Selected text
Kosher chicken was ready to be cooked. As a rule my elder brother took it to the shochet. Later on, I started doing that. The house was immaculately clean by Friday evening. There was no dust. The wooden floors were shining. A starched snow-white table-cloth and the silver candle-holder with the candles were placed on the table. For Friday my mother baked delicious challah from light white dough. The wine on the table was also home-made. In our vicinity some of the Lithuanians managed to grow grapes. They brought it to Father as a payment for his work and Father made wine himself. If Jews didn’t have their own wine, they bought it from a Jew who made it, as that kind of wine was considered kosher.
On Fridays and Saturdays my mother tried to put scrumptious dishes on the table. First of all, a fisherman’s daughter knew how to cook gefilte fish. There was always fish in our house. Grandfather Velvl brought it to us. On Saturday our table was adorned with beautiful pikes. As a rule Mother made broth from fatty chicken and boiled kneydlakh in it. For dessert we had imberlalkh – a dish from dried sweet carrots and ginger and all kinds of tsimes [4]. Mother cooked carrot tsimes from potatoes and carrots and plum tsimes in fall. Plum tsimes was also cooked from potatoes and fresh plums, I think.
On Fridays and Saturdays my mother tried to put scrumptious dishes on the table. First of all, a fisherman’s daughter knew how to cook gefilte fish. There was always fish in our house. Grandfather Velvl brought it to us. On Saturday our table was adorned with beautiful pikes. As a rule Mother made broth from fatty chicken and boiled kneydlakh in it. For dessert we had imberlalkh – a dish from dried sweet carrots and ginger and all kinds of tsimes [4]. Mother cooked carrot tsimes from potatoes and carrots and plum tsimes in fall. Plum tsimes was also cooked from potatoes and fresh plums, I think.
Period
Location
Veisiejai
Lithuania
Interview
Shahne Berznitskiy