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Family Is All That Matters 24 father was inside and he was powerless to do anything about it. There was no rule of law in the Ukraine, not for Jews. These memories of the arrests and his father's imprisonment were imprinted on Iosif 's mind. In 1933, Shlomo received word that the secret police planned to arrest him again later that evening. He knew he would not survive another arrest. Eventually, Shlomo decided, enough was enough. He had to leave the shtetl finally, if not for America then for Moscow, where he could get a job, save money, and then send for his family. This was a common reain, echoed Above: Riva Brandes, Yankel Brandes, and Hava Brandes in Shtetl Graiding, Ukraine, 1916. by millions of poor fathers who wanted a better life for their children. But getting to Moscow was not an easy thing. There were travel restrictions, especially for Jews. Had he been arrested again, he would certainly have been sent to Siberia. Getting official permission to leave Gorodok would be impossible. He had to take matters into his own hands in the manner pervasive at that time: He would bribe an official. Shlomo knew the perfect official, a secretary in the village office. Shlomo knew exactly what the official's weakness was; he was an alcoholic. In exchange for gis of vodka, the official forged documents that identified Shlomo as a common worker and gave him travel papers that would take him by train to Moscow. That night Shlomo jumped out the window, mounted a horse, and made his escape. 1933—1935: Hava Alone with 1933—1935: Hava Alone with the Children in Gorodok the Children in Gorodok Inna was too young to remember her father leaving Gorodok to escape the secret police. But she recalls how difficult life was for the Volsun family without their father. When the Bolsheviks came to power, the Volsuns were thrown out of their house. The family was reduced to living in the street with just a few basic possessions and the clothes on their backs. Hava had four brothers and two sisters, but such was the fear in those days that they were aaid to help Hava because they knew they would be persecuted if they took her in. It was considered a counter-revolutionary act to help any family targeted by the Bolsheviks. The Volsuns were officially deprived of rights. The government made rules that targeted people who had once employed other people. The Volsuns were considered exploiters of the working class, and thus enemies of the state and of the Revolution. People who were considered exploiters had no rights to have homes. The children of such people were not allowed to attend school. It was a harsh system, and many people simply died. Hava and the children were

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