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My parents were very busy at the store, and couldn’t pay me a lot of attention, so my governess taught me everything. Owing to her I learnt German and French. She tried to teach me Russian, but for some reason Russian was too complicated for me. My parents spoke Yiddish with each other and German with the children. German was my native language. My first words were spoken in German. I learnt Estonian by natural method, communicating with children in the yard. Our family knew Estonian. It went without saying for us: since we were living in Estonia, we were supposed to know the language of the country.
Jewish traditions were strictly observed at home. We always marked Sabbath. Grandmother Yoche-Hinde cooked for the whole family. She didn’t trust the maids in that. Grandmother was a wonderful cook and she enjoyed cooking. She was definitely the master in the kitchen. On Friday morning Grandmother cooked food for two days. She even baked Sabbath challah herself, in spite of the fact that there was a Jewish bakery in Tallinn, where challah was sold. In the evening the whole family got together. Grandmother lit the candles and prayed. Then all of us sat down at the table. During my childhood I was a bad trencherman, but Grandmother knew how to cook and serve the dishes so that even I didn’t have to be talked into eating. On Saturdays no work was done about the house.
All Jewish holidays were marked at home. The whole family went to the synagogue on holidays. I remember there was a synagogue on Makri Street, not far from our house. The synagogue was destroyed after the war. It was a choral, two-story synagogue. My mother, sister, grandmother and Aunt Breine were in the top gallery with other women. I was a baby, so I always sat with my father and brother in the lower gallery.
Pesach was my favorite holiday. People started getting ready for the holiday beforehand. There was something interesting every day. I liked that preparation for the holiday. Every year it was an event for me. Grandmother made wine for Pesach herself. Our apartment was heated by stove. When the apartment was not heated in the warm season, Grandmother kept the bottles of wine in the stove. The wine was made from raisins. It was sweet and very scrumptious. Matzah for Pesach was bought from Genovker. There was a confectionary, owned by a Jew called Genovker. My aunt Breine worked at Genovker’s confectionary factory. Tasty sweets and cakes were produced there. On the eve of Pesach the Genovker bakery switched for baking matzah. There was the ordinary matzah, from flour and water, and egg matzah. The latter was delicious, very crispy and tender. Of course, we had only kosher food.
When the thorough cleaning was over, Father walked into every room and the kitchen. Pieces of bread were put in certain places. Father swept them onto a wooden spoon with a goose feather. Then that spoon was wrapped in a rag and burnt in the stove. It was a Paschal ritual. Once the chametz was banished from the house, Paschal dishes were taken out. Of course, on ordinary days only kosher dishes were used and Grandmother looked into that. Paschal dishes were not ordinary, they were beautiful. When they were taken out from the package, I started feeling the holiday.
Grandmother always cooked delicious Jewish dishes. Unfortunately, I don’t know the recipe and cannot cook them myself. Grandmother made ‘Eingemachtes’ – radish was cut and soaked in honey, then boiled. It was really tasty. Grandmother took the pits from prunes and put almonds in the prunes. Then those prunes were to be boiled in honey. Of course, there was gefilte fish, chicken broth and all traditional dishes of the Jewish cuisine. I remembered the desserts most vividly.
In the evening father carried out the first Pascal seder. There was a large goblet with wine in the center. It was meant for Prophet Eliagu. All of us were supposed to drink four glasses of wine during seder. I was also given wine, though I drank it from a tot. There was another seder the next day, but it was not obligatory to have it at home. Sometimes on the second seder we went to our relatives, the Goldberg family. My parents chose Tallinn owing to that kin, and our families were very friendly. Sometimes, the Goldbergs came to us on the second seder. It was mandatory to have the first seder only at home, with your family.
On Rosh Hashanah the whole family went to the synagogue. Then Yom Kippur came. All adults fasted for 24 hours on Yom Kippur, the way they were supposed to. I was a child, and I didn’t have to fast. On this holiday people went to the synagogue for the whole day. The prayer lasted until the first evening star appeared. Father’s store was closed on holidays. I also remember the holiday of Simchat Torah. It was a very joyful holiday. Children hold apples in their hands. Small flags were stuck in those apples. Children were given desserts in the synagogue and I remember it. I remember that holiday for the reason that it was my mother’s birthday. Guests came to our place and we had fun. All my parents’ friends were Jews. They tried to get together. Apart from Goldberg family, my parents kept in touch with the Genovker family, the owners of the confectionary factory, the Berkovich family. There were some more Jewish families, but I don’t remember their surnames. In general, only Jews came to us.
