Tag #155682 - Interview #94776 (Grigoriy Stelmakh)

My grandfather was an authoritative man in the Jewish community of Khmelnik and with the Russian, Ukrainian and Polish population. My grandfather’s business partners and other wealthy families often invited my grandparents to their homes and the interesting detail about it that their respect of my grandfather was so significant that the food they offered met my grandfather’s religious requirements. On Purim my grandfather invited his Jewish and non-Jewish friends. Everybody had lots of fun taking part in dressing up and performing. My grandmother made ‘Haman’s ears’, triangle cookies with poppy seeds and traditional Jewish food: gefilte fish, veal stew and many sweets. My grandfather explained that this was his demonstration of internationalism and religious tolerance.