The picture was made in Bobruysk in 1978 during our visit to my mother-in-law. To the right is my wife Maya Birger, her mother Bronya in head kerchief, I, wife's sister Emma Zouber. Mother's-in-law house is in the background of the picture.
In 1954 I found a job rather quickly as I was the candidate to KPSS which was rare in Lithuania. I was hired as a locksmith -assembler by electric welding equipment plant. I did very well. I was raised in my class and made pretty good money. When mother turned 55 I insisted on her retirement. I was admitted to the communist party and again I was offered social work. Soon I became the party officer of the second workshop, where welding machines were produced.
In 1956 I met a Jewish girl, who was hired by our plant as an economist. I liked her at once. She also fell in love with me. Soon I proposed to her. My fiancee Maya Zouber was born in Byelorussian town Bobruysk in 1935. Maya's father was a gifted engineer but he was not admitted to the institute as his father was a shochet. Having no higher education, Maya's father was in charge of tractor station. In 1937 when repressions were in full swing [Great Terror] he like many others was charged with sabotage and arrested. Maya's father was sentence to ten years without a right to correspond with anybody. Maya's mother Bronya Zouber went to Moscow and tried to find out the truth. She was directly told if she wanted to save her and her children she should ask no extra questions. Maya did not know her father. He was most likely executed shortly after arrest. During the Great Patriotic War Maya, her mother and elder sister Emma were in evacuation in Siberia. When the Great Patriotic War was over, they came back to their native town. Maya entered vocational school of timber industry. Upon graduation, she got a mandatory job assignment in Vilnius. Like many other unfairly condemned, Maya's father was rehabilitated after Stalin's death and ÕÕ Party Congress. It was at the time, when I met Maya and decided to be together.
In March 1957 our marriage was registered in marriage register office. We had neither wedding band nor wedding attire. At home mother made dinner and invited my brother Natan and his wife, aunt Leya with husband and Etka and aunt Vera. We lived with my mother. In May my wife and I went to Bobruysk. I met my mother-in -law Bronya and wife's elder sister Emma. Here we also marked our wedding. Since that time I was a dear guest in Bobruysk and my wife's kin came over to see us as well. Now my mother-in-law and Emma are living in the USA. They immigrated there in early 1990s.
I was married, had children, therefore I ought to earn more. I left the plant and went to work at furniture factory, where the salary was higher. I was also involved in social work. I was in charge of brigade, which daily patrolled the streets helping militia with detecting sots and hooligans. I was involved in civil defense. In a word I was an active member of society. At the factory I acquired the skills of sanitary technician and took up that profession. It was rather lucrative as I started having odd jobs in school and at the factory. I provided a rather good living for my family. I was one of the first who bought Zhiguli car. Now I have a German car and make some money as a driver.
