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My sisters’ husbands returned home from the war. Milia’s husband became an invalid after he was wounded at the front. My brother Lyova disappeared in 1941 and Froim died in hospital from his wounds in 1942. Dodik was released from army service as chairman of a kolkhoz, but being a communist he volunteered to the front. He worked in a hospital. Grisha participated in the defense of Odessa in 1941, in the village of Dalnik [near Odessa].
Grisha was wounded and captured by Romanians. He had a surgery in a hospital for prisoners-of-war. Some Jewish doctors, who were also prisoners, but worked in the hospital, got to know that Grisha was Jewish and gave him clothes, money and documents to escape to Balta [in Odessa region], where Grisha was in hiding for almost three years, living with Ukrainian families. He had documents under the Russian name of Samovalov. When Soviet troops liberated Balta he returned to Odessa and had documents with his real name issued anew.
I had no information about my wife or sons until 1945. When I came to Odessa after the war I got to know that my wife Luba and the children had perished. They were in Odessa ghetto, then they were sent to Berezovka and from there they walked to Kotovka farm. They were showered with cold water on the way – and it was winter – and tortured. In Kotovka farm policemen shot them. There are 92 people buried there, including my boys and my wife. There is a memorial plague there, but I’ve never visited the site.
When I heard that my wife and my children had perished I didn’t know how to overcome this sorrow. I went to my old apartment. There was another tenant there. He gave me money to buy a two-room apartment in a half-ruined house on Kuznechnaya Street in the center of the town. I restored this apartment and returned to my prewar job in the theatrical company.
Grisha was wounded and captured by Romanians. He had a surgery in a hospital for prisoners-of-war. Some Jewish doctors, who were also prisoners, but worked in the hospital, got to know that Grisha was Jewish and gave him clothes, money and documents to escape to Balta [in Odessa region], where Grisha was in hiding for almost three years, living with Ukrainian families. He had documents under the Russian name of Samovalov. When Soviet troops liberated Balta he returned to Odessa and had documents with his real name issued anew.
I had no information about my wife or sons until 1945. When I came to Odessa after the war I got to know that my wife Luba and the children had perished. They were in Odessa ghetto, then they were sent to Berezovka and from there they walked to Kotovka farm. They were showered with cold water on the way – and it was winter – and tortured. In Kotovka farm policemen shot them. There are 92 people buried there, including my boys and my wife. There is a memorial plague there, but I’ve never visited the site.
When I heard that my wife and my children had perished I didn’t know how to overcome this sorrow. I went to my old apartment. There was another tenant there. He gave me money to buy a two-room apartment in a half-ruined house on Kuznechnaya Street in the center of the town. I restored this apartment and returned to my prewar job in the theatrical company.
Period
Location
Ukraine
Interview
Isaac Klinger