Maria Koblik-Zeltser with her cousins

This picture was taken in Soroca in 1946. All my cousins Menihes, called after Grandmother Menihe, are in this picture. I am standing on the right in the motley dress. Uncle Motle’s daughter is standing on the left, Tuba's daughter, in the checkered dress, is sitting on the left, and Aron's daughter is on the right. My cousin Mikhail, Aron’s son, is standing in the center.

In December 1944 our family returned to Bessarabia from evacuation. Mother insisted on my entering the university. When I was pondering over whether to enter the Teachers’ Training Institute or the vocational school, there was an announcement that the Medical Institute was open in Kishinev. It was my dream. Mother also wanted her children to become doctors. My mother and I went to Kishinev. I submitted the documents. I didn’t have to take entrance exams as I had a secondary school certificate with honors. Only two months later I received the invitation for the classes.

Mother rented a room for me. I shared it with a girl from our town, who also entered the medical institute. The room was dark. We slept on one bed. Nevertheless, the student years were the best period of my life. I had very many friends. I was an excellent student. In spite of the hard life and hunger, which was almost as bad as during the war we managed to save some money to go dancing, to the cinema and theater. My parents moved to Soroca.

My maternal grandmother was called Menihe. I don’t know Grandmother’s maiden name. I know that she died of cancer at the age of 54, leaving four children behind: my mother Soibel, her brothers Motle and Aron, and sister Tuba. When they had their own children, all of them called a daughter Menihe after their mother.