Zinaida Turovskaya’s mother's brother Moishe Gorodetskiy and his wife Manya and two children

This is my mother's brother Moishe Gorodetskiy and his wife Manya and two children. Photo made in Kiev in 1923. Manya and the children were shot in the Babiy Yar.

Nusim and Tsylia had 7 children. Pesia-Lieba, the oldest, was born around 1895. the next child was brother Moishe (1897). Then came Gershko, born in 1899. The next was Basia (a girl), born in 1902, and my mother Hava was born in 1905. Zina came after my mother. She was born in 1909. Dora, the youngest, was born in 1914. Their family was moderately religious. My grandfather had a book of prayers, but he opened it rarely. However, he went to the synagogue every Saturday. Like each respected Jew, he had a seat of his own there.

The result was that my mother and her brothers and sisters moved to Kiev. This happened some time in 1916 or 1917.

My mother's brothers Moishe and Gershko married Jewish girls in Kiev. Moishe's wife and Gershko's wife had the same name - Manya. Moishe was a shoemaker and Gershko was a Shop Manager at some plant and a member of the Communist Party. They had children, but I don't know their names. Moishe was in the army during the war. He was wounded, but survived. Their families staed in Kiev (they didn't want to evacuate) and shared the fate of other Jewish people. Moishe's wife with her 5 children and Gershko's wife with 3 children were shot in the Babiy Yar. Moishe never forgot his family. After he returned from the war he became very withdrawn. He never talked about his dear ones, although they were on his mind every moment. He never got married again and died in Kiev in 1970.