Fajga Steinhendler and Rafal Iglicki

On this photo you can see my mother Fajga Steinhendler with her brother, my uncle, Rafal Iglicki. This photo was taken in Zelechow in the 1930s; I don?t know exactly when. My mom had two brothers: Lejzer and Rafal. A part of the family from Mother's side was in Luboml. In the eastern territories, near Kowel, that's where they lived: Mom's brother Rafal Iglicki and his wife. They had no kids. It was a childless marriage. That's why they wanted very much for my sister to go there. My sister graduated from our school in Zelechow, and she went to Uncle's, to Luboml. She worked in their shop. My mom came from a tailor's family. My mom didn't work. She took care of the house. She was a very good person. She cared very much about the house, about the family. I was always, as you say, the apple of her eye. From the distance, so many years have passed since I last was in touch with the family, I think, that my sister and I were most attached to mom. Maybe because she was so caring? She always took care of everything, made sure everything was always clean, well dressed, tended to! And my father was rather busy with his job, work. She was a true 'yiddishe mame.' That's how you could describe her. When? when I saw my mom for the last time, before I left for Wilga, it was 1942. She gave me her ring, and said, 'You may need it.' It was in May. And I never saw my mom again. I don't even know where she's buried. I went to Treblinka after the war. Every town has its own stone there. And Zelechow also has its stone. And I went to see that stone. That's all. Emptiness.