Leib Loshak and family

This is my grandfather Leib with the family of his oldest son, Zinoviy: Zinoviy's wife Sonya; his daughters Olga, Lubov, Yelena; and son Mikhail. Zinoviy, or Zyama, as he was called, left Berdichev first for Moscow and then for Leningrad. He became a famous photographer. My father, Govshia Loshak, was the middle son. He finished only elementary school. He 'inherited' the profession of repairing sewing machines. My parents kept Jewish traditions and holidays, but they were not religious. Around 1936, my mother, Sarah Raygorodetskaya, began to work at the passport department in the city police department. Because of her official position, she was afraid to go to the synagogue. I remember well that after the war people were watched, and my mother was always afraid that somebody would learn that we celebrated Passover or other Jewish holidays at home.