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When I was a kid, we used to apply all Jewish traditions in our home. We practised Kasherut [kashrut], we celebrated all the holidays, and of course we read the Agada [hagaddah] at Pesah [pesach]. We used to go to the synagogue on all the Jewish holidays. We sometimes went on Saturday morning as well. I often accompanied my father to the synagogue. I, myself went every Friday evening.
I learned Hebrew and got a religious education, too. I was privately tutored by our previous Chief Rabbi, Rav David Asseo [13]. I was his student. I did not go to the synagogue for lessons, our teacher used to come to our houses. David Asseo was not the Chief Rabbi then, he was a professor of Hebrew. 8-10 of us used to gather in a home, every week a different home and he used to come and teach us Hebrew and the Tanah [tanakh]. I never went to the Yeshiva or the Mahazike Tora. My family never taught me anything, they just made sure I got lessons. I used to pray and read the Tora [Torah] on Saturdays; my father usually didn’t.
We celebrated my Bar-Mitzva [bar mitzvah] at the Zulfaris Synagogue [14] in Karakoy. I went on the teva [tevah]; there was no tradition of making speeches then; we only did the berahot [brochot] and the sefer-tora [Sefer Torah] ceremony. Afterwards, our relatives came to visit to our home and we had a meal together. In my time, these ceremonies were much lighter than they are today. They were much simpler and less of a show off.
The Jewish holidays I liked best were Rosh Ashana [Rosh Hashanah] and Kipur [Yom Kippur]. These holidays affected me a lot with their meanings. Pesah [Pesach] is a difficult holiday and I don’t like too much. We can’t eat bread, there are a lot of fried dishes and therefore the food is really heavy and there is not much choice either.
I learned Hebrew and got a religious education, too. I was privately tutored by our previous Chief Rabbi, Rav David Asseo [13]. I was his student. I did not go to the synagogue for lessons, our teacher used to come to our houses. David Asseo was not the Chief Rabbi then, he was a professor of Hebrew. 8-10 of us used to gather in a home, every week a different home and he used to come and teach us Hebrew and the Tanah [tanakh]. I never went to the Yeshiva or the Mahazike Tora. My family never taught me anything, they just made sure I got lessons. I used to pray and read the Tora [Torah] on Saturdays; my father usually didn’t.
We celebrated my Bar-Mitzva [bar mitzvah] at the Zulfaris Synagogue [14] in Karakoy. I went on the teva [tevah]; there was no tradition of making speeches then; we only did the berahot [brochot] and the sefer-tora [Sefer Torah] ceremony. Afterwards, our relatives came to visit to our home and we had a meal together. In my time, these ceremonies were much lighter than they are today. They were much simpler and less of a show off.
The Jewish holidays I liked best were Rosh Ashana [Rosh Hashanah] and Kipur [Yom Kippur]. These holidays affected me a lot with their meanings. Pesah [Pesach] is a difficult holiday and I don’t like too much. We can’t eat bread, there are a lot of fried dishes and therefore the food is really heavy and there is not much choice either.
Location
Beyoğlu/İstanbul
Türkiye
Interview
Sami Schilton