P etersburg Virginia is not exactly known as a bastion of Jewish life.
Nevertheless there are Jews who live there and though they number not more than a few hundred they are as precious as any Jew in Passaic or Pittsburgh.
Hattie Bernstein was one of those unique Jews who called Petersburg her home. Born in 1937 in Pittsburgh Hattie was privileged to give birth to three children. Unfortunately though she wasn’t destined to have much nachas or joy from her family.
Her husband passed away at a young age and soon she became estranged from two of her three children only maintaining very superficial and infrequent communication with the third.
