Hana Muchnik on vacation in Odessa

This is me, Hana Muchnik, on vacation in a recreation house in Odessa in 1950.

We returned to Moldova in 1944. Life was going on. My sister Elka went to work at the Teachers' Training School where she received a room. It was a little room, but there were two beds, a table, two chairs and even a stove in it. It was all right to live in it! I went to work as a cashier in a canteen. My sister kept telling me that I had to continue my studies at the Medical College. However, after having typhus twice and malaria, I was too weak to go to study in a college. My sister told me to try at least a technical school. I entered the Financial School in Kishinev, the Department of Finance and Taxation.

After the war life was hard, particularly in 1946-47, when people starved. However, I have the brightest memories of my student years. There were many Jewish students at my school and I had many Jewish friends. There was no anti-Semitism in those years.

However, I faced prejudiced attitudes during the issuance of job assignments. I requested a job in Orhei to be with my sister, but all Jewish students were assigned to the worst locations.