Aron Ishakh with some friends in the labor camp in the village of Mikre

This photo was taken in the village of Mikre, Lovech region in 1942. There are four of us in this photo. I am the first from the right. The others are: Rafael Abolazh, Fiko Koen and Miko Polidi, who was a very good carpenter. We are all the same age.

In 1942 my mother, Sofi Aron Ishakh died from stomach cancer and we, the four children, remained with my father Gavriel Samuel Ishakh. Her death coincided with another hard event in my life. In accordance with the Law for the Protection of the Nation, when I was 18, I was sent to a forced labor camp in the village of Mikre, in the Lovech region. I was there until November 1942. We were released on 16th November and spent December and January at home. In February we were sent to another camp - 'Sveti Vrach.' We were there until the end of the year. We were once again released for one or two months and in May we were sent to a third camp - in the village of Vesselinovo, in the Shumen region. 9th September 1944 came while we were there. In fact, we were used as a free labor force. At that time we were building the road Shumen-Burgas. It was very hard work.