Natalia Zilberman’s father Duvid Milimevker and grandmother Ginda Milimevker

Natalia Zilberman’s father Duvid Milimevker and grandmother Ginda Milimevker

My father Duvid Milimevker and his mother Ginda Milimevker. Signed: "To my darling Naum from your brother. Duvid. 12 July 1908, Nemirov". Photo made at my father's 30th birthday. Photoshop of Boleslav Dvorzhetskiy.

My grandmother on my father's side Ginda Milimevker was born to a poor family in Lutsk in 1850s. My grandparents had 7 children. My father Duvid Milimevker was the oldest. He was born in 1878. At 3 he went to cheder. In autumn or winter there was a carrier that carried kids to the cheder on his back and front and on the sides. It wasn't too far - just few blocks.

My father told me that my grandparents was very religious. They observed all Jewish traditions in his family: followed the kashrut and celebrated all Jewish holidays and Shabbat, fasted at Yom Kippur (only small children were released from this duty). Boys in the family studied at cheder. On Saturday and on holidays parents and boys went to synagogue.

In 1891 when my father was 13 he had a Barmitzva. In a month after the ritual his father died of pneumonia at the age of 42. My father was the oldest and had to provide for the family. He took all kinds of jobs to earn for his family. He was a porter, baker, fireman. Later he finished grammar school in Lutsk and then - dentist school at Moscow University.

In 1901 my father went to Nemirov and became assistant dentist. At the beginning of XIX century Nemirov belonged to Poland and was residence of Bratzlav khasids. At the end of XIX century the town joined Russia and became part of restricted residential area . There was Polish, Ukrainian and Russian population, but the majority of it was Jewish. There were several synagogues and a Christian church in this town. The Jewish popu-lation consisted of tradesmen and handicraftsmen. They owned stores and shop located mainly in their own houses. They bought food products from farmers.

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