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Letter From Pasha Solomonovna NORSHTEIN

Her family originates from Mezha. She managed to survive the siege of Leningrad and currently lives in Israel.

«The correct way to spell my family name is Nordshtein. However, letter “d” was lost due to unskilled village clerks. My father’s ancestors came from Gorodok. Their families lived in villages next to Mezha. Father lived in Mezha – a village with fascinating nature, talented and kind-hearted people.

Our family consisted of my grandfather Moisey Abramovich Nordshtein, grandmother Sara Israilevna (Purnezhinskaya), father Zalman Moiseevich and mother Eta Morduhovna Moiseeva, their children Fira, Pasha, Israel.

My grandfather, Moisey Abramovich, had two brothers – Haim (he moved to the USA in the 20’s) and Hirsh, who was a lawyer.

Our mother came from Usviaty, Pskovsky region. Her father, Mote Moiseev, was a merchant and sold furs. My mother died while giving birth. One of her sisters, Haya, died with her family in Velizh during the war. The second, Dasha, died during the siege in Leningrad and the third – during evacuation in the Urals. The youngest sister’s name was Lena. Brother Aron died before the war. Grandfather died in Mezha in 1934 and was buried in Usviaty.

Before the war several dozen Jewish families lived in Mezha and nearby villages Listyevo, Shariny, Pahomovichi, Zaikovo, Stepanovichi, Potashnya. All of them left these places before the war and we have no idea about their fates. I only remember some family names: Goldberg, Sudakova, Levinson, Barlinsky, Yezersky…

They were different people: bakers, hairdressers, tailors, saddlers, glaziers…

From Mezha’s Jews I only remember Israel Markovich Goldberg, who was a pharmacy manager, and his wife Reveka Borisovna, a pharmacist. Their children went to school.»

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