My dad's name was Kaufmann Froim-Nathan, and he was born in Briceni, Romania (now - the Republic of Moldova). At the age of 12, he was sent to study tailoring in Cernăuți (now - Chernivtsi, Ukraine) where he developed a passion for designing women's clothing. Soon, he became known for his skills and opened his own studio in 1935 on Strada Maria Regina Street #5, which is now known as Holovna Street.

Unfortunately, in October 1941, my father was forced to close his store and give up his residence, as he was a Jewish resident of Cernăuți. He, like many others, was forced to seek shelter within the Jewish ghetto. However, he was fortunate enough to escape deportation to a death camp in Transnistria by jumping off a moving train after breaking off the wooden boards of the wagon. 

Later, my father joined the Soviet Army, completed his military service in Riga, Latvia, and returned home to Chernivtsi in May 1945 after being demobilized. Although he survived the war, he suffered from health issues for the rest of his life and was considered an invalid of World War II.

The information is recorded from the words of Rita Melamud Kaufmann (December 2023) 

Photo: Froim-Nathan Kaufmann, during his service in the Romanian army, Cernăuți 1932