Even though Anatoli's first name doesn't stand out in Kremenchug, Ukraine, his surname, "Ajsenberg," reveals his family origins. Soviet Jews suffered under the Nazi occupation, not least because of the mandatory entry of their nationality on their identity cards. Today, Anatoli is supported through the Christians Standing with Israel (CSI) . Nothing is more important to him than our visit.
By Anemone Rüger
As soon as we cross the threshold, Anatoli's daughter asks us if we'd like to try the homemade cherry wine. But it's not important whether we want to – we have to! At least it's "only" wine: stronger drinks are also available.
Anatoli was nine when the war began. The whole family managed to evacuate, making a perilous escape; his family fled to Kubyansk in Russia. Anatoli has no answer as to what became of his parents' relatives. "Dad was sent straight to the front. He could understand German, having grown up speaking Yiddish, so they put him in a reconnaissance unit," Anatoli recounts. "He never came back. We soon received the missing person report."
In a foreign land, Anatoli's sister was born in the midst of the war. "Then the Germans came closer. We were separated only by a river," Anatoli recalls. "We had to leave again. A woman from the next village went with Mama to get a cart so she could take us away. Just as they left and my brother and I were alone there, a German came. He fired shots into the air to scare us, but he soon left because there was nothing worth stealing in the house."
In the next village, Anatoli's family felt a little safer. "There was a village elder there, Vasily. He helped Mama," Anatoli continued. "'Maria,' he said, 'you must have the children baptized!' So all three of us were baptized there in no time, and Vasily was our godparent. Then the Germans came there too. They made him an auxiliary policeman—what else could he do? He was a good man. He always warned Mama when there was a risk of a raid."
Vasily saved the lives of Anatoly's entire family. But after the Wehrmacht's retreat, Vasily himself was suddenly in danger. "He had remained decent, but he knew what the Soviets did to people who had held any position under the German occupation," Anatoly explained. "One day he ran into the woods and stepped on a mine." When Anatoly's mother returned to Kremenchug with the children, she found the city 90 percent destroyed. The family had to move on to Poltava.
Today, Anatoli has a large family with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He proudly shows us the photo plaque his daughter made for his 90th birthday. This plaque commemorates Anatoli's victory over the Nazis.
With your help, our team can assist survivors and those in need within the Jewish communities to get through the coming third winter of the war – with a one-time donation to "SOS Ukraine" or by sponsoring a needy Jewish senior citizen. Every contribution helps!
