My name is Leonid Ananievich Bortstein, I was born in Ukraine in a village called Nishivtsi in the Vinnitsa region in 1937. Now I am 83 years old. When I was 4 years old, the Second World War began. Since I was a small child, I don't remember very well the details of what was happening, but I know for sure that my grandparents were believers, Orthodox Jews; they tried to keep all the commandments of the Lord.
When 1941 came, like every other Jewish family, we were persecuted. In the beginning, for us children, everything that happened seemed like a game, we didn’t realise the seriousness of the war at all, but later, despite our small age, we began to understand that something terrible was happening.
The village of Nishivtsi, where we lived, was located on the border with Romania (Romania was at war with Ukraine at that time). I remember there was a famine, and even though my uncle was a high-ranking military man, both before and throughout the war, our family experienced a lot of oppression, pain and trials. Soon we were sent to the Ghetto camp of the Vinnitsa region, Dzhulin. I was there until I was 7 years old.
Did they taunt us there? Yes, that’s why the camp was created. I remember how the Germans took away about 50 men (they said they were going to work), but no one ever saw them again.
Later the Romanians took over the Ghetto, and the Germans left. Despite the fact that the camp was designed for about 1000 people, another 3500 Romanian Jews were brought from Romania to our Ghetto in Ukraine. There were 11 of us in our family and we all lived in one small room. When the Jews from Romania came, three more large families lived with us.
At the end of the war, only three in my family survived: me, my brother (who is 2 years older), and our grandfather, everyone else was killed.
I made Aliyah to Israel in 2000. In 2006, I heard about Yeshua for the first time, because I got on a tour organised by Messianic Jews, and the thought that Yeshua is God and a Saviour arose in my head. And in 2008, I was invited to a meeting in a messianic community, in which I met Christ personally ... It was an amazing encounter, so now I still believe that Yeshua is my Saviour and my God. I count myself a Believer!
I’m very pleased to meet with David Hathaway’s volunteers, and to receive blessings in the form of food cards and fellowship, which has been continuing for two years now. It’s great that the ‘Living Israel’ community serves the former prisoners of the Ghetto not only in words, but also in deeds. The first time I came to a concert that you gave especially for our Society; it was very good and we all loved it. Since then we are all look forward to our next meetings with you, as well as new concerts. I especially like that you are Believers, and that we not only fellowship with you, but also pray. Thank you for supporting our ‘Former Prisoners of the Holocaust Society’. We see how God brings peace and joy into our homes through you!
