Emigrant s look at Ukraine

After 13 years in emigration Ida Katsovsky came to visit her father’s grave

By Vladimir Matveyev

Ida Katsovsky, a console operator on the plant from the FSU, in 1991 immigrated to America and became a baby-sitter. She brought to America her daughters Natasha who is now 22 and Alla who is now 17. After 13 years in America Ida came to visit the place where she once lived. "I came to visit my father's grave and see my friends," she said.

Ida was born in a small Moldavian town of Kalarash. This town, once full of Jewish inhabitants, now is a burial place of her father. In the last 10 years before emigration Ida lived in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. She left many friends in this city.

From Kiev Ida went to Moldova together with her old friend Lyuba Milman who came to visit her former home from Israel where she now lives together with her husband and three sons. In Chisinau Ida and Lyuba met with Sara Kleiman, wife of Ida’s cousin from Israel who also came to visit the place of her youth. The friends recalled their common past, talked about their present life in the USA and Israel and shared their impressions about the changes they had seen in Ukraine and Moldova.

Sara Kleiman (65 years old) told that she does not like her present life in Israel. “I feel nostalgia for Moldova. And I worry about my two grandsons who will have to serve in the army,” she said.

On the contrary, Lyuba Milman (42 years old) is quite happy about her life in Israel. “I feel myself quite well there. I am proud that my two sons serve in the army of Israel. In this country we observe all our Jewish traditions”.

Ida Katsovski told her friends that although the life in the USA is not so easy for her (she divorced her husband and are now bringing up two children on her own), she does not want to return to Ukraine. “All in my life now is linked with America,” said Ida’s daughter Natasha.

Ida told that unlike her friends in Israel she does not observe the Jewish traditions. “In Philadelphia we do not attend the synagogue and neither we are involved in the activities of the Jewish community,” she said. “It is interesting for me to know that my friends in Israel celebrate their birthdays in accordance with the Russian tradition,” she added.

As to the women’s impressions about the life in Ukraine and Moldova, all they said that it had been changed. “In the Soviet Union people had money but there was a deficit of goods in the market. Nowadays there is everything in the shops but people do not have money to buy it,” said Ida.

Staliy Ilyevich came to Kiev for a few weeks. He immigrated with his wife to Germany in 2000. Staliy was scientist (M.E.) and writer in Kiev. Now he and his wife are pensioners. Unlike Ida Katsovsky Staliy was Jewish activist in Kiev and now he and his wife are the members of the Jewish community of Marburg (land Hessen). "I came to Kiev to visit my mother's and aunt's graves and to see my friends," said Staliy.

The friends talked about their present life in Germany and Ukraine and shared their impressions about changes they had seen in Ukraine.

Staliy and his wife try to observe Jewish traditions and attend synagogue. Staliy told his friends that he is not satisfied with Jewish life in Marburg where they have only one Kabbalat Shabbat service per month.

"Visiting different places in Kiev and talking with my friends I understood that most of Ukrainians are poor. There are many beggars. So there are no changes to a better life," said Ilyevich. 

Stali discussed with his Jewish friends the problems and prospects of the Jewish community of Ukraine. "It's a pity but nothing have been changed for better in the life of the Jewish community. Many my friends told me that it was impossible to say about harmonisation of Jewish life. They told that the struggle and dissociation between Jewish leaders in Ukraine was going on," said Ilyevich.

Tatyana Rapoport (45 years old) came to Ukraine for a month with her daughter Hana to visit her relatives. She immigrated with her husband Julian Rapoport, famous decedent,  to US in 1989. Now she works with the  New-York Association for New Americans Community liaison. She was born in Shostka and after she graduated from the Kiev Institute for Foreign Languages she worked as a tutor at the firm Svitanok in Kiev. "Kiev is under restoration now. Many advertisements on the streets are the evidence of business in Kiev. At the same time, the city has become polluted and the number of cars has significantly increased. There are also a lot of beggary in the country," said Tatyana. Her sister Mila (41) who is now unemployed in Kiev, told her about difficult life in the country and very low salaries. "I see the development of Jewish community in Ukraine and revival of religious life. But I was told about the wars between Jewish leaders for leadership and anti-Semitic publications in the Ukrainian press," Tatyana added.