We did not mark Estonian state holidays in our family. Of course, we did what we were supposed to: hang the state flag of Estonia on the balcony, but we didn’t have celebrations like we had on Jewish holidays.
Jewish traditions were strictly observed at home. We always marked Sabbath. Grandmother Yoche-Hinde cooked for the whole family. She didn’t trust the maids in that. Grandmother was a wonderful cook and she enjoyed cooking. She was definitely the master in the kitchen. On Friday morning Grandmother cooked food for two days. She even baked Sabbath challah herself, in spite of the fact that there was a Jewish bakery in Tallinn, where challah was sold. In the evening the whole family got together. Grandmother lit the candles and prayed. Then all of us sat down at the table. During my childhood I was a bad trencherman, but Grandmother knew how to cook and serve the dishes so that even I didn’t have to be talked into eating. On Saturdays no work was done about the house.
All Jewish holidays were marked at home. The whole family went to the synagogue on holidays. I remember there was a synagogue on Makri Street, not far from our house. The synagogue was destroyed after the war. It was a choral, two-story synagogue. My mother, sister, grandmother and Aunt Breine were in the top gallery with other women. I was a baby, so I always sat with my father and brother in the lower gallery.
Pesach was my favorite holiday. People started getting ready for the holiday beforehand. There was something interesting every day. I liked that preparation for the holiday. Every year it was an event for me. Grandmother made wine for Pesach herself. Our apartment was heated by stove. When the apartment was not heated in the warm season, Grandmother kept the bottles of wine in the stove. The wine was made from raisins. It was sweet and very scrumptious. Matzah for Pesach was bought from Genovker. There was a confectionary, owned by a Jew called Genovker. My aunt Breine worked at Genovker’s confectionary factory. Tasty sweets and cakes were produced there. On the eve of Pesach the Genovker bakery switched for baking matzah. There was the ordinary matzah, from flour and water, and egg matzah. The latter was delicious, very crispy and tender. Of course, we had only kosher food.
When the thorough cleaning was over, Father walked into every room and the kitchen. Pieces of bread were put in certain places. Father swept them onto a wooden spoon with a goose feather. Then that spoon was wrapped in a rag and burnt in the stove. It was a Paschal ritual. Once the chametz was banished from the house, Paschal dishes were taken out. Of course, on ordinary days only kosher dishes were used and Grandmother looked into that. Paschal dishes were not ordinary, they were beautiful. When they were taken out from the package, I started feeling the holiday.
Grandmother always cooked delicious Jewish dishes. Unfortunately, I don’t know the recipe and cannot cook them myself. Grandmother made ‘Eingemachtes’ – radish was cut and soaked in honey, then boiled. It was really tasty. Grandmother took the pits from prunes and put almonds in the prunes. Then those prunes were to be boiled in honey. Of course, there was gefilte fish, chicken broth and all traditional dishes of the Jewish cuisine. I remembered the desserts most vividly.
In the evening father carried out the first Pascal seder. There was a large goblet with wine in the center. It was meant for Prophet Eliagu. All of us were supposed to drink four glasses of wine during seder. I was also given wine, though I drank it from a tot. There was another seder the next day, but it was not obligatory to have it at home. Sometimes on the second seder we went to our relatives, the Goldberg family. My parents chose Tallinn owing to that kin, and our families were very friendly. Sometimes, the Goldbergs came to us on the second seder. It was mandatory to have the first seder only at home, with your family.
On Rosh Hashanah the whole family went to the synagogue. Then Yom Kippur came. All adults fasted for 24 hours on Yom Kippur, the way they were supposed to. I was a child, and I didn’t have to fast. On this holiday people went to the synagogue for the whole day. The prayer lasted until the first evening star appeared. Father’s store was closed on holidays. I also remember the holiday of Simchat Torah. It was a very joyful holiday. Children hold apples in their hands. Small flags were stuck in those apples. Children were given desserts in the synagogue and I remember it. I remember that holiday for the reason that it was my mother’s birthday. Guests came to our place and we had fun. All my parents’ friends were Jews. They tried to get together. Apart from Goldberg family, my parents kept in touch with the Genovker family, the owners of the confectionary factory, the Berkovich family. There were some more Jewish families, but I don’t remember their surnames. In general, only Jews came to us.
We did not mark Estonian state holidays in our family. Of course, we did what we were supposed to: hang the state flag of Estonia on the balcony, but we didn’t have celebrations like we had on Jewish holidays.
Period
Location
Talinn
Estonia
Interview
Mariasha Vasserman