Aron Trachtenbroit and Boris Fukelman

This is a picture of my father Aron Trachtenbroit, on the left, photographed with his brother-in-law, Boris Fukelman, the husband of his older sister Adel. The photo was taken in Mogilyov-Podolsk in 1907. I got it from my cousin Dusia, the daughter of my father's sister Rieva and Boris Fukelman.

My grandparents' on my father's side Motel and Pinkhas Trachtenbroit had seven children: four sons and three daughters. I knew them all. Their older daughter Adel - her Jewish name was Eidl - was born in 1890. My father Aron followed in 1893. In 1895 the twins Jacob and Rieva were born. Tsylia followed in 1898. The next child, Grigory, was born in 1902, and the youngest, Abram, followed in 1905. My grandfather wanted his children to get a good education. At the age of nine they went to a Russian grammar school, which they finished successfully.

Adel married Boris Fukelman, a Jewish man. Their son Joseph, who was called Yuzik in the family, was born in 1917. Adel had a hard life. After the Russian Revolution of 1917 Adel's husband left for Russia with Adel's younger sister Rieva. Since then nobody in the family was allowed to mention Rieva's name. Adel couldn't remarry since she wasn't divorced. Adel and her son lived with her parents. After finishing grammar school Yuzik became a violinist.

After finishing grammar school in 1907 my father volunteered to the tsarist army where he served for two years. I know that Adel's future husband, Boris Fukelman, was his fellow comrade. My father returned to Briceni and decided to continue his studies in Odessa. He entered the Medical Faculty at Odessa University.