My sisters and I, Rosa Vexler in Lvov in 1980.
Sitting, from left to right: Tamara, born in 1934, Raya, born in 1937, Volshtein in marriage. Standing: I, Rosa Vexler, born in 1927 and Sonia, born in 1930, Shmirman in marriage. I was visiting my sisters then.
My sisters and I grew up during the period of the Soviet power. We didn't go to Jewish school or had no Jewish teachers. Our father and mother filled up our souls with spiritual knowledge. We spoke Yiddish, but we couldn't write or read. Mother taught us to follow Jewish traditions and have positive attitude towards other people.
My mother got very ill after my father returned. She stayed in hospitals most of the time and at home she stayed in bed. My father was to take care of his 3 daughters. My father couldn't cope with housekeeping and raising children was a challenge for him. I asked my husband if he had any objections if we took my sisters to our home .My husband said that it was O'K with him, but the decision had to be mine as it was me who was going to bear all responsibility. Thus, I got a big family in the first month of my family life: my sisters and my husband's brother. We moved to my husband's house in the village of Luzhany, Chernovtsy region. The house was damaged and we had to do repairs every year.
My sisters finished secondary school. I wanted them to receive higher education. They were talented girls. The older Sonia finished Financial College after school. She got married and moved to Sosnovka, Lvov region with her husband. She took her husband's name - Shmirman. Sonia and her husband worked at the mine department. Sonia was an accountant and her husband was director of a mine. They had two daughters. Unfortunately, Sonia had a poor heart. She died in 1964. She was buried in Sosnovka. Her daughters are in Israel in Tel-Aviv. Her husband died recently. He was buried in Sosnovka. Tamara finished school with a gold medal. She entered Polytechnic University in Lvov. She graduated with the diploma of an engineer. Tamara stayed in Lvov, worked at the factory. She got married. Raya, the youngest, also finished Financial College in Chernovtsy. She moved to Lvov. Soon Raya became director of a restaurant in Lvov. My sisters said that I was not their sister but mother, because I raised them. I agree.