Svencionys, Lithuania (Columns 1446)

« Previous Page

Table of Contents

Next Page »

Through the Eyes of a Child (cont.)

Berta Strachanski

She participated in the Drama Club,
and appears in the photograph
of the club found in Mordekhai
Kentsianski's account, “My Shtetl.”

Strachanski Family in Kovno

I liked to listen to the story of how my father and mother met. My parents, Yudel Mauber and Elizabeth (Leah) Strachanski, met at a dance in Lyntupy, fell in love, and got married.
My parents' marriage was a “mismatch” according to the social standards: the educated son of a doctor marrying the daughter of a blacksmith. My mother's energy and natural talent for business made up for her lack of education. It was a good match because my parents complemented each other. My mother became the driving force behind the family's success. They started from scratch and, in a couple of years, developed their own timber business.

Yudel Mauber at work

        I remember our house. One side was formal, for guests and special occasions, and the other side was for children, always full of young people. In the middle, there was a kitchen and an informal dining room. We had a housekeeper, Amelia, who had been with our family for 20 years, and a nanny who was hired when I was born and stayed with us until I was three years old. My father liked to play volleyball with his sons and their friends. Quite often, in the evenings, he would play his guitar on the veranda. I also remember more quiet moments when my father prayed.
        In 1939, the Red Army occupied the western part of Belarus. My parents lost their business. Somehow, thanks to my mother's energy and resourcefulness, the house remained the property of the family. Her instinct for survival was emerging. Jobs were found and the young people found ways to go on. My three older brothers, Liepe, Monya and Meilach, participated in the Drama Club.
        My youngest brother Boris was very talented. He loved the stage, drama and dance, and was sent to Minsk to take part in a talent show. I enjoyed seeing my brothers on the stage and I clapped my hands harder than anyone else.

Irene and Boris Mauber

Liepe Mauber in his
student uniform

« Previous Page

Table of Contents

Next Page »

This material is made available by JewishGen, Inc. and the Yizkor Book Project for the purpose of fulfilling our mission of disseminating information about the Holocaust and destroyed Jewish communities. This material may not be copied, sold or bartered without JewishGen, Inc.'s permission. Rights may be reserved by the copyright holder.

JewishGen, Inc. makes no representations regarding the accuracy of the translation. The reader may wish to refer to the original material for verification. JewishGen is not responsible for inaccuracies or omissions in the original work and cannot rewrite or edit the text to correct inaccuracies and/or omissions. Our mission is to produce a translation of the original work and we cannot verify the accuracy of statements or alter facts cited.

Svencionys, Lithuania Yizkor Book Project JewishGen Home Page

Yizkor Book Project Manager, Joyce Field
This web page created by Lance Ackerfeld