Lidia Lieberman, her second husband Naum Balan and Naum’s niece Tatiana

The first from the left is me, Lidia Lieberman, my husband’s niece Tatiana and my second husband Naum Balan. This photo was taken in Odessa in 2001.

I met my friend Rita's acquaintance Naum Balan, when I was in the 9th form. He was a student of the Communications College. We got together for parties: we played lotto, danced and had fun. Naum sometimes accompanied me home. He lived in the hostel of his college near my home. However, there was not a sign of a romance between us. We didn't see each other for months.

In the 1953 I got married for the first time whith Grisha Gaber. I divorced from my first husband in 1975. In 1982 I resumed relations with my acquaintance, Naum Balan. He lived in Soroki town in Moldavia. Our mutual friend Rita Reznik wrote him about my situation. Naum wrote me a letter and then came on a visit to Odessa. Naum cared about me: he visited me on all Soviet holidays - 1 May and October Revolution Day, New Year and on my birthday. I also visited him in Soroki. He was an engineer in the operations department in a construction company and went on numerous business trips. I joined him when I had few days off at work. Sometimes we went to Tiraspol where his younger brother Michael lived with his family. I met his favorite nieces: Luda, the oldest, lived with me when she studied in Odessa Construction College. The younger one Tatiana studied in Tiraspol, in Pedagogical College. Naum has always been fond of theater and cinema. We've been to all theaters in the town. We often went to museums and art exhibitions.

In 1995 with Naum we decided to live together. He sold his apartment in Soroki and moved to Odessa. My aunt Tsylia left me her one-room apartment in Cheryomushki [a new district in Odessa]. We exchanged this apartment and my room for a 2-room apartment with balconies and all comforts in a new district of the town. Our apartment is on the second floor. This is a very important factor for us since we are old people and there is no elevator in the house. Gmilus Hesed provides great assistance to us. They provide food packages, pay for medications, visits to a doctor. Volunteers help us about the house. I hardly ever leave my home. I call relatives on the phone. We read Jewish newspapers in Russian Or Sameach and Shamrey Shabos that publish news of the Jewish life in Odessa and about Jewish holidays and traditions. We have the Torah my grandfather Shama left to my mother's brother Michael. Naum and I decided to give it to the Jewish museum. We've read in a newspaper that this museum was founded in Odessa in 2003. We didn't observe Sabbath and the Jewish holidays.