Stories My Father Told Me: From Warsaw, Moscow, Algeria, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Dominican Republic

by Dvora Treisman

These are stories from far off places, in far off and very different times, stories of everyday people doing everyday things. With his brilliant memory and attention to detail, Rafał Feliks Buszejkin explained what he and the other children did in Russia in the 1910s to entertain themselves in the winter. He never attended cheder, but with a tutor, he memorized his speech for his Bar Mitzvah at the Great Synagogue of Warsaw. In high school there was that band of youths who played poker and got into mischief. He was one of them. He boxed, he worked out and built his muscles, he did track and field, raced bicycles. He failed his last year of high school. He was not a typical Eastern European Jew of that time.
He told stories of wolves in the forest in 1917, and bankruptcy at home in 1933. Stories of university days in France and months spent with Sephardic Jews in a small desert town in Algeria where he set up a Maccabi sports club.
There are love stories, stories of rich men who lose it all and poor ones who become rich. Because he had studied agronomy, he was employed all through the war and all through his life. His war-time stories from Siberia tell of hard work, trying to have enough to eat, and avoiding the NKVD. Kazakh stories tell of a culture that was a mix of western and eastern and of spending two months in a Soviet prison. Postwar brought him from the steppes of Kazakhstan to the French Riviera, then to the Dominican Republic where he farmed in a collective Jewish refugee settlement. And finally, the United States, where there were jobs, the possibility of making a good life, and no secret police.
Dvora Treisman wrote this book based on a memoir her father wrote and stories she had heard at the dining room table all her life, and she has kept it as true to his telling as possible.

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2024

About the author

Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Los Angeles, Dvora Treisman has been living in Catalonia, Spain for over twenty years. She spent most of her professional life in administration at the University of California and finished it as a technical writer for a major health care provider. She has been writing Beyond the Pale, a blog about her Catalan experiences, since 2009 and published her memoir, No Regrets: A Life in Catalonia, in 2022. Her next book, Stories My Father Told Me: From Warsaw, Moscow, Algeria, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Dominican Republic, will be published soon.

Reviews

[Jill Robbertze · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir is one about an exceptional life of a very hard working man who was willing and able to take on all sorts of employment and endeavours to provide for his family through some difficult years travelling and working in a number of very different countries. What really impressed me was how both family and friends alike were so willing to share and help each other, often leaving themselves short. At times I did find all the names a bit confusing but this didn't detract from my understanding of the events. What an interesting read !!!!

[Linda Ann Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an extraordinary life Dvora’s father, Rafal, lived. This memoir tells of the exceptional life of a very courageous man who told stories of far away places like Siberia, Algeria and the Dominican Republic. A hard-working man, wherever life took him. He persevered through all life’s twists and turns, turning his hand to anything to keep his family safe. He learned the different languages of those countries. Rafal lived through two World Wars, and the Soviet takeover of Russia. This is a fascinating account of social history. It’s an interesting and informative read. Highly recommend.

[Siobhan Falen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author's father shared stories of his life ranging from the 1910s to wartime, Siberia and Soviet prison. It's a beautiful chunk of lost history captured by this family's heir.

I think the biggest piece that hit me were the names of people so casually dropped throughout the story and then the notes that they died, disappeared, managed to survive and are relocated here, etc. I have such a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea of people I know, family, friends, etc., just being wiped out and only being able to connect with a handful of them cause that's what's left. It's horrifying and heartbreaking.

The author's father had an interesting life that took him on all sorts of adventures, especially considering he had a penchant for physical altercations. It was interesting to see where this took him and how he made it through the rougher times.

At times, due to how this was written with the names, the dates, and non-emotional connection (there's no depiction of how the father would share the stories or provide the info to the daughter), it read more as a textbook than stories passed through family. This made it somewhat difficult to read straight through.

I would recommend it though as it is very insightful and I think did a fantastic job of showing how brutally vicious the wars impacted everyday people. A fantastic history lesson that we should consider as we make our decisions about life moving forward.

[Don Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every family has stories that are told and retold at every family gathering. These are the stories that bind one generation to the next. This important book shares those stories with the reader. The father lived an extraordinary life that took him and his family around the world. But it is not a fairy tale story, but one of perseverance through two world wars, the Soviet takeover of Russia and the Holocaust. It is told with love, humor and compassion.

I was given an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and Fun Read

I enjoyed reading this memoir learning about the various places and during the various times and events. This memoir gives the reader much more than his own story. The Father gives us insight into the world around him, many other people and their experiences and many places. Thank you for sharing your Father’s story.

[Beryl · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this memoir learning about the various places and during the various times and events. This memoir gives the reader much more than his own story. The Father gives us insight into the world around him, many other people and their experiences and many places. Thank you for sharing your Father’s story.