Mariasha Vasserman with her brother Perets Vasserman and her sister Sore-Reyze Goldman

This is me, my elder sister Sore-Reyze Goldman, nee Vasserman and my brother Perets Vasserman. The picture was taken in Tallinn in 1939. When in 1939 Soviet military bases were established in Estonia, it went by me. My parents must have been indifferent to that; otherwise I would have felt their anxiety, even if they hadn't spoken about it. There was a normal course of life and military bases were beyond us. In 1940 we felt it, when Estonia became Soviet. Our Jewish lyceum was closed down, or to put it more precisely, it was made into an ordinary school. The last school year was in Yiddish, Ivrit was banned. I went to the 6th grade. All my classmates became pioneers. It was interesting for us, like a new game. We saw no politics in that, just took it as a new club, a new organization for children like Betar or Hashomer. There were some events for pioneers. We went on excursions. In general, we had fun and didn't think that there was a change in our life. My brother, who was studying at Tartu University, had to come back home. He quit his studies to help Father with the store. He worked as an accountant. Though, it didn't last long. The Soviet regime commenced nationalization of the private enterprises. Father's store was also nationalized. In January 1941 my brother got married. He was 13 years older than me, and he always treated me like a child. He loved and pampered me. When he studied in Tartu, he always brought me toys and presents. I got used to the idea that brother loved me best of all. I felt insulted and offended, when he brought a wife, or more precisely, a fiancée from Tartu. I was shifted to the second place. Perets's wife was called Sima, nee Zak, and her Jewish name was Simcho-Dvoira.