Boris Molodetski’s mother Chaya Molodetskaya

This is my mother Chaya Molodetskaya in her masquerade costume. This photo was taken in Odessa in 1908.

My mother was born in the town of Sosnitsa of Chernigov province in 1889. The family moved to Odessa when my mother was still a baby. The family had lower than average income. My mother finished an elementary Jewish school for girls where she also had sewing training. My mother used to sew at home.

My mother married my father, Gersh Molodetskion, on 7 June 1919. They had a civil ceremony. There was no religious wedding. My parents settled down in a basement in the end of Bazarnaya Street. In early 1920, when she was pregnant, my mother moved to my father's sister Basia in Petroverovka to eat better food. This was at the time of the Civil War and once ataman of a gang that came to Petroverovka ordered to take all Jews to the square to kill them. My mother was in this crowd. She told me that they survived by chance: that very moment someone shouted to ataman that Kotovskiy was in 5 versts from the village and they all rode away hurriedly. I was born in Odessa on 10 August 1921.