Leya Kil' with her family

This is my mother -in-law, Leya Kil' (in the center), with her parents. To the left is my husband's grandfather, Shi-Yankle. I don’t know his last name. He was a rabbi in Dvinsk. The picture was taken in Dvinsk in the 1910s.

I met my future husband, Yakov Kil', in synagogue on a Jewish holiday. There were a lot of young people on that day. He came up to me and we had a talk. Young people meet easily. We liked each other and started dating. In 1959 we got married. I had a religious wedding, in accordance with all rites and customs. Our marriage was registered in the state marriage registration office, and at home we had a chuppah. The rabbi came to wed us. Our wedding was very beautiful. Of course, Mother couldn't afford a wedding party for me. Both, my husband and I worked and we put aside money for the wedding.

My husband was born on 31st October 1931 in Dvinsk, in my father's native town. His name is Yakov according to the passport, but the double name Evsey-Yankle is written in his birth certificate. My husband's father, Leib Kil', was in timbering, and his mother, Leya Kil', was a housewife. His mother came from a very religious family. Her father Shi-Yankle was a rabbi in Dvinsk. He died in the 1920s. My husband was named after him. There were four children in the family. Rachmil was the eldest. Ester was born after him. My husband was the third child and the youngest was his brother Benjamin. The family was very religious. All traditions were observed. The children were raised Jewish.

During the war the family was in the evacuation. Then they moved to Riga. My husband finished compulsory school, worked at a plant. His elder brother Rachmil was a rail man. Rachmil was married, had three children. When the Jewish community of Latvia was founded, Rachmil's daughter worked for the community. In the middle of the 1990s she left for Israel. She is working in an archaeology institute there. Rachmil died in 1994. He was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Riga.

Ester married a certain Mr. Shneider. She worked in the bread-baking plant in Riga. She had two sons. One of them is currently living in Riga, another one, who is no longer alive, lived in Israel. Ester died in 1985. Only the youngest brother, Benjamin, is still alive. He and his wife retired a long time ago. Their son lives in Israel. Another son is living in Riga and working in a bank. All of them are very nice people and true Jews.