Tatiana Tets

Tatiana Tets

This is me. I was under one year old then. I was given a new doll and photographed with it. This photo was taken in Riga in 1927.

My parents got married in 1913. My older brother Grigoriy, named after Grandfather Hirsh, was born in 1914. He was circumcised in accordance with Jewish traditions. I was born in 1926. I have the Russian name of Tatiana registered in my documents, and my Jewish name is Taube. I was named after my paternal grandmother, who had passed away before I was born.

After my brother was born, Mama did not quit her job. She hired a nanny for my brother. Her name was Emma Valde, and she was Latvian. Emma was married. She had two daughters. She worked for us from morning till night. She became a member of our family. This wonderful lady was well respected by all members of our family.

My parents were religious. We observed all Jewish traditions at home. My father fixed a mezuzah over the door to our apartment. I remember that we all had chains with little David stars on them. We celebrated Sabbath at home. Mama lit candles and prayed over them. When father came home from work, we all sat down to dinner. My parents tried to do no work on Saturday. However, if Mama had emergency patients, she never sent them away, but my parents did their best to observe Saturday. We also celebrated all Jewish holidays. My parents went to the synagogue on Jewish holidays. We spoke Russian and German at home. My parents and my older brother could also speak Yiddish, but I knew no Yiddish. I could understand the subject of discussion, but I could not speak myself. My parents usually took two-three days of vacation during Pesach, and we visited my grandmother and mama's sister in Jekabpils. We spent summer vacations at a dacha in the vicinity of Riga. I stayed there with a nanny, and my parents went to work in the morning and came back in the evening.

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