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Anya Friedman (1893-1974)
Anya Friedman (1893-1974)

Anya Friedman Spector

Anya Friedman was born 15 January, 1893, in Chernovitzi, Russia. She grew up in Kopaigorod, the eldest of 7 children and married Itsik Spector in 1919 in Kopaigorod. 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 died on 9 February, 1974 in Israel. 

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. 

Interview with EF 5-22-03 about Anya:

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.

I invite you to send me any stories, memories, letters (even if untranslated), documents and photos concerning Anya Friedman Spector and I will add them to this website.

Historical Data

Itzik Spector Petition for Naturalization
Itzik Spector Petition for Naturalization
Anya Friedman Spector - Border Crossing at Nogales
Anya Friedman Spector - Border Crossing at Nogales
Anya Friedman Spector - Report of Death of Citizens Abroad
Anya Friedman Spector - Report of Death of Citizens Abroad

Writings & Stories

Lea Spector and Anya Friedman Spector
Lea Spector and Anya Friedman Spector
Lea Spector Hellner
Lea Spector Hellner

Correspondence

Until I was five years old, I was never photographed, my father was against it, I never learned why. Perhaps because we just couldn’t afford the extra expense. One day when my mother heard that the town photographer was leaving town, she took me and my two brothers through the window so that my father would not know, and we were dressed in our nicest things, and we went to the photographer and had our first picture taken. I was five, Shmuel three and Zalman one years old. The photographer sat us up on a table. I began playing around with my legs, the next day the photographer told us the picture did not come out because my legs were moving and he left town. We did not have any photographs taken until I was eleven years old.