Hana Rayzberg and her family

This is our family photo. My mama Debora Edelstein and I are sitting, my husband Aron Rayzberg and son Lazar are standing. This photo was taken in Riga in 1963.

I got married in 1953. I met my future husband at the factory. He came to work as a foreman assistant at the shop. We decided to get married after we'd known each other for under two months. We lived a long and good life together, despite all the hardships and difficulties.

Aron worked as a founder, before he fell ill with silicosis, and doctors advised him to change his job.  Aron finished a technical school. He was responsible for equipment and devices at the factory. He was well respected at work.

Our son was born in 1954. We gave our son the name of Leizer, and he is Lazar in his documents.  According to the tradition the brit milah was performed on the 8th day. We invited a rabbi from the synagogue and a man to do the circumcision. It goes without saying that we kept this all a secret.

Life was hard. If it hadn't been for Mama, I don't know how I would have managed.  The maternity leave was 30 days and I had to go back to work. Mama brought my son to the factory for me to breastfeed him. This was particularly difficult for her to do in winter. We had no pram, and she had to carry the baby wrapped in a heavy blanket all the way to the factory. In summer we rented a little wooden hut in the suburb of Riga. My son spent all day in the garden. Mama took care of the baby till we came home from work. The only disturbing thing was that there were many rats, running through the house at night. At times my husband had to get up in the middle of the night to chase away the rats.

My son went to school and he was very good at his studies. He was particularly good at exact sciences. When he finished the 6th grade, his teacher advised him to go to the mathematical school. It was a Latvian school with advanced study of Physics and Mathematics, and it was the only school of the kind in the town. My son went to this school. He finished the school with honors.