Irina and Aron Golbreich

This is me and my future husband Aron Golbreich. This photo was taken at our home shortly before we got married in Riga in 1957.

After finishing school in 1954, I passed entrance exams to the Faculty of Natural Science and Chemistry of the Riga Teachers' Training College. Upon my graduation I received a job assignment to the general education school of the Marta collective farm near Riga. This area belongs to Riga now. I lived at home and took a bus to work. I worked as a teacher of natural science and chemistry for a year before I was offered a job in Riga. In this school I worked till I retired. I wouldn't say that everybody treated me well. People are different. However, I faced no anti-Semitism at work.

I got married in 1957. I met my future husband Aron Golbreich through his aunt, who was Mama's friend. Mama had met her before the war. Aron was born in the town of Beshenkovichi, Vitebsk region, Belarus, in 1921. It was a Jewish town, one of many in Belarus. Aron father's name was Solomon, and his mother's name was Hena. The family had four children, and Aron was the youngest. I didn’t know the others.

Aron had finished school before the war. He was going to continue his studies at college. Aron and his brothers were recruited to the army. Aron was the only survivor. His parents perished, when Fascists occupied Beshenkovichi. Aron's only relative, his aunt, lived in Riga with her family. She was a dentist. She convinced Aron to move to Riga. He graduated from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the Riga Teachers' Training College and worked as a teacher of Physics and Mathematic at school. His aunt suggested to my mother that they introduced him to me. She told Mama he was a nice guy. Mama asked for my consent, and I said I didn't mind. Why not?

I liked Aron, and I think, Aron liked me as well. We started seeing each other and some time later he proposed to me. We had a civil wedding. Jewish weddings were not popular at the time. It's different nowadays. When Latvia became independent, Jewish traditions were restored, and nowadays many Jewish weddings are arranged. It was different in our time. Besides, Aron was a Party member. He joined the Party in the army at the front, and he couldn’t have had a Jewish wedding even if he had wanted to.