Sara Mavasheva

Sara Abramovna Mavasheva. Sara is the fifth child in the family of Abram Chaim and Rivka Mavashev. She was born on May 5, 1921, in Bukhara. Sara is married to Nison Mavashev, and they have 3 children, 8 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and 11 great-great-grandchildren. She is warm-hearted, family-oriented, exceptionally modest, and always ready to lend a helping hand at the first call. She enjoyed unquestionable authority among the numerous relatives, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances.

From the Memoirs of Uriel’s Son

When my mother was 5 years old, she started attending the first grade of school. Being an active and clever little girl, she quickly caught the attention of her teachers. As a result, after completing the first grade, she was promoted directly to the second grade, bypassing the first. Her cleverness often helped her find solutions to challenging situations. My uncle Shmuel used to tell us that life forced my father, Abram Chaim, to flee to Jerusalem. In 1930, with two children, Sara and Shmuel, my father attempted to leave the country. To protect the family’s valuables, my mother, Rivka, sewed gems into the coat she made for the children. At the border, they were detained and searched. They first searched Shmuel but found nothing, so they asked him to call his sister. At that moment, my 9-year-old sister, realizing what was happening, took off her coat and quickly swapped it with Shmuel’s. This clever move allowed the family to retain their precious belongings. My father was arrested, but the children were sent back home.

Abram Chaim managed to successfully escape across the border only in 1933. In 1940, my grandmother Rivka passed away, leaving three underage children under the care of her older sons and daughters. Sara, along with her brothers David and Abo, and her sister Tamara, raised them, overcoming all the challenges of that difficult period of life.

In 1936, our future grandfather, Rahmin Mavashev, invited the family of his cousin Abram Chaim Mavashev to celebrate Passover in his home. My grandmother Rivka came with her sons and daughters. Rahmin’s eldest son, Nison, immediately noticed the slender, agile, and remarkably beautiful young woman, Sara, who was mature beyond her years and had striking gray-blue eyes. She also left a favorable impression on Nison’s parents. By the end of Passover, they were engaged. In late August 1936, they had their wedding, forming a strong marital bond that lasted for 65 years, until his passing in 2001.

In 1938, their first daughter Esther was born, followed by a son Uriel in 1942, and a son Ariel in 1950. After the birth of their daughter, Sara completed special courses and began working as a saleswoman.

The start of the war marked the beginning of Sara’s truly remarkable career. She was mobilized for the labor front at the evacuated Rostselmash factory, where they produced artillery shells and mines for the front lines. A workday lasted 12-14 hours, and this job allowed her to secure food for her family using ration cards. From that time onwards, and up until her retirement, Sara Abramovna was the primary breadwinner not only for her own family but also for her husband’s parents for many years. She was awarded the “For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945” medal. In total, Sara Abramovna received 11 government awards during her career.

After the war, she transitioned to the trade network in Tashkent, where she worked for 45 years. She was a business-savvy, hardworking, noble, and wise woman. These character traits, along with her business acumen and professionalism, earned her the respect of her colleagues, superiors, and numerous suppliers.

Sara was warm-hearted, family-oriented, exceptionally modest, and always ready to help at the first call. She held undisputed authority among her extensive family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances.

Considering my mother’s heavy workload, my father, Nison, took on the responsibilities of managing the household and raising the children. With a background in education, he worked as a math teacher for over 50 years, progressing from a regular teacher to a deputy principal and eventually the school’s director. After retiring in 1976, he continued working as a math teacher for another 10 years. For his fruitful contributions to public education, Nison was honored with the title “Honored Teacher of the Uzbek SSR.”

Photo: Gregory with his wife Ester (Mavasheva) Brothers Yosef and Albert Benyaminov.

Benyaminov with their son, Albert.

Photo:Albert with his daughters, Yanna and Oksana.P Photo:Yosef Benyaminov with his wife Yaffa and

herparents-Amnun and Asya.

Photo: Gennadiy and Rita with their children: Stanislav and Svetlana, Vlad and Yanna.

From the Memoirs of Rosa Gulkarov – Sara’s Niece

Nison Rahminovich and his wife Sara Abramovna were an incredibly hardworking and unique couple. Aunt Sara worked tirelessly and excelled as a businesswoman in one of the toughest and most perilous sectors of work in the Soviet Union – the world of commerce.

Her character and wisdom allowed her to hold leadership roles for nearly 45 years. She had the ability to shoulder responsibility, show initiative, and see it through to fruition – that was her strength. She had the skill to find common ground and make deals with various individuals.

In 1991, Nison and Sara emigrated to the United States, to San Diego, to be with their son Ariel. Despite being of retirement age, Nison was active in community life. For us San Diegans, his presence was a gift because his knowledge of Hebrew allowed us to conduct memorial evenings and Jewish holidays. At the synagogue he attended, he was held in deep respect and high regard, loved, and cherished. Nison remained independent and self-reliant until the very end of his life.

His independence was most evident in his ability to be true to himself, to believe in his own actions, and to control situations on his own. Nison and Sara blessed America and the way of life they led here. From their earliest days in San Diego, they were interested in people’s lives, their traditions, and the city itself. Together with their friends, they organized and participated in monthly family gatherings with the families of Yuri Fatakhov, Mikhail Borukhov, Jura Borukhov, Ilya Zakinov, Mikhail Davidov, Yuri Babakhanov, Amnun Chulpayev, Isolda Kandinov, and others.

Nison Rahminovich passed away at the age of 86 in 2001, and Sara Abramovna in 2010 at the age of 89. They lived a fulfilling and joyful life, raising three wonderful children, eight grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren.

Nison Rahminovich and Sara Abramovna are buried in New York. May their memory be eternal.