David Davidsohn and Ietti Leibovici

This is me, Ietti Leibovici, with my father, David Davidsohn, in front of our store in Vatra Dornei in 1932. And this is what I deduced, that he sent this photograph to his parents, since the text on the back reads: 'My dearest parents, I'm sending you this photograph of my dear Iettica. If you can't see her in person, may you at least see her in a photograph. I believe I don't look so good, but Iettica didn't want to have her photograph taken without me.' This is how I have a fragment left with my father's handwriting.

My father, David Davidsohn, was born in Botosani around 1900, I believe. I think he graduated secondary school - they attended 7 grades back then. My father owned an ironmonger's shop in Botosani - before he got married - where he sold other products as well.

My father was from Botosani, and he married my mother, who was from Vatra Dornei. And he stayed in Vatra Dornei as well after they married. My mother didn't work, she had no regular job, and my father was in charge of the store. The store was located downtown. I forget what it was called, but he ran it with my uncle, my mother's brother, Iosef Laufer. It covered the space of a two-room apartment and they sold hardware, nails, they even sold lime there.

75% of the population of Vatra Dornei was Jewish. There were 2 streets in the center of the city. As you walked away from the train station, there was Ferdinand St., which was crossed by the main street - larger than the one coming from the train station -, Carol St. And there were stores on both sides of the bridge leading to the city: manufacture shops, footwear, stands, newspaper stands, grocer's shops, fruit vendors, dairy shops, restaurants. And most of them were Jewish. There were a few shops belonging to Christians as well - there was a shop belonging to a Greek, for instance, where you could buy coffee, halvah, specialties like these.