Evgeniia Shusterman "was born in Tomashpil. Her father Toyva (1901-1995) was a pious man and good singer, who could read and write in Russian and Yiddish. During the war, Shusterman was evacuated to Mordovia, Russia, while her father was on the front. Evgeniia worked as a head accountant, but retired early at the age of 35 to take care of her father, who had then gone blind."