Basia Gutnik's grandmother Sima Tabachnik

My grandmother Sima Tabachnik. This photo was taken in Kiev in 1950. My maternal grandmother, Sima, was born around 1884. My grandmother had a great sense of humor. When I asked her about pogroms, she used to say 'Well, the pogroms? they robbed and beat people? especially Petlura gangs . But life went on and we had to go on with our life.' I must explain here that the worst curse one can make in Podol is to call someone a 'petlurovets'. My grandmother could write Russian very well. As for how religious she was, while my grandfather was alive she observed all the traditions assigned by the Torah. After he died, she occasionally went to the synagogue. She had no profession. She was a housewife. She looked after her husband and children devotedly. After her husband died, she dedicated all her time to her children and grandchildren.