Isaac Serman

This is our group of the History Department of Tartu University on graduation day. I am 5th to the right in the last row. The photo was taken in Tartu 1952.

I got married on the 31st December of 1948. I met my wife Riva in Tartu. When I met Riva, she worked in the municipal Ispolkom. We fell in love with each other and got married soon. We had an ordinary wedding for those times. We registered our marriage in the marriage registration office and had a modest party with close people. There was no opportunity to arrange for a Jewish wedding and there was no place for it. The Tallinn synagogue was burned down in 1944. Besides, I was not willing to be wed under a chuppah. I was an atheist and a party member. It was not acceptable for me. But even in Soviet time we marked Jewish holidays at home. We also marked Soviet holidays - the 1st of May, the 7th of November, and Victory Day. The latter was the biggest holiday for those who survived and came back home. It was the greatest holiday for us.

Before finishing university I was transferred to Tallinn to work as an editor with the radio. I was transferred to extramural studies. We lived in Tallinn with my father. It was hard for me to study back in that time. The paper was to be released in the morning, but we had to work on the issue all day long. It was easier for me to work with the radio. There were three chief editors and each of us was on duty for a week. When I was on duty, I was through with work at around 1am.

In 1951 our daughter was born in Tartu. My wife and I called her Ita after my dear mother. Unfortunately I was too tied up at work and practically had no time to see my daughter.