Irina Aizenberg’s family

This is my family. This photo was taken at my grandfather Israel's 70th birthday. First row from left to right, sitting: my father's sister Esther, my cousin brother's child, my father's sister Nina, my grandfather Israel, his second wife Polia, my father's brother Abram, his wife Ania, my mother, an unknown person, Inna -the daughter of my father's brother Abram. Second row from left to right, standing: my father's younger brother Boris, his wife Riva, my father's sister Shura, Shura's husband Misha, my father's sister Riva, Lora - the daughter of my father's sister Sara, my father. This photo was taken in Odessa in 1940.

On Jewish holidays the whole family got together at Grandfather Israel and my father’s stepmother Polia’s apartment. They taught us all rules to be followed to observe Jewish holidays accordingly. During seder at Pesach my cousins and I repeated traditional questions after Ms. Polia. We always ate matzah at Pesach. I don’t know where they got it in those years. At Purim Ms. Polia made hamantashen with poppy seed filling and treated all children to those pies. She and Grandfather Israel went to synagogue on all holidays and fasted at Yom Kippur.

I remember the family gathering on my grandfather’s 70th birthday in 1940. All his children and grandchildren came to greet him and it was a noisy and merry celebration. We all loved Grandfather dearly.