Laicha Katz, Surah Katz, and Ghitlia Mechlovich

My sisters, from left to right: Laicha, my youngest sister, Surah and Ghitlia. This photo was taken in Korolevo in 1936. This photo was not lost by some miracle in our ruined house after World War II.

There were seven children in the family. I was the first child and was born on 25th December 1925, but the year of birth specified in my birth certificate was 1926. My Jewish name is Moishe, but in my Czechoslovak birth certificate it is Mozes and I have always been called by this name. My sister Ghitlia was born in 1927, but was registered as born in 1929 in her documents.

The notary lived in another village and parents didn’t usually have time to visit him right after childbirth. For this reason my birth was registered a year later. Then my mother did it differently. She didn’t go to register a baby after it was born, but waited until the next baby and registered both babies as twins. Therefore, according to family documents, we have three pairs of twins in the family.

After Ghitlia, Laicha was born in 1929, then Baila, then son Yuman and then two daughters: Yenta and Surah. Baila and Yuman were registered in 1932, and Yenta and Surah in 1935.

My parents were religious and were raising their children religiously. We celebrated all Jewish holidays at home like any other Jewish family in Korolevo. I went to cheder like all other boys in Korolevo. We went to cheder at the age of six and also went to an elementary school at this age.