Grigoriy Tets

This is my brother Grigoriy Tets. He was photographed for his passport. This photo was taken in Riga in 1940.

My older brother Grigoriy, named after grandfather Hirsh, was born in 1914. He was circumcised in accordance with Jewish traditions. I don't know whether my brother studied at cheder. He was twelve years older than me, and I know about his childhood what he had told me. At least I know that he received some religious Jewish education. Grigoriy could read and write in Hebrew and knew prayers. At 13 he had his bar mitzvah. All Jewish boys in Latvia had their bar mitzvah rituals at 13. It was actually mandatory for the families we knew.

Grigoriy studied in the gymnasium where all subjects were taught in Latvian and Russian. After finishing the gymnasium Grigoriy entered the Law Faculty of Riga University and worked in a law office at night. This job enabled him to earn a living. My parents worked hard to earn our living. They also paid for their children's education that was expensive. My parents wanted us to get education. They wanted us to have a secure future, and they believed education played an important role in it. Grigoriy was good at his studies and at work. My brother was a convinced Zionist.

In the early 1930s my brother was going to move to Palestine to build a Jewish state. Many Zionists were leaving at the time. They wrote about their hardships and hard work. My brother was strong. He had already worked at construction sites and farms, and was ready to do any job. However, my parents were scared of letting him go, him being their only son. They tried to talk Grigoriy out of it, or at least to convince him to postpone his departure till I finished my studies and went to work. My brother stayed in Riga. Many of his friends left then.