Tag #150674 - Interview #90536 (Tibor Gohman)

I felt negative about the break up of the soviet Union at first, but then a hope emerged that if Ukraine had its independence and would make a smaller state than the USSR life might improve.  Ukraine is rich in deposits and fruitful soil. One only needs to manage it in a smart way.  However, it happened to be vice versa.  We became poor, they’ve robbed us. Anyway, this has to do with economy. Independent Ukraine gave a rebirth to Jewish life. People can openly go to the synagogue.  During the Soviet period they could only go there in secret: God forbid if somebody saw it and reported.  Members of the party could be expelled and fired from work and there might have been such an entry about the reason of resignation in the book of employment records that there was hardly any hope left to get another employment. In the independent Ukraine this has changed. There are Jewish newspapers and magazines, Jewish TV programs and Jewish performances in theaters.