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My maternal grandfather, Paltiy Ghendler, was born in Odessa in the 1850s. Grandfather Paltiy was a bindyuzhnik. [Odessa slang for 'heavy truck driver']. His horse was called a 'bindyug' [heavy draughthorse]. Grandfather also kept an inn in Peresyp [6] where people going to the market could stay overnight and leave their horses. My grandfather's family also lived there. My grandfather died before World War I. He was buried in accordance with the Jewish tradition in the Second Jewish cemetery. I was at this cemetery before the Great Patriotic War.
My maternal grandmother - I don't remember her name because for me she was just Granny - was born in Odessa in the 1870s. She was the daughter of a merchant who went bankrupt. Her two older sisters got married with a dowry while she didn't have any. She entered into a pre-arranged marriage with a bindyuzhnik, my grandfather. I believe she suffered from this all her life. Grandfather was 15-20 years older than she. However, she had a baby every year as was common in Jewish families.
There were two rooms in the house: my grandparents' room and a children's room where all the children slept on the floor. If one had measles all the others contracted it. The weaker ones died and the stronger ones survived. It was the process of natural selection. Three sons and three daughters reached adulthood: Abram, Bencion, Isaac, Bertha, Sarra and my mother Rachil. One of my grandmother's sisters was married to the owner of a store. She had no children and helped her sister's children to get education. My maternal grandmother died in 1932. She was buried following the Jewish requirements next to my grandfather's grave in the Second Jewish cemetery.
My maternal grandmother - I don't remember her name because for me she was just Granny - was born in Odessa in the 1870s. She was the daughter of a merchant who went bankrupt. Her two older sisters got married with a dowry while she didn't have any. She entered into a pre-arranged marriage with a bindyuzhnik, my grandfather. I believe she suffered from this all her life. Grandfather was 15-20 years older than she. However, she had a baby every year as was common in Jewish families.
There were two rooms in the house: my grandparents' room and a children's room where all the children slept on the floor. If one had measles all the others contracted it. The weaker ones died and the stronger ones survived. It was the process of natural selection. Three sons and three daughters reached adulthood: Abram, Bencion, Isaac, Bertha, Sarra and my mother Rachil. One of my grandmother's sisters was married to the owner of a store. She had no children and helped her sister's children to get education. My maternal grandmother died in 1932. She was buried following the Jewish requirements next to my grandfather's grave in the Second Jewish cemetery.
Location
Ukraine
Interview
Victor Feldman