Natalia Zilberman’s mother Anna Milimevker’s family

From left to right: upper row - Sonia Gologorskaya (Joseph's wife), my mother Anna Milimevker, Lisa Gologorskaya, Joseph's daughter and my mother's brother Aron Gologorskiy; lower row, from left to right: my mother's brother Naum Gologorskiy, Joseph's daughter Milia Gologorskaya and my mother's sister Clara Gutbers. Photo made in Tarascha in 1911 at Joseph's 45th birthday.

My mother Anna Milimevker -nee Gologorskaya - was born in Kamenets-Podolskiy, Russia, in 1880. In the end of XIX century Kamenets-Podolskiy was one of the khasid centers. It was a bigger town for its time. There were big stores, churches, synagogues, a big theater and a market where on Sunday armers from the surrounding villages brought their products. Jews constituted almost half of the population of the town. They were involved in commerce and handicrafts. My mother's father Yankel Gologorskiy was born in Kamenets-Podolskiy in 1838. He was a merchant, but he died when he was young and the family became very poor. My grandmother Gitl Gologorskaya (nee Shor) was born in Berdichev in 1844. The Shors owned all leather industry in Ukraine. Berdichev was a big ag-ricultural trade center. Jews were also involved in handicrafts. My grandmother got married to Golo-gorskiy when she was 17.

Their older daughter Lisa was born in 1862. Lisa finished grammar school and entered the con-servatory in Petersburg. Her husband Shymon came from Ekaterinoslav. They moved to Ekater-inoslav in the end of XIX century. Lisa died in 1939. They didn't have any children.

In 1864 Menashe was born. He finished cheder and grammar school and studied at the Faculty of Technology in Petersburg University. At 21 he fell ill with galloping consumption and died in Pe-tersburg in 1885. Joseph, two years younger than Menashe, also finished cheder and grammar school. He graduated from Medical faculty of Petersburg University and worked as a doctor in Ta-rascha. He was married and had two daughters: Milia and Lisa. There was another child next to Jo-seph that died in infantry. In 1870 Clara was born. She finished grammar school and dentist school in Warsaw. She married Joseph Gutberts, a dentist, and they moved to Tula. Clara had two sons: Jacob and Michael. Her husband died soon and never remarried. She worked as a dentist in Tula.

After Clara came Aron born in 1874. He had spinal tuberculosis and had to stay in a special bed for many years. By 22 he passed exams for a grammar school. At that time my mother also finished grammar school and wanted to continue her studies in Switzerland, but her family couldn't afford it. She gave private classes to other students for 5 golden rubles per class. She worked so for 3 years. When she saved a sufficient amount her mother told her to share it with Aron, because he needed a profession to provide for himself. Anna obeyed and went to Warsaw with Aron where they both fin-ished a dentist school. After finishing it Aron fell very ill and his brother Joseph took him to Taras-cha to look after him. Aron died in 1912.

The next after Aron was Naum born in 1877. He finished cheder and grammar school. Then he finished dentist school in Warsaw, got married and went to Uglich. He was a very rich man. He had two houses richly furnished, very expensive dish sets and good pictures. He died in Uglich in 1961. My mother Anna was the youngest. Only Clara and Naum of all mother's brothers and sisters sur-vived the war. Joseph perished in Tarascha during the Holocaust. Lisa died in Ekaterinoslav in 1939.

My mother's family was very close. They always supported one another and older children took care of the younger ones. In that way they managed to get good education and professions.
My grandmother Gitl observed all Jewish traditions. They spoke Yiddish in the family. My mother told me that grandmother went to synagogue with the children, lit candles and celebrated Shabbat with the children. My mother remembered the ritual of Barmitzva for Naum. All brothers but Aron finished cheder. Joseph was teaching Aron. Grandmother and older children fasted at Yom Kippur.