Tag #129263 - Interview #78769 (Mariasha Vasserman)

When the putsch commenced in Russia [37], I was horrified. I dreaded to imagine that previous times may recur. Thank God, it didn’t happen. The Soviet Union broke up and I think it was the right and proper thing to happen. Estonia regained independence. I don’t mean this from a personal view. I don’t think about what it meant to me. I simply think it was needed for the entire Estonian people, and for me as well. Liberty is the most important thing for every individual and for the country as a whole. Only the country, its peoples are entitled to decide what to do, how to live, but not to fulfill somebody’s orders. Of course, sometimes things don’t happen to be the way one expects. At times, when I watch on TV the representatives of different parties in the parliament being at loggerheads, I loathe that and don’t even want to hear it. What are we to do? There should be time for learning something, including learning how to hear somebody else’s opinion.

When the Jewish community of Estonia was established I was happy about that. At that time I couldn’t take part in its foundation, in its work. I had to take care of my sick aunt, who needed me. When she died, I came to the community and asked for a task. At that time they started making the lists of the lonely and needy. I was also taking part in that job. I made friends with Eugenia Gourina, the daughter of the former director of our Jewish lyceum, Samuel Gourin. She was a very smart woman, knowing what she wanted and how to get it. It was a pleasure to work with her. Eugenia gave me some work to do and I willingly performed it.