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In her youth my grandmother had been renowned for her beauty. Her daughter Ester then inherited it from her. Granny wore a wig, and when she didn’t have it, she’d cover her head with a headscarf. She led a strictly kosher household. My grandparents prayed every day, and lived according to Jewish regulations – the halakhah. If I still remember properly, then by me my grandfather used to wear a dark suit, a caftan. And Grandma, as far as I remember, used to dress normally. Though she did wear, as I’ve mentioned, a wig, or a headscarf.
My grandparents lived in a small house: a front hall, on the left the general store, on the right a huge room, that was the bar where Granny served brandy, but to a reasonable degree. She never served a drunk even a small shot. And then there was one more little room, which also served as a bedroom. As a small boy I slept there with Grandpa. Grandpa also had a lot of religious books in this room, even a tabernacle with the Torah. Sometimes Jews from the village and its immediate surroundings would come to pray there. My grandparents’ house also had a typical farm courtyard. They raised cows, poultry and other animals, and also had cats. Of course there was also a stable and hayloft. In the back part of the courtyard there was a manure pit.
My grandparents lived together with their son Pinchas and his family. As far their daughter-in-law was able, she helped out with the household. On Saturdays a so-called shabesgoy used to come help out. Goy means non-Jew. It was a lady neighbor of theirs, who used to help out with various light work and would get paid for it. On Saturday, they for example weren’t even allowed to light candles. On Friday they’d still light candles themselves, but not anymore on Saturday [during the Sabbath, 39 main work activities are forbidden, to which the injunction against others is related. The “kindling of fire” is also among the forbidden activities – Editor’s note].
My grandparents lived in a small house: a front hall, on the left the general store, on the right a huge room, that was the bar where Granny served brandy, but to a reasonable degree. She never served a drunk even a small shot. And then there was one more little room, which also served as a bedroom. As a small boy I slept there with Grandpa. Grandpa also had a lot of religious books in this room, even a tabernacle with the Torah. Sometimes Jews from the village and its immediate surroundings would come to pray there. My grandparents’ house also had a typical farm courtyard. They raised cows, poultry and other animals, and also had cats. Of course there was also a stable and hayloft. In the back part of the courtyard there was a manure pit.
My grandparents lived together with their son Pinchas and his family. As far their daughter-in-law was able, she helped out with the household. On Saturdays a so-called shabesgoy used to come help out. Goy means non-Jew. It was a lady neighbor of theirs, who used to help out with various light work and would get paid for it. On Saturday, they for example weren’t even allowed to light candles. On Friday they’d still light candles themselves, but not anymore on Saturday [during the Sabbath, 39 main work activities are forbidden, to which the injunction against others is related. The “kindling of fire” is also among the forbidden activities – Editor’s note].
Location
Slovakia
Interview
Jozef W.