Tag #129261 - Interview #78769 (Mariasha Vasserman)

Anti-Semitism appeared in Estonia in the postwar years. I didn’t come across it in everyday life. Maybe I could escape it as I had a very neutral appearance. I didn’t look like a typical Jew. Anti-Semitism was definitely displayed on the state level. I felt it in Soviet times. I loved traveling. At that time it was possible to buy a trip voucher only to socialistic countries. Besides that, the candidate to take a trip was supposed to be approved by the district committee of the Party, even if the candidate was not a member of the Party. I bought a trip to Bulgaria, but I wasn’t permitted to go. When I came there to find out the reason for refusal, I was told to try visiting Bulgaria next year. Of course, I made no attempts. Then I found out, that under the Soviet regime there was an admission quota for Jews in the institutions of higher education as well as for the trips abroad, purchased by Jews with their own money.

The second time I came across that was when our director decided to award a couple of our employees for their performance with a trip to Finland. There were three-day trips. All candidates were approved, but me. Our chief was a very good man. He was persistent. He took efforts and addressed all authorities to make it possible for me to fly to Finland. I went there but only owing to my chief, his persistence and the sense of justice. It wasn’t connected with my exile, but only with nationality. It was the politics of the Soviet Union.