Tag #152987 - Interview #78408 (Lidia Korotina)

I met some Hesed employees and I feel that they need me to give lectures there. Later they suggested that I open a dining room for single Jews at my place, and for five years I cooked lunch twice a week for eight Jewish people who came to my home. They were all different from each other, but gradually they formed a sort of family. We talked – they were all intelligent people. We celebrated holidays and birthdays. They were all single people and it was good that they could feel that somebody needed them. I enjoyed doing it, although it was tiring.

We celebrated all the holidays and I tried to learn as much as possible about the traditions. I asked people at Hesed and they told me. We celebrated Pesach and Rosh Hashanah, Chanukah, and Purim according to the rules. We attended workshops at Hesed about holidays and celebrations. Those eight people still call me every now and then, and I realize that this time was a big part of our lives. This drew me closer to the Jewish world.

I’ve changed the subject of my lectures. My lectures used to be about art and outstanding people in art. Nowadays they have to do with Jewish life. I learned a lot about famous  Jews -- writers, poets, and artists, and  I read a lot about the Holocaust. I try to impart all this to people who for many years, like me,  had no possibility to learn about it.
I work in libraries a lot, and I learn about the things I never even guessed before. It’s always good to know as much as possible.