I Believe – My Values

After finish my 4th year of enginerring I get married on August 28 1982

I meet Veniamin on February 20 1982 through mutial friend Igor Maxkin

According to Venya he and Igor went to lunch at a local cafe and on the wy back to work they stop near our building to finish conversation

Venya saw me and Alina going back to our workplace and he ask Igor who was this girl with dark hear

Venya ask Igor to introduce him to me

I was a good friend with Igor Maxkin from his first day  at work.

He came to our department to introduce himself  like a new young professional .

He was a economist by profession, but also he was very talented a piano player .

We went to g a lot of consert , disconight and lunch together.

When he was in my home he always play piano and all my family injoy.

Venia able to buy 6 tickets for a diskonight and dinner at the local place call Giprozivmash

We all went on February 20 Igor , Ella zaslavskaya, Maya Malikina, Oska Gext , Venys and I .

We all know each other through KTEU, exsept Venya, but we became friends with everybody and after dinner spent all evening on the dance floor

On the end of the evening Venya walk me home . We took long walk though the park . It was very cold winter evening but we ingage in converstion .

For the next 6 month he always waitig for me at a lobby at 10 pm to walk me home after my evening classes.

On the end of June  Venya propose to me and I sad yes.  On july we took our documents to regisrration place , but buy our law you need to wait 1 month from day to apply for marriage and buy the actualy day  which was August 28 1982

My 5th year of school i start a wa a married person

We were renting 1 room not far from my parents and Venya parents

Buy the end of a shcool year Lenya was born on June 10 1983

I was able to stay at home with Lenya for 1 year and have my position secure at work \

On September 1 I start my last 6 yeat of evening school

On February I fund out that i was pregnant , so Lenya was 9 month old and I am working on my

diploma project the last work before graduation,

On June 1984 i succssefuly defendent my diplom project on front 6 professors with a lot of questions.

On October 7 1984 Igor was born

We were still leaving at the same appartment 1 room 2 kids bed 1 sofa for as , drowing table ,

I was able to stay for 1 year and 6 month bs the birth of Igor

On the eight day of a Lenyas and Igors life David Veniaminovich (venyas father arenge a circumcision for our boys by the local well know surgen

I never heart about this procedure but when i ask my ant Mila (my mom sister) she encorage me to agree.

I was a custom in our town that nerse will visit newborn every day during first month and doctor visit once a week during first month.

So next day after circumcision the nurse nuck to our door a try to keep Lenya quat and i don’t open the door

This happing  foe few weeks

Then on our scedule visit to the doctor whe ask why  we have a bandage around this are

We told her that its infection

13 month later the same happing with Igor

When she ask me what going on with bandage again

my answer the same it is infection

It was agent our goverment to do anything relater to religion of any kind

 

 

 

In a fifth grade 1971 history class taught by Mr Frenklax

The subject was a Middle East conflict

He pointed at the map at Israel at this time it was refered as an agressor country

Edit truxanov who sat next to me casually told me that i belong in there

When i came home i told my parents what happing .

My mom went to school and Edic apologies to me

In 1975 I finished 8 grade comprehensive school #19 at age 15 and music school name of Chaikovsky.

I took the entrqnce exam to apply to famous Sokolovsky musical college

I was nessassary to pass 4 exams 1, audition of 3 pieces with major instrument domra

I play Swin by sen sans

2, music theory  and music gramma

3. writing essay

4 math

After my aditions I scared to 2 out of 5

I could not belive

I was heart broken because my dream to perform in orkestra as a professional musian was dashed

My parents new some one in examination commite and the ask what happining ?

We learn that educationla commitee and government wanted non jews selected for the domra .

 

In a fifth grade 1971 history class taught by Mr Frenklax

The subject was a Middle East conflict

He pointed at the map at Israel at this time it was refered as an agressor country

Edit truxanov who sat next to me casually told me that i belong in there

When i came home i told my parents what happing .

My mom went to school and Edic apologies to me

In 1975 I finished 8 grade comprehensive school #19 at age 15 and music school name of Chaikovsky.

I took the entrqnce exam to apply to famous Sokolovsky musical college

I was nessassary to pass 4 exams 1, audition of 3 pieces with major instrument domra

I play Swin by sen sans

2, music theory  and music gramma

3. writing essay

4 math

After my aditions I scared to 2 out of 5

I could not belive

I was heart broken because my dream to perform in orkestra as a professional musian was dashed

My parents new some one in examination commite and the ask what happining ?

