Diner Matvey Samuilovich (1915)

Diner Matvey Samuilovich (17 May 1915, Staroe Sochnevo) - Locksmith, later a ritual slaughterer (shochet)

After the death of his father in 1921, Diner's family moved to Riga, his mother's hometown. In 1932, he graduated from the Riga Jewish Vocational School, qualifying as a locksmith. In 1960, he completed his studies at the Jewish religious school affiliated with the Moscow Choral Synagogue and became a shochet.

Professional Background:

1932–1941: Worked as a spinning master and mechanic at Riga’s “Latlini” textile factory, which merged in 1940 with “Zasulauks Manufaktura”.

1941: Evacuated to Fergana, Uzbek SSR, where he served as an assistant foreman at the Dzerzhinsky textile plant.

1942–1945: Served in the Soviet Army during WWII.

1945–1947: Returned to Riga, resumed work as a spinning production master at “Zasulauks Manufaktura”.

1947–1949: Chief mechanic at the Latvian Worsted Mill and later at the Riga cloth factory “Activist”.

1949–1953: Mechanic at the “Promutil” artel in Riga, later working at the Ogre Industrial Complex, “Plakanciems” peat factory, and the “Galolit” artel.

1957: Moved to Moscow for religious studies at the Choral Synagogue.

1960 onward: Returned to Riga and worked as a locksmith at the Riga Car Repair Plant, “8 March” textile factory, the Proletarsky District Domestic Services Complex, and the “Krasny Kvadrat” factory.

1966–1967: District mechanic at the Specialised Repair and Construction Bureau of the Ministry of Domestic Services.

After several denied applications, Matvey Diner was granted permission to emigrate to Israel in 1972.

Military Decorations:

Medal “For Courage”

Medal “For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945”
Medal “20 Years of Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945”

Family:

Father: Samuil Diner (1886–1921), died of typhus and was buried in Smolensk Province.

Mother: Evgenia Diner (née Rashal; 1888–1941), murdered during the Nazi occupation of Riga.

Siblings:

Nina Zharkova (née Diner; 1910–1966), buried in Smolensk

Gita Diner (b. 1913)

Spouse: Mera Diner (née Kuklya; b. 1919)

Daughter: Evgeniya Diner (b. 1951)

Maternal Uncle: Louis Rashal (b. c.1893), emigrated to the USA in the early 20th century and supported the family financially after Samuil's death.