aronson's sister, gerda, was born in 1914, the same year archduke franz ferdinand was assassinated and world war i began. the russian government, fearing that german and yiddish-speaking jews might be or become german spies, took action quickly. on april 18, 1915, the decree of expulsion was issued by czarist russia, and many jews were forcibly moved to the interior of russia. the aronsons and many other jews were deported on cattle cars to voronezh, southeast of moscow.