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There was a big market in Starokonstantinov on Sundays. Early in the morning my mother went to the road to buy chicken from the farmers that were taking their product to the market. My mother could buy chickens from them at a lower price. She took live chicken to the shoihet. There was no kosher meat at the market, because the sellers at the market were Ukrainian farmers. However, director of the meat factory was a Jew and there was a kosher shop at the factory and from there we had beef delivered home.
1932 and 1933 were the years of famine (6). We survived thanks to our storage of millet and buckwheat. My mother knew many farmers that sold their products at the market in Starokonstantinov. When they came to the market they dropped by our house to say “hallo” to my mother and always brought her a bag of cereal. That was how we got a storage of cereals. My mother made soup with cereals and shared it with my father’s brother Duvid and his wife Nehama. Duvid was all swollen from hunger and Nehama was so weak that she had to stay in bed. Duvid came to us to have a bowl of soup and took a jar of soup to Nehama. We all survived this famine when so many people around had starved to death.
My older sister Fira went to the Jewish school near our house, but in few days my mother took her to the Ukrainian school. My mother didn’t like it that my sister’s schoolmates were dirty and snotty children from poor religious families. Ukrainian school was more progressive at that time, besides, my mother wanted my sister to study the state language. My mother taught my sister and me to read and write in Yiddish, but that was all we studied.
1932 and 1933 were the years of famine (6). We survived thanks to our storage of millet and buckwheat. My mother knew many farmers that sold their products at the market in Starokonstantinov. When they came to the market they dropped by our house to say “hallo” to my mother and always brought her a bag of cereal. That was how we got a storage of cereals. My mother made soup with cereals and shared it with my father’s brother Duvid and his wife Nehama. Duvid was all swollen from hunger and Nehama was so weak that she had to stay in bed. Duvid came to us to have a bowl of soup and took a jar of soup to Nehama. We all survived this famine when so many people around had starved to death.
My older sister Fira went to the Jewish school near our house, but in few days my mother took her to the Ukrainian school. My mother didn’t like it that my sister’s schoolmates were dirty and snotty children from poor religious families. Ukrainian school was more progressive at that time, besides, my mother wanted my sister to study the state language. My mother taught my sister and me to read and write in Yiddish, but that was all we studied.
Location
Ukraine
Interview
Faina Volper Biography