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We also celebrated Jewish New Year – Rosh Hashanah. Our father explained to us that we had to look back onto the year behind recalling our mistakes and sins and promise ourselves to improve. At Rosh Hashanah our mother baked round challah loaves, different from the ones she made at Sabbath. Our father went to the synagogue in the morning. There were strident sounds of shofar heard from the synagogue. When father returned from the synagogue our mother put apple cut to pieces and a saucer with honey on the table. We ate apples dipping them in honey. Our father explained that this was done to have a sweet year to come. There was Yom Kippur after Rosh Hashanah. On the eve of Yom Kippur fasting began with the first evening star. It lasted until the first evening star on the next day. My sisters and I fasted since we turned 6 the whole day. Our father went to the synagogue on the next day and when he returned home we sat down to dinner. I also remember Chanukkah. I remember this holiday mostly because we received some money as a gift on this holiday. We bought toys and sweets for this money. I don’t remember whether we celebrated Sukkot. At least we didn’t have a sukkah put up in the yard.
I went to school at the age of 8. This was a Russian school where my sisters studied, too. Our teacher called the roll at our first lesson and I said that my name was Zelda. The teacher said there was not such a name. Since then I was to be called Zenia – an affectionate form of Evgenia. I got used to be called by this name, though I have the name Evgenia written in my passport. I studied well at school. I was fond of literature and history. I had all good marks. Our teachers liked me. I was a sociable girl. I became a pioneer in the 4th form and sincerely thought it was a great honor.
In 1938 the life of our family changed dramatically. My father had an accident at work. He fell from the roof he was working on and injured his lung. Since there was no hospital in Novosokolniki my father was taken to hospital in the neighboring town of Velikie Luki. He developed pneumonia and died in the hospital. He was 42 years old. Since there was no Jewish cemetery in Novosokolniki my father was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Velikie Luki. I remember that he was buried without a casket in a white cerement. We had nothing to live on after our father died. We had to have our cow slaughtered since we didn’t have any money to buy hay for her. We sold the meat. It was a hard time for our family. Our mother began to sew for her acquaintances. She got very little money for her work. My mother had to keep it in secret that she worked at home since she had no license. A financial inspector [state officer responsible for identification of illegal businesses] visited us often. My mother didn’t have a profession to find employment. Well, she might have obtained a license, but then she would have had to pay taxes that were rather excessive. We often had nothing to eat. I was the youngest and the weakest in the family. I got ill often and missed school. Whenever my mother could afford it she bought milk for me from our Jewish neighbor Chava, but this happened rarely.
I went to school at the age of 8. This was a Russian school where my sisters studied, too. Our teacher called the roll at our first lesson and I said that my name was Zelda. The teacher said there was not such a name. Since then I was to be called Zenia – an affectionate form of Evgenia. I got used to be called by this name, though I have the name Evgenia written in my passport. I studied well at school. I was fond of literature and history. I had all good marks. Our teachers liked me. I was a sociable girl. I became a pioneer in the 4th form and sincerely thought it was a great honor.
In 1938 the life of our family changed dramatically. My father had an accident at work. He fell from the roof he was working on and injured his lung. Since there was no hospital in Novosokolniki my father was taken to hospital in the neighboring town of Velikie Luki. He developed pneumonia and died in the hospital. He was 42 years old. Since there was no Jewish cemetery in Novosokolniki my father was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Velikie Luki. I remember that he was buried without a casket in a white cerement. We had nothing to live on after our father died. We had to have our cow slaughtered since we didn’t have any money to buy hay for her. We sold the meat. It was a hard time for our family. Our mother began to sew for her acquaintances. She got very little money for her work. My mother had to keep it in secret that she worked at home since she had no license. A financial inspector [state officer responsible for identification of illegal businesses] visited us often. My mother didn’t have a profession to find employment. Well, she might have obtained a license, but then she would have had to pay taxes that were rather excessive. We often had nothing to eat. I was the youngest and the weakest in the family. I got ill often and missed school. Whenever my mother could afford it she bought milk for me from our Jewish neighbor Chava, but this happened rarely.
Location
Ukraine
Interview
Evgenia Gendler
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