Dora Solomovici with her children

This is my mother's sister, Dora Solomovici, with her children while they were still little. The one in front, sitting on the ground, is Benu Solomovici, the one behind him on the right is Liza Solomovici, the one next to her in the middle is Tili Solomovici, and the one on the left is Lazar Solomovici. The back of the photograph reads: "From me, a souvenir, Dora. 9th July 1922."

My mother had a sister, Dora Solomovici. She lived in Botosani as well. On Calea Nationala St., as you head towards the cemetery, way up, that's where she lived when the children were small. Her husband - whom I haven't met, either - died, and left her with 4 children. However, all of them graduated high school, they made a life for themselves. These were my 4 cousins: Liza, Tili, Benu, and Lazar. Lazar was the eldest, followed by Liza - she was 1 year older than me. Benu and Tili were younger - Benu was 1 year younger than me and Tili was 3-4 years younger than me. And my aunt was left a widow to raise the children, and my uncle - Avram Klein - supported her and the children. He took care of most anything when the children were little - he supplied them with various things, gave my aunt spending money. And there was also the money that the eldest child earned - Lazar. My aunt sent him as apprentice to a watchmaker, he learned watchmaking, and he helped supporting the household, as much as he could. He learned watchmaking because my uncle said he had to learn a trade. And he worked as a watchmaker here, in Botosani, but he worked for an employer, he didn't run his own shop. He was a very good lad. But he had tuberculosis and died when he was young, when he was in his 30's. He wasn't married. He is buried here, in Botosani.

Benu graduated from the Superior School of Commerce, and the girls graduated high school. Liza won the title of Miss Botosani. I no longer remember how she was voted. All I know is that she was declared Miss Botosani. She had beautiful blue eyes. Liza got married in Bucharest, her name was Liza Schwartz afterwards. Her husband died not long after they got married. Liza didn't have any children. She died in Bucharest, I forget when. In any case, it happened later on, for I knew her even when she was in her 40's, 50's. Benu was married to Martzy Schuffer and had a child - I no longer remember its name. Benu worked at the Scanteia newspaper, his name was Barbu Stoian, but I couldn't tell you if he officially changed his name or only published under that name. [Ed. note: The Scanteia (Spark) newspaper, instrument of the Romanian Communist Party Central Committee, started to be legally published in 1944].

The name of the youngest, Tili, was Puscaciuc - her husband's name. She is married to a Christian and has 2 children: Sandel and Raluca - accomplished children, they both have a bachelor's degree. I'm not on such good terms with Tili - I no longer remember what it was that made us drift apart. However, I still thought about calling her on the phone to see if she was still alive, how she was doing, for it's been years since I no longer have any news of her. She is the last of my cousins that might still be alive.

Photos from this interviewee