Life’s hardships do not mean misery; on the contrary, during those trying years, the family enjoyed an agreeable life. Abram’s sister Ghenya and Hanna’s sister Polina, always nearby, provided much needed help around the house and with the kids.
Never much for a study, Ghenya was a sturdy, hardworking girl; she worked as a cook’s helper in an industrial plant, and spent all free time with Abram’s family. Hanna’s sister, Polina, was different. Rebellious from the young age, she broke the century’s old tradition of a wedding within the Jewish faith, by marrying a good-looking Ukrainian lad. That marriage created a rift between the newlyweds and the groom’s parents, devoted Christians, who refused to accept the Jewish girl, yet Hanna and Abram, …show more content…
In spite of the news about indiscriminate killing of the Jews, and other undesirables, that now filled the radio waves and newspapers, Abram refused to comprehend the reality of the situation. He was not an exception; thousands of Jewish families decided to stay, each one with the unique set of circumstances: the old disabled parents, new babies, new house. Yet, the most important factors were the lack of understanding of the Nazis determination to eliminate the Jewish population, and the naïve desire to believe in the human decency.
The German troops entered Kherson in August of 1941, immediately installing some eager Ukrainian collaborators to run the city. Polina’s husband, Victor, was one of those people. From the very young age, he inherited his parents’ intense hatred of the Communist rule. As the war started, he avoided the general draft to the Red Army by hiding in the Dnieper River’s swamps. He and some of his companions welcomed the German troops to Ukraine, hoping for the permanent change of government. Sadly, there were thousands Ukrainian collaborators whose viciousness toward Jewish population exceeded even the deeds of German
Never much for a study, Ghenya was a sturdy, hardworking girl; she worked as a cook’s helper in an industrial plant, and spent all free time with Abram’s family. Hanna’s sister, Polina, was different. Rebellious from the young age, she broke the century’s old tradition of a wedding within the Jewish faith, by marrying a good-looking Ukrainian lad. That marriage created a rift between the newlyweds and the groom’s parents, devoted Christians, who refused to accept the Jewish girl, yet Hanna and Abram, …show more content…
In spite of the news about indiscriminate killing of the Jews, and other undesirables, that now filled the radio waves and newspapers, Abram refused to comprehend the reality of the situation. He was not an exception; thousands of Jewish families decided to stay, each one with the unique set of circumstances: the old disabled parents, new babies, new house. Yet, the most important factors were the lack of understanding of the Nazis determination to eliminate the Jewish population, and the naïve desire to believe in the human decency.
The German troops entered Kherson in August of 1941, immediately installing some eager Ukrainian collaborators to run the city. Polina’s husband, Victor, was one of those people. From the very young age, he inherited his parents’ intense hatred of the Communist rule. As the war started, he avoided the general draft to the Red Army by hiding in the Dnieper River’s swamps. He and some of his companions welcomed the German troops to Ukraine, hoping for the permanent change of government. Sadly, there were thousands Ukrainian collaborators whose viciousness toward Jewish population exceeded even the deeds of German