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In 1924 my older brother Boruch fell ill with scarlet fever and died. He was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Borovka, and the funeral was according to all rules. Father recited the Kaddish over my brother’s grave. Mama sat shivah for a week. She was alone since Father worked in his store, and my younger brother Abram and I had to go to school.
I finished the seven-year school in 1929. I was the oldest in the family: my brother and sister still went to school. I had to support the family and go to work.
In the middle of the 1920s Jewish and Ukrainian kolkhozes [10] were organized in Borovka. The Jewish kolkhoz [11] had a cow farm and farmlands growing grain and vegetables. I went to work in the field. During summer vacations my younger sister and brother also worked in the field to earn some money.
We got payment in fall after harvest time. We were paid a little money and grain and vegetables for our work. I wanted to buy a cut of fabric to make a dress so much, but there was too little money for anything. I decided I had to find a better-paid job, which was hard to do in Borovka.
Hard times came in 1932-33. Famine [12] came to Ukraine, and the situation in villages was much worse than in towns. Those, who had farmlands and vegetable gardens, were better off while we had just nothing. We starved. We picked berries, mushrooms and some roots in the woods. However, we all managed somehow, but my father. He caught a terrible cold in winter and was very weak.
In winter 1933 Father died. We buried him in the Jewish cemetery near his parents and my older brother Boruch. After he died the authorities took away his store from us. Mother decided we had to move to Chernevtsy to live closer to her brother.
I finished the seven-year school in 1929. I was the oldest in the family: my brother and sister still went to school. I had to support the family and go to work.
In the middle of the 1920s Jewish and Ukrainian kolkhozes [10] were organized in Borovka. The Jewish kolkhoz [11] had a cow farm and farmlands growing grain and vegetables. I went to work in the field. During summer vacations my younger sister and brother also worked in the field to earn some money.
We got payment in fall after harvest time. We were paid a little money and grain and vegetables for our work. I wanted to buy a cut of fabric to make a dress so much, but there was too little money for anything. I decided I had to find a better-paid job, which was hard to do in Borovka.
Hard times came in 1932-33. Famine [12] came to Ukraine, and the situation in villages was much worse than in towns. Those, who had farmlands and vegetable gardens, were better off while we had just nothing. We starved. We picked berries, mushrooms and some roots in the woods. However, we all managed somehow, but my father. He caught a terrible cold in winter and was very weak.
In winter 1933 Father died. We buried him in the Jewish cemetery near his parents and my older brother Boruch. After he died the authorities took away his store from us. Mother decided we had to move to Chernevtsy to live closer to her brother.
Location
Ukraine
Interview
Frida Shatkhina