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My mother's parents came from a small town called Khotin in Romania, which formerly belonged to Russia. It joined Romania in 1918. There was a Jewish, Moldavian and Russian population in Khotin. People spoke Romanian, Yiddish and Russian. I have few memories of Khotin. I visited it when I was a child. The main historical place in town was an ancient fortress. The town was built around it. The majority of the population was Jewish. They were mainly craftsmen. There were several synagogues in town. I remember two of them. I believe, there were more, but I don't know for sure.
My grandfather, Moshe-Wolf Shatchen, was born in Khotin in the 1870s. He died of some disease in the 1920s. He owned a bakery and had two employees. My grandmother Beile was the same age as my grandfather. I don't know where she was born. My grandparents had four children. Yankel, born in 1901, was the oldest. Their oldest daughter, Esther, was born in 1903, my mother, Sosia, in 1905 and her younger sister Priva in 1907. They lived in a brick house, with three rooms and a kitchen, in the center of Khotin. It was furnished with pieces of dark wooden furniture: wardrobes, cupboards, sofas and chairs. I remember many pillows on the beds. Jewish families used to buy live poultry and used the feathers to stuff pillows and mattresses. They made a mandatory dowry for their daughters. Mothers were preparing dowry for their daughters as soon as they were born. We also had pillows and blankets that my mother had received from her parents.
The bakery was in the yard. When my grandfather died, my grandmother became the bread-winner of the family. She took up his business although she could have sold the bakery. But she had to take care of the children and took to baking. Her children helped her. My mother and her sisters baked bread, rolls and buns, pies with various stuffing, honey cakes and bagels. My grandmother's pastries were especially popular before the Purim holidays, when Jewish families were sending presents to their neighbors and friends. People used to take trays with pies, sweets and apples from house to house. My grandmother and her children had to work hard, but they managed well.
I knew my grandmother well and loved her. She was a very nice, kind and caring woman. She always wore a white apron over her long skirt and a shawl. My grandmother wore white kerchiefs at home and put on a dark shawl when she went out. People called her 'Beile der beker' - Beile, the Baker [in Yiddish].
My grandmother was a religious woman and also raised her children that way. They observed all Jewish traditions. My mother told me that they always celebrated Sabbath and Jewish holidays. On Pesach my grandmother hired employees so that she could spent her time with the children. She cooked traditional food and brought down special fancy tableware from the attic. My mother learned how to cook traditional food from her mother. The family went to the synagogue on holidays. They didn't go to the synagogue on Saturdays but preayed at home instead. On Friday mornings my grandmother cooked for Saturdays. In the evening she lit candles, and the family sat together for dinner after the prayer. On Saturdays the bakery was closed.
They spoke Yiddish at home, and Moldavian and Russian with their neighbors. My mother's older brother, Yankel, studied at cheder. All three sisters were educated at home. My grandmother was prepared to spend all she had in order to give her children an education. Yankel went to work for a landlord after finishing cheder. He was very fond of horses and worked in stables all his life. He married a Jewish girl from Khotin and lived with his family. He purchased stables with horses and a plot of land and became a successful farmer.
My grandfather, Moshe-Wolf Shatchen, was born in Khotin in the 1870s. He died of some disease in the 1920s. He owned a bakery and had two employees. My grandmother Beile was the same age as my grandfather. I don't know where she was born. My grandparents had four children. Yankel, born in 1901, was the oldest. Their oldest daughter, Esther, was born in 1903, my mother, Sosia, in 1905 and her younger sister Priva in 1907. They lived in a brick house, with three rooms and a kitchen, in the center of Khotin. It was furnished with pieces of dark wooden furniture: wardrobes, cupboards, sofas and chairs. I remember many pillows on the beds. Jewish families used to buy live poultry and used the feathers to stuff pillows and mattresses. They made a mandatory dowry for their daughters. Mothers were preparing dowry for their daughters as soon as they were born. We also had pillows and blankets that my mother had received from her parents.
The bakery was in the yard. When my grandfather died, my grandmother became the bread-winner of the family. She took up his business although she could have sold the bakery. But she had to take care of the children and took to baking. Her children helped her. My mother and her sisters baked bread, rolls and buns, pies with various stuffing, honey cakes and bagels. My grandmother's pastries were especially popular before the Purim holidays, when Jewish families were sending presents to their neighbors and friends. People used to take trays with pies, sweets and apples from house to house. My grandmother and her children had to work hard, but they managed well.
I knew my grandmother well and loved her. She was a very nice, kind and caring woman. She always wore a white apron over her long skirt and a shawl. My grandmother wore white kerchiefs at home and put on a dark shawl when she went out. People called her 'Beile der beker' - Beile, the Baker [in Yiddish].
My grandmother was a religious woman and also raised her children that way. They observed all Jewish traditions. My mother told me that they always celebrated Sabbath and Jewish holidays. On Pesach my grandmother hired employees so that she could spent her time with the children. She cooked traditional food and brought down special fancy tableware from the attic. My mother learned how to cook traditional food from her mother. The family went to the synagogue on holidays. They didn't go to the synagogue on Saturdays but preayed at home instead. On Friday mornings my grandmother cooked for Saturdays. In the evening she lit candles, and the family sat together for dinner after the prayer. On Saturdays the bakery was closed.
They spoke Yiddish at home, and Moldavian and Russian with their neighbors. My mother's older brother, Yankel, studied at cheder. All three sisters were educated at home. My grandmother was prepared to spend all she had in order to give her children an education. Yankel went to work for a landlord after finishing cheder. He was very fond of horses and worked in stables all his life. He married a Jewish girl from Khotin and lived with his family. He purchased stables with horses and a plot of land and became a successful farmer.
Location
Ukraine
Interview
Leonid Krais
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