Ivan Barbul with his relatives

This is me, Ivan Barbul, with my relatives. This photo was taken in Kishinev in 1962. From left to right sitting: my brother Moisey's wife Nina, his daughter Faina, my sister Anyuta Rabinovich, my wife Liana Degtiar. Standing, from left to right: my brother Moisey Rybakov, my sister Nehoma Abramovich, and I, Ivan Barbul. This photo was taken on the occasion of Anyuta's visit from Israel. After finishing my college I began to work as director of the school in Raspopeny. I often went to see my brother in Kishinev and met my future wife, when visiting my distant relatives. She rented a room from them. Her name was Liana Degtiar. I liked Liana at once and I met with her each time I went to Kishinev. In the summer of 1961 we went to the Crimea by boat. We sailed to Yalta and then traveled across the Crimea. We stayed in Gurzuf, climbed mountains for two days, walked to Alushta and went to Yevpatoria. Liana is three years younger than me. She was born in Bucharest in 1933. When Bessarabia was annexed to the USSR in 1940, Liana's family returned to Soroki. During the war they were in evacuation in Kurgan:Tuba region, in Tajikistan. In 1944, the family returned to Soroki after it had been liberated by the Soviet forces. Liana graduated from the Faculty of Physics of Kishinev University and worked as a scientific employee at the laboratory of the Scientific Research Institute of Electric Instruments. We had a quiet wedding. Our friends and my wife's colleagues came to the registry office. Then we had a small party in Liana's room. Then we went to Liana's parents' house in Soroki and celebrated with the family and their acquaintances. After the wedding I moved in with Liana. My sister Anyuta's visit from Israel in 1962 was a great pleasure for me. She took a plane to Odessa and from there she traveled to Kishinev. This was shortly after our wedding. This was our first meeting after she had moved away. I told her the story of our family. Anyuta brought me Shmilik's photograph. Anyuta had a husband and three sons: Noah, Judah and Zvi. They lived in Rishon Le Zion. Anyuta's husband grew and sold oranges and their sons helped him. You can imagine how concerned I was about my relatives during the wars in Israel: the Six-Day-War, and the War of Judgment Day. I listened to BBC and The Voice of America.