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My father’s younger brother Boris was born in 1890s. Like Gersh he graduated from the Institute of Light Industry in Kiev and became chief engineer at the leather factory in Viatka. He was married to a Jewish woman and they had a son – Karik. In 1937, during the period of mass repression 6 Boris was arrested. At that time people were arrested for ‘political’ and other reasons. He was accused of supplying bad leather to make boots in the army. It was clear that the tendency was to eliminate intelligent people and this was openly said in our family since we were grown up enough to understand. Boris underwent tortures, but he didn’t sign the protocol. He was sent in exile somewhere in Siberia. When after 1953 the relevant authorities began to review all cases those that had not signed evidence papers were released. He was in exile for three years, but this had an ultimate impact on his life. When Boris was arrested his wife refused him. I don’t know whether she believed that Boris was an ‘enemy of the people’ or she just wanted to protect herself and her son from trouble. When Boris returned she forbade him to see his son. It was hard for Boris to bear exile and imprisonment and his wife’s retreat. He had no place to go to and he came to live in my father’s study. I remember that my father sent him to a recreation home to improve his health condition. My father also made arrangements for him to visit various doctors. He lived with us for a year until he got better. I guess, Boris stayed with us illegally since he was deprived of his right to reside in Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev. He was a skilled specialist and was employed at Viatka factory where they remembered him. He became a production engineer there, he was a highly qualified employee and much valued at work. He received an apartment in Viatka and married a Russian woman in few years. He wrote us that his second wife was a medical nurse, but we never saw her. Boris submitted a request for rehabilitation, but while his documents were under review he died. He was rehabilitated posthumously in 1956.
My father’s younger sister Vera Khatset was born in 1902. After the secondary school she graduated from Chemical Faculty of Kiev University and followed Manya to Moscow. Vera was single and had no children. She was a chemist and died in Moscow in 1970s. We didn’t keep in touch.
Before the revolution 1917 7 the Khatset family was wealthy: they could afford to take a vacation at the seashore in the Crimea or Caucasus. When the children grew up they didn’t make my grandmother happy: my father married a poor girl, Gersh got baptized that was even worse and Boris divorced his wife, although it was not his fault. I know that my grandfather and grandmother didn’t want my father to marry my mother. Especially my grandmother was against this marriage since my mother was a very poor Jewish girl having no parents while my father came from a wealthy family of a merchant and my grandmother believed he deserved a wealthier wife. My grandmother stated she would never give her consent to this marriage.
My mother’s father Borukh Rabin was presumably born in Boguslav [a small town in 100 km from Kiev] in 1850s and lived there his whole life. He was a craftsman, but I don’t know what exactly he was doing for a living. My mother said he was a gabe [senior man in Yiddish] at the synagogue and this was an elective position. My maternal grandmother Fruma Rabin (her maiden name is unknown) was born in 1850s and came from Boguslav. My grandmother and grandfather had six children. I don’t know their names since my mother’s brothers and sisters were 12-15 years older than my mother and my mother was the youngest in the family.
My father’s younger sister Vera Khatset was born in 1902. After the secondary school she graduated from Chemical Faculty of Kiev University and followed Manya to Moscow. Vera was single and had no children. She was a chemist and died in Moscow in 1970s. We didn’t keep in touch.
Before the revolution 1917 7 the Khatset family was wealthy: they could afford to take a vacation at the seashore in the Crimea or Caucasus. When the children grew up they didn’t make my grandmother happy: my father married a poor girl, Gersh got baptized that was even worse and Boris divorced his wife, although it was not his fault. I know that my grandfather and grandmother didn’t want my father to marry my mother. Especially my grandmother was against this marriage since my mother was a very poor Jewish girl having no parents while my father came from a wealthy family of a merchant and my grandmother believed he deserved a wealthier wife. My grandmother stated she would never give her consent to this marriage.
My mother’s father Borukh Rabin was presumably born in Boguslav [a small town in 100 km from Kiev] in 1850s and lived there his whole life. He was a craftsman, but I don’t know what exactly he was doing for a living. My mother said he was a gabe [senior man in Yiddish] at the synagogue and this was an elective position. My maternal grandmother Fruma Rabin (her maiden name is unknown) was born in 1850s and came from Boguslav. My grandmother and grandfather had six children. I don’t know their names since my mother’s brothers and sisters were 12-15 years older than my mother and my mother was the youngest in the family.
Location
Ukraine
Interview
Frida Khatset