simferopol and moved to live with her husband. This is all I know about her. My mother’s sister Lisa married Abram Goltzman from Mogilyov-Podolskiy. Lisa was a housewife. She had two daughters: Mariam, her Russian name was Maria, and the younger one was Riva, like me, also named after our grandmother. My mother’s younger brother Mikhail moved to the USA during the revolution of 1917 2. For some time the family corresponded with him. In 1932-33 during the period of famine 3 Mikhail sent us food parcels and money. Shortly before WORLD WAR II having relatives [Keep in touch with relatives abroad] 4 was no longer safe. This raised suspicion of espionage. Mama was very scared that authorities might learn that she had relatives in America. They kept writing us for some time and sent wedding photographs of their children, but mama did not reply and then the correspondence terminated. Mama destroyed the photographs and the address and later we didn’t try to find our relatives.
Location
Ukraine
Interview
Riva Pizman Biography