The certificate given to my father Iosif Shlifer, that he has ended private eight-class commercial school in the city of Pereyaslav, in 1918, with excellent results
My father Iosif Shlifer was born in 1899. He received a religious education. He finished cheder and a Jewish primary school in Rzhishchev. Then he finished a Realschule in Pereiaslav Khmelnitski. In early 1920s my father moved to Kiev and worked in the system of public education. He also joined the Bund. It merged with the Communist Party in 1920s. My father was a devoted communist for the rest of his life. I don't know how my parents met. I think they met through matchmakers that was a customary way in Jewish families. They got married in 1921.
My grandparents on father's side were deeply religious. Of course, they observed Jewish traditions: followed kashrut and celebrated Saturday and Jewish holidays. They had six children. Grandfather tried to raise his children religious, but the Revolution of 1917 changed their life. Young Jewish people from poor families got fond of communist ideas. They wanted to leave smaller towns for bigger ones. They became communists and apologists of the new communist society. My father was the only son in the family. His oldest sister, whose name I don't know, died in infancy. My father had four younger sisters.
