Holocaust survivors endured unimaginable harshness and terror. As children at the time, many of them only knew that war had come. The memories of fleeing for their lives with their families from the advancing Nazis have never left them. But what lingers most, as many will tell you, is the fear of hunger — not knowing where the next meal would come from, or whether there would be one at all. For those now living in poverty, that fear remains.
“I was always hungry. It was terrifying. The Germans were never far behind us,” said 91-year-old Leonid.
Leonid was only seven years old when he and his mother fled the Nazi invasion of Moldova in 1941. His father was sent to fight in the Soviet Army and never returned. These formative years of his life were shaped by constant fear from the bombs that fell as they traveled, and by relentless hunger, with little to no food available. To survive, Leonid’s mother took a job at a communal kitchen in Belovodsk, Kyrgyzstan.
When they eventually returned to their hometown of Rybnitsa, once a thriving Jewish community, they found it devastated. Even though the war and the Holocaust had ended, Leonid and his mother continued to fend for themselves with very little. In the Soviet Union, Jews still faced persecution. Leonid says it has always been difficult to be Jewish in the region, even during the Tsarist period. He recalls experiencing anti-Semitism and discrimination when applying to university and searching for work.
Leonid never had children. He worked as a mechanical engineer and served in the army before eventually moving to Kishinev, where he lives today in a modest apartment. His pension is barely enough to cover his winter heating — something he cannot forgo, as winter temperatures in Moldova often fall below freezing.
“Without The Fellowship, we couldn’t manage at all. Prices go up every day. I couldn’t survive on my pension alone. If it weren’t for the support, our lives would be very difficult,” Leonid said.
Fellowship staff provide Leonid with food assistance through prepaid bank cards, so he does not have to choose between staying warm and having enough to eat. He also receives help from a caretaker and participates in community programs, so he is not completely alone. In fact, Fellowship staff spent Hanukkah with him.
“I am deeply grateful to The Fellowship because, in these difficult times, your support is invaluable and helps sustain us. I wish you all the best. May your dreams and wishes come true.”
