HAIFA HOME WELCOMES NEWEST RESIDENT

The ICEJ’s Home for Holocaust survivors in Haifa remains a very interesting place to live and work, as was recently seen when welcoming our newest resident, Galina Voloshin.

Galina was born in 1936 in Ushomir, a small Jewish village near Kyiv. When the war broke out in Ukraine in June 1941, Galina’s father was mobilized. The family received only one letter from him, in which he urged Galina’s mother to take care of herself and their children.

BY YUDIT SETZ & SHAY DROR

Galina’s mother was a secretary of the local Communist party and knew all the communists in the area, so she had to be evacuated. Preparing to travel, Galina, her sister, and their grandmother sat together on an open cart, waiting for their mother. Harrowing sounds of sirens and howling dogs echoed all around. Due to this, she developed a life-long fear of dogs.

The family escaped to the Stalingrad region, where the summer was terribly hot. Galina recalls asking her mother: “If we take our skin off, will it be as hot as it is now or less?”

The family lived in Stalingrad for several months, during which time Galina’s grandmother and little sister died.

Everyone believed the Germans would not reach Stalingrad, however in 1942 the enemy laid siege to the city. The family, now consisting only of Galina and her mother, had to evacuate again, leaving by train.

Someone kindly gave Galina’s mother a kettle with tomato juice. With this, she was able to feed Galina and several other passengers in their wagon. During the journey, several air raids sounded, forcing the train to stop and everyone to hide in the woods.

Finally, they arrived in Ural at the end of August. The weather was now turning bitterly cold. Galina and her mother had to live in an old stable, which she recalls had lots of mice that also made her afraid!

Galina’s mother worked at a school and planted a vegetable garden with her pupils that saved their lives. Galina would sit in bed wrapped in a blanket trying to keep warm until her mother returned from work.

While living in Ural, Galina’s mother tried to find out what happened to her husband, but her efforts were in vain.

After the war, Galina and her mother went back to Ukraine, where Galina began attending school. She eventually studied at university to become an engineer, and worked in this field until retirement.

Antisemitism was still prevalent throughout those years. Galina edited a book about the war, but when it was printed the book made no mention of her due to her Jewish surname.

In 1997, at the age of 61, Galina made Aliyah to Israel with her 80-year-old mother. Galina took care of her aging mother, and volunteered to help other Soviet Jewish immigrants. Galina has received many certificates of recognition for her contributions.

Galina moved into the Haifa Home for Holocaust survivors in June, and is quite happy to live here.

“When I came to the dining room for the first time, I was warmly welcomed and greeted by residents and staff alike. Everyone was so friendly, and I immediately felt at home,” shared Galina.