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Anya Friedman was born 15 January, 1893, in Chernovitzi, Russia. She grew up in Kopaigorod, the eldest of 7 children and married Itsik Spector (brother of Polya Spector Gologorsky) in 1919 in Kopaigorod.
Anya Friedman and her husband, Itsik Spector, were first cousins. Itsik’s parents were David Spector and Yohevet Friedman. Yohevet was the sister of Israel Friedman, who was the father of Anya.
In 1921 she and her family emigrated to Vera Cruz and then Hermosillo, Mexico, then moved to Los Angeles in 1925. She had two children, Avram who was born in Kopaigorod, and Lea, who was born in San Francisco.
She was warm and friendly, they would come down from San Francisco to see family in Los Angeles. She wrote a memoir (see below), she was very demonstratively emotional and close to her family, she cried a lot with joy and sorrow. Her husband Itsik also was very warm and friendly. He came down to LA with his van full of dry goods and gifts for the family, passing around presents.
Anya died on 9 February, 1974 in Israel.
“EF knew them well. She was diminutive with a gentle voice. Very pleasant. Very tearful. Very emotive. Spoke Yiddish mostly, some English. very maternal. Very much involved with family. He always remembers her with a fistful of letters, always communicating with everybody, a strong odor of garlic in her house also. Cried when happy and sad. Very similar to EFs experience of his father Sol in this sense. She felt for everybody and everything. concerned with the welfare of family.”
