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On big Jewish holidays all families got together at my grandfather’s big table. My favorite holiday was Pesach. Sometime before the holiday the adults made matzah and we [children] rolled special patterns over the freshly baked sheets of matzah. Before the holiday all children were busy searching for breadcrumbs in the house, and the adults were engaged in cleaning activities.
At the first seder the whole family sat at the table. My grandfather reclined on a pillow at the head of the table wearing a white cloak. There was matzah and traditional dishes on the table: a chicken leg, stuffed fish, bean, eggs, etc. There was plenty of delicious food: gefilte fish, chicken, stew and chicken broth with dumplings made from matzah flour. My grandfather conducted the seder. I posed the questions [the mah nishtanah] to him because I was his oldest granddaughter. [Editors note: Usually this question has to be asked by the youngest child in the family.] Actually, it is the duty of a boy, but I was my grandfather’s favorite, and he allowed me to perform this ritual. I asked him, ‘Why do we eat both matzah and bread during a year, but can only have matzah on Pesach’. He explained why and told us the history of Pesach. The family also got together for the second seder and on the following days each family celebrated separately.
At the first seder the whole family sat at the table. My grandfather reclined on a pillow at the head of the table wearing a white cloak. There was matzah and traditional dishes on the table: a chicken leg, stuffed fish, bean, eggs, etc. There was plenty of delicious food: gefilte fish, chicken, stew and chicken broth with dumplings made from matzah flour. My grandfather conducted the seder. I posed the questions [the mah nishtanah] to him because I was his oldest granddaughter. [Editors note: Usually this question has to be asked by the youngest child in the family.] Actually, it is the duty of a boy, but I was my grandfather’s favorite, and he allowed me to perform this ritual. I asked him, ‘Why do we eat both matzah and bread during a year, but can only have matzah on Pesach’. He explained why and told us the history of Pesach. The family also got together for the second seder and on the following days each family celebrated separately.
Period
Location
Berdichev
Ukraine
Interview
Sarah Kaplan
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