The Inspired Intermedia digital book collection
Issue link: https://inspired.uberflip.com/i/1543795
Part One: The Foundations of the Volftsun Family 33 accommodation for so many people, but thanks to the letter om Rosa the Volsuns received a room. Being a relative of someone in the military always provided an advantage because, at that time, almost all of the country's resources went to the military. Life in Tashkent was not easy, but at least it was warmer (Uzbekistan is south of Moscow, bordering Afghanistan). Most of the Volsun family was together. Tashkent was far om the German ont and safe om German artillery. Until he was called into military duty in the June aer their arrival, Iosif, as well as his sister Ida, went to work at a chemical factory that made the liquid explosives for bombs. It was a dangerous job and there were equent industrial accidents. Still, for some months, life settled into a routine. Nonetheless, the great flood of evacuees meant a shortage of food and a plethora of disease. The stores that dispensed the rationed food were managed by Bukharan Jews. One day one of the Bukharian rabbis saw Shlomo and asked him if he knew the Jewish prayers. Shlomo said he did, so the rabbi took Shlomo out of the food line and to the synagogue. The rabbi asked Shlomo to be in charge of the minyan and to lead the prayers. Very impressed with Shlomo's education and skills, the rabbi made him an offer. "You no longer have to stand in line for food," the rabbi said. "If you lead our services, we will give you bread, money, and a house." Shlomo would receive a salary of 500 rubles a month—a princely sum at the time— bread, and the use of a small adobe house. It was a deal too good to pass up. But Shlomo did just that. Inna remembers her mother crying at night, imploring him to take the job and the benefits. But Shlomo said no. Why would he do that? Shlomo was already thinking of the post-war situation. "Think of the children," he said. The war was going favorably for the Russians. Soon Le: "Here is to my dear parents and wonderful sisters om your loving and devoted son and brother." Iosif Volsun Far le: Iosif in Stalinobad, Tadjeikistan, at Aircra military school, 1942.