This is my mother's brother Monya Tsvitbaum with his wife Nusya and their son Naum. The photo was taken in 1948 in Chernovtsi. Monya sent me this picture as a keepsake.
Uncle Monya was born in 1913. Then my grandmother gave birth to twins, who died as infants. Monya finished a Jewish school and since childhood he had an artistic talent. He was gifted and had always dreamt of the stage, and thus became an actor. He changed his name to Manus Tsvit. Manus and his wife Nusya, also an actress, worked in the Kishinev theater troupe before the war. Manus and Nusya managed to evacuate when the war began. They left Kishinev a day before we did. Then Manus met my father. Both of them were on the labor front. My mother's brother was released from the labor front by a genius actress, Sidi Tal. With her help all the actors were found and different groups were organized at the front.
During the war time, Manus and Nusya performed for the military units. In 1947 they went back to Kishinev and worked at the theater. Manus helped my mother and me a lot. He even took me in their house for some months after the war in order for me to have good food. I tried to help them the best way I could. I looked after their little one-year-old son, when they were touring. The boy's name was Naum. He's my cousin. I keep in touch with him more than with the rest of my relatives. He became a doctor. Naum had lived in Chernivtsi almost all his life and now he lives in Germany. Manus died in 1998 in Kishinev, when he was over the hill.
