Slide rules were used by engineers in the 1960s and 1970s before the invention of modern calculators. They were symbols of the profession. My grandfather used this slide rule when he worked as an engineer in the Soviet Union, eventually rising to the rank of head engineer for the Republic of Uzbekistan despite being Jewish. My grandfather immigrated to different countries many times in his life, each time having to give up family and friends, among other things. However, he managed to keep this slide rule with him, even after he quit being an engineer to move to Israel and then to the United States. My family never had many possessions that they passed down for generations, and the few things they had were either left behind each time they immigrated or were destroyed. The slide rule is one of the few things we have from before I was born. To me, this slide rule reminds me of my grandfather's perseverance and his love of mathematics and physics.

– Anni Bangiev

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant