Tag #125545 - Interview #97938 (Moiz Isman)

My family wasn’t very religious, consequently they went to the synagogue only at Roshashana [Rosh Hashanah] and Kipur [Yom Kippur].  All the festivals were celebrated as they were supposed to be. My mother did kol hamira in Pesah [Pesach] [Hebrew for cleaning of the house till no chametz is found] During Pesah [Pesach], besides cleaning the house thoroughly, we used special cutlery for the festival.  Twice a year, at the Roshashna and Pesah festivals, new outfits and shoes were always bought for me. We spent Pesah evenings with my mother’s sister’s family, Rashel Beraha, her husband Robert and their children Ceni, Moris and Rafael. We weren’t too many, we would be 7 to 8 people at the table. Sometimes at “Noche de Shabat” [a sephardic term used to designate Friday nights], we would light our candles.  We fasted at Kipur [Yom Kippur].  Though we didn’t pay attention to “kasherut” [kashrut], kasher [kosher] meat was always bought for our home. My family didn’t have any effective roles in the community, they were common members. We were as if in a ghetto, all of our neighborhood, and neighbors were Jewish. We were together during all the festivals and always had long chats at homes.

My interest in the prayers, and the synagogue being closely located to our home, made me go to Tefila [tefillah], Arvit and Minha [mincha] prayers every day when I was a child. My father sometimes came along with me during Shabat [shabbath] nights. Like all “Judyos” [Ladino for Jews], I had my Bar-Mitzva. I did not have any special celebration, just the ceremony at the synagogue.