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Before Rosh Hashanah they blew the shofar at the synagogue for a whole month. The sound of it was loud and strident and was heard across the village.
Then came the Judgment Day, Yom Kippur. The fast started on the eve of this holiday. Adults fasted, and the children wanted to do as they did. Mama didn’t allow us to fast, when we were young. She said missing one meal was quite sufficient. In the morning we went to the synagogue. It was required to pray until the first star appeared in the sky. Older children also went to the synagogue, and the younger ones stayed at home in the care of Ukrainian neighbors or acquaintances.
After Yom Kippur preparations for Sukkot began. Father made a sukkah in the yard. We, kids, assisted him fetching a hammer or a plank. When the sukkah was ready, we decorated it with green branches, flowers, ribbons. We also made decorations from chicken feathers. Each family tried to make their sukkah more beautiful than the others. There was a table installed in the sukkah, and the family had meals and prayed in the sukkah.
In winter we celebrated Chanukkah. Mama had a bronze channukkiyah where she lit one more candle each day. The children made the rounds of relatives and neighbors singing a song about Chanukkah. Relatives gave children Chanukkah gelt. We spent it on sweets and toys.
We also liked Purim, a merry holiday. In the morning all went to the synagogue. The children got rattles. When the rabbi mentioned the name of Haman, the villain, we had to make as much noise as possible to make it impossible to hear his name. There were many delicacies cooked. There was a custom to send treats to relatives, acquaintances and friends on Purim. Children made the rounds of houses, and when housewives returned empty trays, they put some small change on them. We celebrated holidays before the Great Patriotic War [8] and both synagogues operated.
Then came the Judgment Day, Yom Kippur. The fast started on the eve of this holiday. Adults fasted, and the children wanted to do as they did. Mama didn’t allow us to fast, when we were young. She said missing one meal was quite sufficient. In the morning we went to the synagogue. It was required to pray until the first star appeared in the sky. Older children also went to the synagogue, and the younger ones stayed at home in the care of Ukrainian neighbors or acquaintances.
After Yom Kippur preparations for Sukkot began. Father made a sukkah in the yard. We, kids, assisted him fetching a hammer or a plank. When the sukkah was ready, we decorated it with green branches, flowers, ribbons. We also made decorations from chicken feathers. Each family tried to make their sukkah more beautiful than the others. There was a table installed in the sukkah, and the family had meals and prayed in the sukkah.
In winter we celebrated Chanukkah. Mama had a bronze channukkiyah where she lit one more candle each day. The children made the rounds of relatives and neighbors singing a song about Chanukkah. Relatives gave children Chanukkah gelt. We spent it on sweets and toys.
We also liked Purim, a merry holiday. In the morning all went to the synagogue. The children got rattles. When the rabbi mentioned the name of Haman, the villain, we had to make as much noise as possible to make it impossible to hear his name. There were many delicacies cooked. There was a custom to send treats to relatives, acquaintances and friends on Purim. Children made the rounds of houses, and when housewives returned empty trays, they put some small change on them. We celebrated holidays before the Great Patriotic War [8] and both synagogues operated.
Location
Ukraine
Interview
Frida Shatkhina