Moisey and Buka Kohenov

This photo was taken in Sofia in 1908. It shows the parents of my husband Nissim Kohenov. His mother was Buka, from a rich family in Vidin. Next to her is his father Dr. Moisey Kohenov, who also came from a rich family. He graduated in medicine in Vienna and returned to Bulgaria as one of the most respected and sought internists. He was also a military doctor. He took part in all wars, including World War II. He had the rank of lieutenant colonel. Dr. Kohenov, as everyone called him, was a very intelligent man. Everyone from the older generation knew him and went for consultation to him. During World War II he was mobilized and sent as a doctor to Vranjska Banja, Yugoslavia [today Serbia], which was occupied by the Bulgarian forces at that time. But since he helped with medicine and treatment the partisans, someone made up a libel against him. A friend of his told him that there was danger of him being interned. So, he left. He went to the Yugoslav partisans with his second son David, who later became a doctor in Israel. So, in fact, he became the oldest partisan. He worked there as a physician until the end of the war when he returned to Vidin. He died in 1958. My husband's name is Nissim Moiseev Kohenov, but everyone knew him as Simcho. He was born on 25th December 1922, the third son of the family. They spoke German at home and Bulgarian too, of course. My father's family was Sephardim and they spoke German, because Dr. Kohenov graduated in Vienna and his wife, my mother-in-law, was with him. They also spoke Ladino, but didn't use it much. All the three sons are very intelligent. The eldest one Santi left for France to study and remained to live there.