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Mother’s education was limited to three grades in cheder [11]. The rabbi, who taught the children, beat her. He beat all children. The teacher beat them on the hands with a ruler for each mistake. That’s why she quit going to cheder. Her parents knew it, but there were no other teachers. And my mother didn’t want to go to this cheder. So they contented themselves with already obtained education and it was enough for Mother for her life. Mother said she couldn’t tolerate it any more. Thus she finished only three grades with difficulty. However, she spoke, wrote and read freely in Yiddish and Russian. When Mother grew up and became a young girl, she rolled cigarettes in order to earn some money.
Period
Interview
Lyudmila Kreslova