CONNECTION: Jacob sees his great-grandparents, Victor and Lyuba, twice a week, and they all speak Russian together. Above, they celebrated Chanukah together in 2014, along with Jacob’s dad, Eugene, sitting between them.
Jacob Kilberg: Russian Lifestyle
“My mom was born in Odessa, Ukraine, and my dad was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and they kind of grew up there. My great-grandparents were born in the same place as my parents, and so was their past generation.
My great-grandparents and I speak the language with each other and eat many Russian foods, like borscht — a soup with a bunch of cabbage and stuff inside, and it’s red. We also observe Russian holidays, such as Victory Day [which] commemorates the Nazi surrender. My grandparents are Russian as well, but they speak English, unlike my great grandparents.
I see my great-grandparents like twice a week. My great-grandfather is a tough guy that keeps to himself, and my great-grandmother is a very talkative and energetic person. Speaking a different language is important to our connection because we have something that not all other people have. If I didn’t have it, who knows how close I would be with them? Being Russian brings me and my great grandparents together and closer to each other. ”