My wife Tsylia and I, Natan Shapiro. This photo was taken in Lvov on 12th December 2002.
Perestroika came as fresh wind for my wife and me. By that time I realized that we had lived our life in a cruel and merciless regime. We didn’t have freedom of word or traveling or read books of our favorite writers. I wasn’t a devoted communist and by that time I wasn’t a party member any longer. After I became a pensioner I lost my party membership certificate and never recalled it.
I agree with my wife: we are very enthusiastic about the possibilities for people to travel and chose a place of living. There is freedom of speech. It is good that people got to know about the tragedy of Jewish people during the Great Patriotic War. There were books published that were not allowed before. The Jewish life has revived. Synagogues were opened and Jewish communities established. We can state proudly now that we are Jews.
Hesed and the Jewish society Sholem Aleichem provide medications for us. We attend clubs there to communicate with other Jews of our age. We also read Jewish newspapers. It is easier for us to be near people that support us in spirit, in particular, after our terrible loss – the death of our daughter. We celebrated Jewish holidays: Pesach, Purim, Yom Kippur and Chanukah. Igor and his family come to see us on holidays and we sit at the table all together. I also like to celebrate holidays in Hesed.
