Tag #155076 - Interview #103673 (Ladislav Roth Biography)

My parents only went to the synagogue on Yom Kippur or on anniversaries of death of my father’s father and my mother’s parents. [Yahrzeit] There were two holidays celebrated at home: Pesach and Yom Kippur. My mother kept her crockery for Pesach in the attic. It was taken down on the eve off Pesach when other dishes were taken away. There was special crockery for Pesach and if there were not enough utensils then pans and casseroles were koshered.  There was a special spot for koshering on the bank of the Uzh River, near the Hasid synagogue. There was a huge pot with boiling water. People dropped their utensils into the pot and a shochet told them when they could take it out.  We always had matzah at Pesach. Only few stores sold kosher matzah, but there was also matzah sold in many other stores. However, we also ate bread at Pesach. My mother made traditional food at Pesach: chicken broth, gefilte fish, chicken neck stuffed with fried flour and chicken giblets. There was always strudel from matzah flour filled with raisins and jam. My mother kept goose fat in special pots in the basement. My mother also bought wine for Pesach at the synagogue. In the evening we sat down to the table. My mother always served all traditional food: boiled meat, hard-boiled eggs, horseradish and salty water in a saucer.  My father didn’t conduct seder. We just said a prayer.