Faina Isaakovna Shkolnik

Faina Shkolik, age 97. Beloved wife of the late Boris Klikshteyn; cherished mother of Irene (the late Alexander) Kapustyan and Leo (Zhanetta) Klinstein; loving grandmother of Tatyana and Dmitri Kapustyan and Arina Stringfelllow (Max Yurov) and great-grandchildren Evan and Leah. Funeral service Tuesday January 28th, 11 am CST at Sunset Memorial Lawns Cemetery chapel, 3100 Shermer Rd-Northbrook. Interment to follow the service. The funeral and interment can be viewed on Faina's webpage on www.mitzvahfunerals.com live, or any time after the services. Info Mitzvah Memorial Funerals 630-MITZVAH 630-648-9824.
Faina Shkolnik – Celebrating Life
Faina Shkolnik was born on May 9th, 1927, in the small village of Vyruby near Novograd Volynski in North-Central Ukraine to Isaak and Tsilia (nee Avergun) Shkolnik. With a population of only about 100 people, the village was predominantly Ukrainian, alongside several ethnic German families and three Jewish families. This diverse environment allowed Faina to learn several languages from an early age; she spoke fluent Yiddish, Ukrainian, and some German. Later, when the family moved to Kyiv for her mother Tsilia's studies in German language, Faina picked up Russian.
As a child, Faina was very active and had many friends, spending her early years enjoying the countryside. The family then moved to Simferopol, Crimea, where Tsilia began teaching German at a local university. Faina cherished her summers spent with her grandparents Leyba and Frekha Avergun.
When Faina was 14, her grandmother Frekha came to take her for a summer vacation in early June of 1941. However, Faina fell ill, delaying the trip by a few weeks. This fortunate delay saved both Faina and Frekha, as Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, and the village was occupied shortly thereafter. Tragically, Faina's grandfather Leyba and her aunt were murdered by the Nazis.
During this tumultuous time, Faina's father Isaak was serving in the army, and her mother Tsilia was mobilized into military intelligence due to her German language skills. Faina and Frekha had to evacuate by small boat across the Kerch straits, followed by a long train ride to a small town in the Ural Mountains, where distant relatives offered them shelter. The war years were incredibly challenging, with Faina and Frekha surviving on very meager rations and Faina having to work while studying in school.
By the fall of 1944, Tsilia was stationed in Lviv and managed to reunite with Faina and Frekha. Faina enrolled in the Lviv National Medical University in November 1944 at just 17 years old. Most classes were taught in Latin and Polish, adding to the challenge of her rigorous medical studies. Nevertheless, she persevered and graduated in 1950 (one of the few women that graduated from the medical school at that time). Faina started working as a family physician, adding gastroenterology and cardiology to her professional skill set later in her career. She has treated thousands of patients throughout her 40-year medical career.
Faina's personal life blossomed when she met Boris Klikshteyn. They shared a long and happy life together, raising two children-Irene and Leo. Faina and Boris shared a very deep connection built on love and unwavering respect for each other that they carried through live into the older years. Faina loved to cook, hosting family holidays and spending time with her children and grandchildren.
In 1993, Faina, Boris, and Irene's family moved to Chicago to join Leo's family, who had relocated there in 1989. In Chicago Faina has met the new challenges head on – she studied English and helped her children and grandchildren with all her heart. Faina enjoyed her years in Chicago, relishing time spent with her family, especially her grandchildren-Tatyana, Dmitri, and Arina-and great-grandchildren, Evan and Leah.
Faina will forever remain in our memory as a wonderful mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother!