Inna Grinberg

This is a picture of my daughter Inna Grinberg in the first grade at school. The photo was taken at a concert at the music school in 1958 in Chernovtsy. My daughter was born in 1950. I don't want to talk about her father. It's important that she came into this world and brought happiness into our family. I called her Inna after my father's mother Inda. These names sound alike. Inna started to study at a Russian secondary school in 1957. She was an ordinary Soviet child. She was a pioneer and a Komsomol member at school. There were no Jewish traditions in our life back then. She studied at the secondary and music school. She studied successfully in both schools, and I was proud of her success. Inna finished music school in 1965. She entered the music college. She also finished lower secondary school and went to the evening higher secondary school. She finished school with a gold medal and college with honors. She and I went to Leningrad. My daughter wanted to study at the Conservatory in Leningrad. She passed her exams well, but she wasn't admitted. She went for an interview, and the manager advised her to come again next year. We understood that it was next to impossible for a Jew to enter the Conservatory. Inna went to Kamenets-Podolsk by bus: it was about two hours' drive from Chernovtsy. She entered the Pedagogical Music College there. My mother and I stayed in Chernovtsy. My daughter finished college and got a job at a music school. During her studies she got married. Her husband's name is Alexandr Grinberg; he's a Jew. They didn't have a wedding. We couldn't afford it. I had to turn every penny twice. My mother needed expensive medication, and I had to support my daughter. My grandson was born in 1972, and my granddaughter in 1980. My mother died that same year. My daughter and her family left for Canada in 1992. She asked me to go with them, but I didn't want to be a burden to her. So, I live alone here. My daughter calls me and writes letters. She invites me to come and live in Canada. I'm ill and cannot go, and she cannot afford to come on a visit. However, I don't feel so lonely now thanks to my friends from Hesed.