We learn that educationla commitee and government wanted non jews selected for the domra .

 

Born in Gomel USSR Belorussian republic during the Communist regime I know little about freedom

We were taught to comply and worship the government

A few times a year on Soviet holidays people would march in parades through the main city square named Vlabimir Lenin

They carrying soviet flags and paly patriotic songs

I belived that our country the best in the world

I feel happy

September 1 1967

My mama dressed me and put my hair up with white bows and a large bouquite  of gladiolouis flowers spike for my theacher

When we arrive to school #19 we search the board to find my name and the class roster A,B,C,D do i belong

We find out that I belong to class c with a theacher name Tixon Efimovich

When my mom saw his name she immediatly took me home and return to school on her own to speak to the principal

Normally mama very light speaking in public , but this time she had explain why this theacher was unsuitable chouise for her dauther

It well know in our town that mr. Tixon Efimovich and his family support german movement agents jews and others.

Next day I join class B that lead by ms Ekaterina Nikolaevna  Danilova.

 

 

OLD WEATHER DAYS

The next event in my life began to take place when I was 7 years old. I always had a great time with the neighbor kids on the streets. In the 50’s there were not that many cars in town, especially at that time of the day. We would play at night after supper like from 8:30 pm until 11:00 pm when all parents began telling everybody that it was time to go to bed.

Back then in Aguascalientes City, the weather was nice, like 75 ° F max. Everybody had to have blankets every night because temperature would drop to like in low 40’s.  I remember attending a Catholic school and having to wear all year, a uniform which included a sweater. All privet schools had their own uniforms. The only time when we would sweat was when we played full court basketball. Nobody had an air condition or heaters. We just added more blankets in the wintertime and wore a heavy jacket. No heaters in schools either. The temperature back then would drop to like the coldest 28° F. I have not gotten used to the hot weather yet. But now that there are more factories, more population, more cars, more pavement, etc. the temperature has gone up. Things have really changed.

I grew up thinking that the only places where it was hot in the world was in Brazil and Africa because that was what I saw in the movies. But when I move to the States I lived in Laredo, TX. This city is only 472 feet see level. Hot and humid.  Water coolers do not work at all there. You have to have air condition if you want to be comfortable. Then I moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin in July 1966. I has a hard time breading for the high humidity that I was not used to. But After while I got used to it. Oh!!! But then I experienced my first winter with temperatures down to -20 °F it was cold, but I enjoyed it. When I was a student at the Bible School up on the hill on 915 N Hartwell I had 3 roommates who would always wanted to have the room really warm, especially at night. I always managed to leave a crack on the window by my head to get fresh air. Even today. I love winters more than summers.

Miles and I met at 15 and 16.We married at 22 & 23.

We have always had a wonderful, GROWING relationship…we have had our ups and downs, as everyone but so far so good!

Neither of us ponder a long time. We bought our Highland Park home quickly and made it “OUR” own over 48 years (so far)!

We bought our condo in Florida also quickly , they are just places.

We shared the responsibilities of our home and working…though Miles retired very early.

Miles was VERY successful in the Allstate insurance business, won every trip and we traveled all over with Allstate, they gave VERY elaborate parties & gifts on these trips. It was clear Miles was very well thought of and newer agents told me they are always told to” do what Miles does”& you will be succesful!

We also traveled on our own to beautiful resorts and wonderful trips CRUISES, THOUGH WE AREN’T BIG FANS OF CRUSIES, LAND TRIPS CHINA, SOUTEAST ASIA,RUSSIA,BERLIN, FRANCE ,TURKEY,GREECE,MEXICO, AUSTRIALA,NEW ZEALAND, AMSTERDAMN,SPAIN ,CANADA, IRELAND, LONDON UK, AND many more . My theory was “travel as often as you can, the best way you can, as fast as you can.

Miles always bought me lovely things, jewelry, purses clothes etc. On our 40th anniversary I was shocked to receive a big beautiful ring!  Never dreamed of this…however it came with a wonderful letter reminiscing through the years, so beautifully written, and ended with telling me he wouldn’t be where he is if it wasn’t for me…(that would have been enough), But I really enjoy my beautiful ring…. lucky me!  Actually Miles did take a little prodding and pushing through the years.!

