Mina Smolianskaya’s sister Rulia's younger son Fima

My sister Rulia's younger son Fima at his birthday.

Rulia married my former admirer Joseph Shkolnik. We had terminated our relationships by that time. He was my date and Rulia didn't like him at all. She married him after I moved to Odessa. Yes, our relationships with my sister left much to be desired.

My older sister Rulia and her husband moved to Odessa in 1930s. Her husband worked at a plant and Rulia was looking after the children. They had two sons. Their older son Naum named after our father was born in 1935. The younger Efim named after the deceased father of Rulia's husband was born in 1938. I loved my nephews dearly - they were so wonderful! My relationships with his sister improved and we became friends.

In 1947 I went to Odessa to find out what happened to my sister Rulia. Rulia's neighbor told me that Rulia was shot by Germans near her house. Rulia's sons were in the park at that time and her neighbor, a teacher, took the boys to her home when she saw that Germans captured Rulia. They lived with her for a month before somebody reported on them. Fascists took Naum and Efim and the teacher to the yard. They asked the woman why she had given shelter to the Jewish children. She replied that she didn't know that they were Jews. Their commanding officer told the children to take off their clothes. Of course, they both were circumcised. The Germans made a fire in the yard and threw the boys into the fire. The teacher began to scream and they shot her. Rulia's husband Joseph perished at the front.