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I took a post-graduate course at the university in Melitopol. I was writing a thesis entitled Rare publications of Turgenev [14]. My thesis was almost finished, and I was about to take my exams, when the campaign against 'cosmopolitans' [15] began. This happened in 1948. Teachers, journalists and writers of Jewish nationality were accused of cosmopolitism and fired. I was to take an exam in 19th century literature. Before I went to the exam an order was issued to give me an 'unsatisfactory' mark for neglecting Soviet literature. There were no 19th century literature teachers at the exam. The night before the exam my tutor, a very decent and kind man, and I worked on the questions that I might be asked at the exam. I answered my first question at the exam and was told that it was wrong. I demanded that they put down my answers in writing. They had to put a 'good' mark regardless of their intention to give me a bad mark. My next exam was French. My French teacher was given the choice of either giving me a bad mark or being fired as 'an individual that was under the occupation during the war and might have cooperated with Germans'. If this had happened she might not have been able to get another job whatsoever, because this accusation would have been difficult to refute. I heard about this from my tutor. But there was a new head of chair appointed shortly before. He came to the exam and listened to my response. He gave me a 'good' mark. The management of the post-graduate course decided to give me additional work with students such as seminars and classes. I didn't have enough time left for doing my own work.
NBut the last drop for me became the anniversary of Gogol [16]. I made a speech and then a representative of the chair was to read my letter of reference. Khitrov was to read it, and I couldn't believe what I heard, 'Untalented, lazy, etc.' The attendants requested an explanation from him, and he said that he had written two references, but read the wrong one by mistake. My nerves failed me, and I decided to quit. This was the first and the last time in my life that I faced open anti-Semitism. I returned to Kharkov where my mother had gone before. It was impossible to find a job.
In 1952 someone told me there was a vacancy of a teacher of Russian literature at the Pedagogical Institute in Chernovtsy. I went to Chernovtsy. We were told that the city had remained almost intact. It was a cultured European town. There was a university and theaters. In November 1918 Bukovina became part of Romania. Chernovtsy used to be a Jewish town. After the Romanians came to power some Jews left Chernovtsy. But even then the Jewish population still constituted over 60 per cent. There were about 65,000 Jews out of 105,000 people living in Chernovtsy. Jews had great opportunities. They were allowed to build big stone houses in the center of town. Jews investing money in the development of industries or culture were exempt from tax for 20 years. Yiddish was spoken in the streets as often as German or Romanian.
However, I didn't get this job at the institute. . I don't know whether it was an expression of anti-Semitism or not. I was desperate and decided to write to Khrushchev [17]. He helped me. It was an exclusive case when an official of such a high level got involved in the affairs of common people. At first I got a job at the Industrial College, but later this job was claimed by the daughter of the secretary of the regional executive committee. I was transferred to a Ukrainian school. I was a teacher of Russian literature and language at this school from 1953. My mother joined me in Chernovtsy. We received a three-bedroom apartment in the center of the town.
NBut the last drop for me became the anniversary of Gogol [16]. I made a speech and then a representative of the chair was to read my letter of reference. Khitrov was to read it, and I couldn't believe what I heard, 'Untalented, lazy, etc.' The attendants requested an explanation from him, and he said that he had written two references, but read the wrong one by mistake. My nerves failed me, and I decided to quit. This was the first and the last time in my life that I faced open anti-Semitism. I returned to Kharkov where my mother had gone before. It was impossible to find a job.
In 1952 someone told me there was a vacancy of a teacher of Russian literature at the Pedagogical Institute in Chernovtsy. I went to Chernovtsy. We were told that the city had remained almost intact. It was a cultured European town. There was a university and theaters. In November 1918 Bukovina became part of Romania. Chernovtsy used to be a Jewish town. After the Romanians came to power some Jews left Chernovtsy. But even then the Jewish population still constituted over 60 per cent. There were about 65,000 Jews out of 105,000 people living in Chernovtsy. Jews had great opportunities. They were allowed to build big stone houses in the center of town. Jews investing money in the development of industries or culture were exempt from tax for 20 years. Yiddish was spoken in the streets as often as German or Romanian.
However, I didn't get this job at the institute. . I don't know whether it was an expression of anti-Semitism or not. I was desperate and decided to write to Khrushchev [17]. He helped me. It was an exclusive case when an official of such a high level got involved in the affairs of common people. At first I got a job at the Industrial College, but later this job was claimed by the daughter of the secretary of the regional executive committee. I was transferred to a Ukrainian school. I was a teacher of Russian literature and language at this school from 1953. My mother joined me in Chernovtsy. We received a three-bedroom apartment in the center of the town.
Location
Ukraine
Interview
izolda rubinshtein
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