Tony and Mendel Korber

This is my paternal grandmother, Toni Korber, nee Merdler, and my paternal grandfather Abraham Mendel Korber. The photo was taken in Campulung Moldovenesc in 1925.

My grandfather was born in Campulung Moldovenesc in 1857. He finished elementary school and became a tinsmith and glasscutter. He was a very open-minded person. He used to read daily the Allgemeine Östidische Zeitung [The Eastern Journal] and the Morgenblatt [The Morning] newspapers, both in German, and all kinds of books, without any particular preferences - anything we could get him or that was published those days in Campulung. For example, a whole series of small volumes called Crimele Inchizitiei [Crimes of the Inquisition] was published, and he couldn't wait to read them. He used to go to the synagogue twice a day. He was a gabbai at the Temple - there were two synagogues, the old one, built a very long time ago, and the temple, built more recently; he used to go to the temple.

My grandmother was illiterate, and I don't know when exactly she was born. She took care of the household and I remember she made delicious cookies. She used to go to the synagogue, where there was a group of women one of who used to read the prayers. These prayers were written more plainly, that is, the stories with religious subjects were narrated in a simpler way, so even those who never went to school could understand them. My grandmother's maiden name was Merdler, and I know she had three sisters: Taube, Sosie and Sur - I knew the two latter ones -, and two brothers, Feivish and David. She was religious, wore a shawl and had a kosher kitchen. Even during the deportation my grandparents tried to respect the traditions, lit candles, fasted and tried to observe the holidays.