Genta Polyak

Genta Polyak was born October 30, 1916 in Kiev, Ukraine, in the mostly Jewish neighborhood called Podol. Genta was a name she chose herself. Her original name, Enta , was given by her grandfather Haim-Ber, who was later, in September of 1941, killed in Baby Yar. She was called Genia by her friends and family.

In 1922 the Polyak family moved to the downtown Kiev, where Genta went to the regular soviet public school. She was a pretty girl who had a lot of boys’ attention. After the school graduation she worked as a Young Pioneer’s Leader in several schools in Kiev. She liked that job very much and teaching children became her future occupation. She graduated from the Kiev Pedagogical University. She was lecturing psychology and pedagogy at the University and later teaching Russian language and Literature in the High School; she was also as a High School Vice-Principal and Principal. Genta was a great example to her students, with her high moral standards and good human qualities. She was keeping good relationships with a lot of her students and colleagues until last days of her life. She was very respected by her relatives, the people whom she worked with, her students and her friends.

In 1940 she got married to journalist Iona Feldman. They loved each other very much! Only nine months of peaceful family life were given to the happy couple. Iona Feldman went to the war and was killed during the “Kerch Operation” in 1943, fighting for liberation of Crimea from the fascists. Soviets did not let Genta forget that she was Jewish. In 1952, during the " FIGHT AGAINST KOSMOPOLITS", she was fired for being Jewish from the Kiev Pedagogical University, where she worked as Teacher's Assistant since the beginning of her teaching career. Eventually, with the hardships, she was able to get back working in the University, but with different status as a part-time employee.

In 1956 she got married second time and together with her only son Vadim moved to Ural’s city of Karpinsk. Five year later her husband Nikolai Moiseevich Linnik had died. It was a second very painful turn in her life. She returned to Kiev. Years later, in 1998, Genta immigrated to the USA along with her son's family. Moving to US certainly has extended her life. She was fully self-aware until her last day. She was even studying English at the age of 82. She was interested in politics and social news, made new friends and kept in touch with the old ones.She raised two grandchildren. The younger grandson was named after her late husband Iona. The older grandson name, Misha, was named after her brother, also killed by the Nazis in 1941. Both Misha and Iona have a lot of good memories of her.

She will always be remembered! Rest in peace.