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But soon life became absolutely intolerable. At the beginning of 20th
century, Jewish pogroms began in Russia. As Mother told me that , there
were three or four pogroms every year. It was very terrifying. All of a
sudden, a crowd of infuriated people appeared on the street - who were
armed with axes, sticks, iron rods. They rushed into the Jewish houses,
plundered, broke and destroyed everything - except for the portraits of the
emperor and empress - beat and killed adults and children. If the thugs
were natives, they never harmed Grandfather's house. They cried: "Here
lives Haim;, his father waged war for the czar." But when strangers came to
make a pogrom, they had no mercy. Ukrainian neighbors hid children; adults
hid on their own. The thugs especially liked to rip open pillows and
featherbeds. After the pogrom, we were up to our knees in feathers.
During one pogrom, Motherum,, who was 13 then, didn't have time to escape
and she hid under a bed. The drunken Cossacks saw the Jewish girl under a
bed. They began to "have a good time" - -- to thrust their saberes into
her, piercing and cutting her legs. Her wounds didn't heal for a while. The
local authorities, to cover their responsibility, sent her for medical
treatment to Odessa, at their own expense. The next year she had to walk on
crutches. But one leg remained misshapen for the rest of her life.
The pogroms did not stop, and because of the intensifying anti-Semitism,
Haim Yasinover decided to leave Russia. In 1910, he went by rail to Harbin,
China. One year later, the rest of his family followed him. After tryhaving
tried different jobs, Haim became a real estate broker. Although Haim's
income was not very high, the family was materially secure. At that time,
Harbin could be considered a Russian town; Russian was the most widely
spoken language. The Jewish community in Harbin was quite large, and there
was a synagogue there, as well. The Jewish traditions in the Yasinover
family didn't change, but younger children didn't get a religious
education, only a secular one. In Harbin, they went to Russian schools and
gymnasia.
century, Jewish pogroms began in Russia. As Mother told me that , there
were three or four pogroms every year. It was very terrifying. All of a
sudden, a crowd of infuriated people appeared on the street - who were
armed with axes, sticks, iron rods. They rushed into the Jewish houses,
plundered, broke and destroyed everything - except for the portraits of the
emperor and empress - beat and killed adults and children. If the thugs
were natives, they never harmed Grandfather's house. They cried: "Here
lives Haim;, his father waged war for the czar." But when strangers came to
make a pogrom, they had no mercy. Ukrainian neighbors hid children; adults
hid on their own. The thugs especially liked to rip open pillows and
featherbeds. After the pogrom, we were up to our knees in feathers.
During one pogrom, Motherum,, who was 13 then, didn't have time to escape
and she hid under a bed. The drunken Cossacks saw the Jewish girl under a
bed. They began to "have a good time" - -- to thrust their saberes into
her, piercing and cutting her legs. Her wounds didn't heal for a while. The
local authorities, to cover their responsibility, sent her for medical
treatment to Odessa, at their own expense. The next year she had to walk on
crutches. But one leg remained misshapen for the rest of her life.
The pogroms did not stop, and because of the intensifying anti-Semitism,
Haim Yasinover decided to leave Russia. In 1910, he went by rail to Harbin,
China. One year later, the rest of his family followed him. After tryhaving
tried different jobs, Haim became a real estate broker. Although Haim's
income was not very high, the family was materially secure. At that time,
Harbin could be considered a Russian town; Russian was the most widely
spoken language. The Jewish community in Harbin was quite large, and there
was a synagogue there, as well. The Jewish traditions in the Yasinover
family didn't change, but younger children didn't get a religious
education, only a secular one. In Harbin, they went to Russian schools and
gymnasia.
Period
Location
Balta
Ukraine
Interview
sarah zauer