Abraham Tzvi Grisha Dostrovsky

Born in the small village Cairo in the Crimea. His father (Moshe) was a timber merchant. Moved with his family to Odessa at the time of the pale-of settelemt law. He intended to study chemistry in switzerland, but was forced to escape from Odessa in 1905 when following the pogroms he became wanted by the police because of his participation in the Hagana ( the Jewish self defence organization). He escaped to Palestine, where his younger brother ( Eliezer ) had already moved a few yeare earlier, leaving his wife Manya and three children behind. He worked at a variety of jobs and ultimately setteld in Haifa. His wife and children joined him a few years later. Before leaving for Palestine his wife consulted with Usishkin on the most suitable profession she should chose, and he recommended Sewing and Dressmaking. So when she arrived in Palestine she taught these subjects for a while at the Alliance school system, and then went into private businees. Her amin clents were wealthy Arabs, and she became known among them as the Russian Dressmaker ( In Arabic :" the Moskovite Dressmaker")