 

 

Dearest Rod and Mark:

Anne Marie and I often wished that our parents had taken the time to write about their past.  They never did, at least not in any great detail, so we decided to take up a brief history of our families because one day you, too, might be interested in your background, and in our families’ histories.

We started the project in July of 1996. Six months later, through much research and hard work, we had pretty much covered the period ranging from your great-grandparents’ time up until December, 1996. We complemented this write-up with extensive research carried out in Russia, in the early 2000’s (we explain this in the Chronicles’ text). From 1997 through 2005 we updated the Chronicles year-by-year; after that, we summarized in an Epilogue what has happened between 2005 and 2014, and again between 2014 and 2020. We are writing this Foreword in April, 2021, when the world is gradually emerging from lockdowns decreed to combat the deadly virus COVID-19. From 2000 on, you will find much about my time at Tetra Pak (even more in the Appendix); I hope you will forgive this over-indulgence, but Tetra Pak was a very important part of all our lives – as you well know!

Although both of us are reasonably good communicators, we are not literary writers. Therefore, this work may be wordy in parts and certainly contains some repetitions; hopefully, not many contradictions…. From 1997 onwards, the text appears partly in present tense, because wherever possible, we added to the Chronicles as events unfolded.

We do hope that what it lacks in Pulitzer quality is compensated by it being an informative, down-to-earth narrative which at times will amuse you and, at the same time, provide insights that give you pause to reflect. No doubt as you read these pages, your recollection of certain events and occasions will be somewhat different to ours, and your view of us as parents will differ from our own; but this will only add dimension to your continuation of the Chronicles.

The Chronicles are written by Dad (Nick) in the first person, for simplicity; but they are very much a product of us both. I refer to your mother as Annie, or Anne Marie, or Mom. We start with a look into the past, reflecting as much information as we could recall or gather by talking to relatives (or, in the case of my own great-grandfather, information that we were able to extract from Russian archives) going back to the 1800’s. We continue with our marriage and your births – without a doubt the most wonderful thing that ever happened to Annie and me.

Part I is the story about the incredibly varied background of your forefathers. It is a story about tremendous achievements, and of stoicism in the face of adversity and of tragedy. There is so much to learn from those who went before us… There is substantially more information on the Shreiber side of the family, simply because we dug up so much more material than on the Becker side. Part II is about Annie and me. In Parts III, IV and V we hope to give you enough glimpses into our family life to illustrate the homes and countries in which you spent your early and formative years, as well as lessons we derive from our experience of parenthood!

We have included a few confidential anecdotes – both private and professional – so we would rather you did not share the Chronicles with anyone else except your wives and, eventually, your children. Please ensure it never gets into the public domain. We decided to gloss over details concerning the girlfriends you had growing up: that is for you guys to share as you see fit; our knowledge of your early “romances” is largely anecdotal – and anyway, it was part of your “learning-about-girls” phase. It certainly helped you to make the right choices of lifetime partners!

Eventually, we hope that you will want to add to this narrative, and pass it on to your kids as you go through this wonderful journey of life, with all its ups and downs!

Together with the Appendix (with its many sections), the box of Backup and Memorabilia materials, a series of short, true-life stories called “Life’s Little Incidents”, and the electronic storing of the dairies of some extraordinary holidays and one-of-a-kind parties we threw, these writings will give you a background to our and your lives. There are a couple of hard copies of the narrative, and the e-version (including the diaries) is on a USB memory stick together with our Will & Testament. But there is only a single copy of the Appendix and Backup/Memorabilia materials – because many are original documents – which would need to be shared.

 

We love you with all our hearts!

Mom & Dad                                                                                                                                                                                    October Dream, Dahlonega, April 2021

One that really stands out is the Rosh Hashanahs we had until the pandemic of covid 19 in 2020.

We started about 45 years ago , 1976, with just OUR immediate family, probably 10 people. My parents, Ginger, David, Rachael & Eddie.  My parents would come in from Florida a few days early to help get things ready. I loved doing the flowers thru the years and I felt so accomplished when everyone commented, we used 3 sets of China, silverware, and linen napkins. I made everything…Challahs, chicken salad, noodle kugel, poached salmon, potato pancakes , vegetables &  fruit & all the desserts! Everything had to be easy to eat, no cutting, as we now had a lot of people and everyone sat around, holding their plates in their laps. Dad & I loved the planning & creativity, and always kept in mind we were creating a “memory for our children” of how beautiful we as a Jewish family celebrate one of our holiest of holidays, in the most warm and beautiful way possible, as a family, with dear friends old and new.

Through the years the extended family was invited along with many friends , ours friends and Lauren and Allison’s it grew each year as our Rosh Hashanah open house lunch. Dad and I loved having our family and dear friends and their parents with us in our home.! Pretty soon Jacob was here in 2001! It was especially fun to share with the next generation, Zach made it complete.

As the elders left us the younger generation came with their Baby’s. It was especially a treat,  when the children of the children got to be 3ish  many of their parents bragged to them how they played on the” hop scotch bright colorful carpeting” (cleaned of course many many times) in basement . It occurred to me that, along with importance of the holiday celebration of our New Year, that  if we wanted our grandchildren to be happy  we need THEIR friends! So Jacob and when Zachary came along, they each invited 2 or 3 families, Jewish or not! We sent out a lunch invite and it came from, Miles, Addie ,Allison ,Lauren, Mike ,Jacob and Zachary! It was  a treat for so many years looking out and seeing 8 or 9 boys tossing the ball around while the girls, played with the doll house built for Lauren and shared by Allison and Rachael! By then we were  having much of the holiday catered, though I still made the desserts and kugel. This grew and We cherished each year until the pandemic of Covid-19. In 2020, we only had Us, David & Ginger Rachael & Steve, Serena and Celeste. We put both boards in our table and socially distanced as much as possible. It occurred to me we are almost right back where we started…just immediate family. It also occurred to me that now WE are the elders! Today is July 1, 2021…. not sure what will become of our Rosh Hashanah soiree!

Part of those memories were Allison’s college graduation, Lauren and Mikes engagement . The years Jacob asked to come early to be part of the set-up! Thank you Jacob!

Jacobs Bar Mitzvah was an extraordinary event. Jacob was wonderful, Lauren and Mike planned every detail from the English, Spanish service to everything one could do!

One of the highlights for me was making the beautiful Challahs with Jacob, we battered a little but it gave me enormous pleasure, to do this for both of our grandsons

People will always remember that service with the Rabbi and Cantor participating in the duel language!.

Zachary’s Bar Mitzvah May 2,2020 was cancelled COVID 2020 ,just days after the beautiful invites were received. Zachary wasn’t really upset, but Lauren and Mike were…..we finally had the service July 11,2020 at North Shore congregation, Lauren made masks saying Zachary’s corona virus bar mitzvah..a small party followed at their house and Zach said it was the best party ever!

.Zach did all well but….

Zach gave me a gift…no one else could . Zach’s speech was about carrying my fathers name Emmanuel which is Zach’s middle name. He hit everything on the head and realizes that living up to my Dads reputation as the “kindest, sweetest man in the world” , thinking of others, is a gift God gave Zach . Also My Dad only liked coconut and Mint….Zach also! Thank you Zach!

Both Jacob and Zachary wore the telilis  we all bought together on our wonderful trip to Israel when Jacob was bar mitzvah on Masada.  Quite a moment in time. Jacob did excellent and we were all very proud.

Another highlight was our family trip to Italy in 2019. Our hope is that these trips & exposure to other places will encourage Jacob and Zachary to “see the world”.

We hope these memories will be “happy memories”  Jacob and Zachary with remember fondly and will share with their children!

I must add I was SO happy to pick J&Z up separately from pre-school every Wednesday…Jacob and I played “spy the red truck”, of course he always won!

Zachary sang to me all the way home “small world”, though I could NOT look at him in the rear view mirror! Zach also insisted on driving through McDonalds to get French fries, which HE never once ate! I just loved this time with both!

I must say Lauren and Allison gave me (us    FANTASTIC moments from the beautiful speeches made at all the beautiful birthday parties Miles, Lauren and

Allison gave me through the years to the things they wrote. Allison found a tablet where my mother & father wrote about their life. Allison bound it and called it Dad and Me Lovingly Papa and Nonnie! Its a treasure!

I will include it at the very end of this. Blessings on your heads, LAUREN AND ALLISON FOR BEING SO WONDERFUL TO MY PARENTS, I know you prolonged their life! Lauren and my mom were on the same page, they adored each other….Allison and my Dad were connected in a way few people are lucky enough to experience!