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Forced to Leave Odessa as a Girl, and Yearning for the Life She Knew Then Forced to Leave Odessa as a Girl, and Yearning for the Life She Knew Then
(about 9 hours later)
Lyubov Bilik fled the only home she knew in 1941. With her mother and two older sisters, she boarded a ship from Odessa, Ukraine, and eventually wound up near the northern foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, fleeing the slaughter of Jews by the Nazis and Romanians. She was 12 at the time. Her father, who had been conscripted into the Soviet army, was forced to stay behind. Lyubov Bilik fled the only home she knew in 1941. With her mother and two older sisters, she boarded a ship from Odessa, Ukraine, and eventually wound up near the northern foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, fleeing the slaughter of Jews by the Nazis and the Romanians. She was 12 at the time. Her father, who had been conscripted into the Soviet Army, was forced to stay behind.
One day when she was 14, she was stopped by a haggard man asking for directions, which she provided, before continuing on her way.One day when she was 14, she was stopped by a haggard man asking for directions, which she provided, before continuing on her way.
The man called after her: “Lyusinka,” he said. This surprised her. Only her close relatives and friends knew this nickname. She turned around and the man opened his arms wide. The man called after her: “Lyusinka.” This surprised her. Only her close relatives and friends knew this nickname. She turned around and the man opened his arms wide.
“Lyusinka, you don’t recognize your own father?”“Lyusinka, you don’t recognize your own father?”
Before her stood a man ruined by war: ashen, frighteningly thin, sick from tuberculosis and with “the life sucked out of him,” she recalled through a stuttering sob during a recent interview in her one-bedroom apartment in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn.Before her stood a man ruined by war: ashen, frighteningly thin, sick from tuberculosis and with “the life sucked out of him,” she recalled through a stuttering sob during a recent interview in her one-bedroom apartment in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn.
The surprise encounter would form the first of many bittersweet moments in her life, which Ms. Bilik, 87, divides into two parts: “The one I lived before I was 12,” and “the one that began when I was about 12 and a half.” The surprise encounter would form the first of many bittersweet moments in her life, which Ms. Bilik, 87, divides into two parts: “the one I lived before I was 12,” and “the one that began when I was about 12 and a half.”
The second part, which began after the 1941 Odessa massacre, when Ms. Bilik and her family hid to avoid being captured, has been defined by loss, heartbreak, frequent moves, health setbacks and “extreme loneliness,” she said.The second part, which began after the 1941 Odessa massacre, when Ms. Bilik and her family hid to avoid being captured, has been defined by loss, heartbreak, frequent moves, health setbacks and “extreme loneliness,” she said.
After an earlier, unsuccessful marriage, Ms. Bilik married Abram Shturman in 1980 and finally felt content with her life in the Soviet Union. But Mr. Shturman’s children yearned to live in the United States. “I did not want to move,” she said. “I had just found stability.”After an earlier, unsuccessful marriage, Ms. Bilik married Abram Shturman in 1980 and finally felt content with her life in the Soviet Union. But Mr. Shturman’s children yearned to live in the United States. “I did not want to move,” she said. “I had just found stability.”
But the family decided to immigrate to the United States in 1992, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Years of economic and social instability followed. The family decided to immigrate to the United States in 1992, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Years of economic and social instability followed.
Her husband’s son, now 61, eventually moved to New Jersey, and his daughter, 67, lives in Israel. The children “have not forgotten me,” Ms. Bilik said. Both call her twice a day.Her husband’s son, now 61, eventually moved to New Jersey, and his daughter, 67, lives in Israel. The children “have not forgotten me,” Ms. Bilik said. Both call her twice a day.
Her husband died in 2002, and since then, Ms. Bilik’s major connection to the outside world and her homeland has been the Russian Television Network, which broadcasts American political news and culture in Russian.Her husband died in 2002, and since then, Ms. Bilik’s major connection to the outside world and her homeland has been the Russian Television Network, which broadcasts American political news and culture in Russian.
She watches television throughout the day, usually from her couch, the one the family got after arriving in America. But it had started to deteriorate, just as Ms. Bilik was falling behind on utility bills and coping with an infection from kidney stones that required her to be hospitalized for five days in March.She watches television throughout the day, usually from her couch, the one the family got after arriving in America. But it had started to deteriorate, just as Ms. Bilik was falling behind on utility bills and coping with an infection from kidney stones that required her to be hospitalized for five days in March.
Two months later, a friend referred Ms. Bilik to Selfhelp Community Services, a beneficiary agency of UJA-Federation of New York, one of the eight organizations supported by The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund. A caseworker visited her apartment and arranged for the fund to pay $1,198 for a new sofa and $200 toward her Con Edison bill. Two months later, a friend referred Ms. Bilik to Selfhelp Community Services, a beneficiary agency of UJA-Federation of New York, one of the eight organizations supported by The New York Times’s Neediest Cases Fund. A caseworker visited her apartment and arranged for the fund to pay $1,198 for a new sofa and $200 toward her Consolidated Edison bill.
The caseworker also arranged for her to again receive $194 a month in food stamps, which had lapsed. Ms. Bilik also now gets kosher meals delivered to her home through JASA, another beneficiary agency of UJA-Federation of New York.The caseworker also arranged for her to again receive $194 a month in food stamps, which had lapsed. Ms. Bilik also now gets kosher meals delivered to her home through JASA, another beneficiary agency of UJA-Federation of New York.
Seven decades have passed since Ms. Bilik fled Odessa, but time and the searing memories of war have not worn away her affection for her first home.Seven decades have passed since Ms. Bilik fled Odessa, but time and the searing memories of war have not worn away her affection for her first home.
When the television is off, Ms. Bilik’s mind drifts to the cherished moments of her childhood, “the one before I was 12”: the peaceful years growing up in the company of her grandmother, a pillar of her family who could not leave Ukraine with them because she was paralyzed. Those were the years before Nazi-allied troops stormed Odessa to take it from the Soviets, rounded up Jews, including her neighbors, killing many of them and placing thousands of others in ghettos. When the television is off, Ms. Bilik’s mind drifts to the cherished moments of her childhood, “the one before I was 12”: the peaceful years growing up in the company of her grandmother, a pillar of her family who could not leave Ukraine with them because she was paralyzed. Those were the years before Nazi-allied troops stormed Odessa to take it from the Soviets and rounded up Jews, including her neighbors, killing many of them and placing thousands of others in ghettos.
Ms. Bilik recalled how her family had initially refused to leave Odessa after the invasion, hiding in their basement to avoid capture, so they could care for her disabled grandmother. She “wanted to die, because she knew we would never leave her behind,” Ms. Bilik said. Her grandmother died about three months after troops descended on the city, she said. It was then that her family fled.Ms. Bilik recalled how her family had initially refused to leave Odessa after the invasion, hiding in their basement to avoid capture, so they could care for her disabled grandmother. She “wanted to die, because she knew we would never leave her behind,” Ms. Bilik said. Her grandmother died about three months after troops descended on the city, she said. It was then that her family fled.
Memories of the Odessa of her childhood are depicted in oil and acrylic paintings that hang in her apartment. Her husband painted them based on postcards showing the city that they collected together in America.Memories of the Odessa of her childhood are depicted in oil and acrylic paintings that hang in her apartment. Her husband painted them based on postcards showing the city that they collected together in America.
“So I live with him and Odessa still around me,” Ms. Bilik said. “And now I’m the only one left, with all these memories.”“So I live with him and Odessa still around me,” Ms. Bilik said. “And now I’m the only one left, with all these memories.”