Speak about your subversive activities!
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Sabetay Mois Mayer was born in 1922 in Pleven, Bulgaria in the Jewish family of a mid-class store-keeper. He was the eldest from three sisters and one younger brother. He graduated from the Pleven classical school in 1938 when started as a junior accountant at a local textile fabric. At this age he made his first literary attempts. In 1940 he entered the Higher Medical School in Sofia but had to quit because of the Anti-Jew legislation at that time. He was also prevented to finish his financial education at the Faculty of Economy of the Sofia University. Between 1941 and 1944 he was forced to join the Jewish labour brigades (from April to October each year). His diary from this period is preserved. He worked on the construction of roads, bridges and other buildings in Macedonia, Ihtiman and Novi Iskar. In this period he was not politically engaged. After September 9, 1944, when with the advancement of the Soviet army communist came to power he worked for the Workers Youth Union (RMS) as an accountant. Soon after that was transfferred to work in Sofia. There he managed to finish his financial higher education in 1948 and continued his career as an accountant. In 1955-56 his wife became seriously ill and her recovery was possible only with the help of the Mayers younger brother who emigrated to Israel earlier in 1949. Medicine was sent with the assistance of the Israel embassy in Sofia. These contacts were closely survailed by the communist State Security and in 1961 Sabetay Mayer war arrested and sent to jail for his contacts with Israel. His convict was for spying and he remained under custody for five years until 1966. After being free he managed to continue his career as an accountant until 1982 when he retired.
