Moses Chubat with his wife Lyalia Chubat and daughter Greta Friedman

This is one of my last family photographs. This is me with my wife Lyalia Chubat and daughter Greta. The picture was taken in Kishinev in 1999.

Greta went to a nursery school, kindergarten, then to school. I was getting more and more promotions and gradually became the deputy director of the knitting factory. I earned more money and it was enough to buy the things we needed and go to the sea resorts with my daughter. I also was a member of the Party, the secretary of the party organization. This is why our family didn't consider the idea of leaving for Israel. By this time, we had to tackle the issue with the apartment because my mother had been afflicted with a stroke and was bed-ridden. We had to take care of her. I tried to exchange our apartment, but without any success. At the party conference I had to give a letter to the first secretary of the central committee requesting for assistance with the apartment issue. Soon after that I was called to the Municipal Party committee and was given an apartment. I'm currently living in it. My mother died in 1999.

I was indifferent after the collapse of the USSR. Practically nothing changed for me. The only good thing was that Jewish life revived, many Jewish organizations appeared. I don't take part in the latter, though. I have been an atheist all my life and I think I'll die an atheist. It's pretty late to change beliefs at my age. But I like the idea of revival. I think somebody needs it. People go to the synagogue, even young ones. I have been receiving my pension benefit since 1992, but kept on working for another ten years.

Two years ago my wife got severely ill. I retired and dedicated myself to looking after her. Greta graduated from Kishinev University and became a programmer. She married a Jew, Oleg Friedman. Now I'm a client of Hesed 20, where Greta is currently working. They are doing the right thing by helping lonely elderly people: providing medicine and products and making them feel that they aren't alone. I hope I'll find friends among such lonely Jews as myself.