Yahrzeit of my Mother

I want to observe the Yahrzeit of my mother in the Russian synagogue where there is a plaque on the wall dedicated to her memory. (My wife also provided a plaque in memory of her relative.). We gave some money for that service. (It is tradition.)

At the time of the Shabbat service I was called to the Torah. I also read twice the Kaddish at the designated times. At the time of the Kiddush I want to speak about my mother.

My mother's life was written in my story, "My military time", Boston 11/1997.

I prepared a speech for the time of the Kiddush, "I would like to note the Yahrzeit of my mother. Some words about my mother: My mother was born in the year 1900. I was born in 1924 in the town Orhsa, Byelorussia. I was the only child in my family. I had a complicated and poor childhood.

At that time Jewish culture and synagogues were suppressed by the power of the Soviet Union but in 1924 I was able to have a circumcision. Maybe when I was 2-3 years old, my mother and father were divorced. My father did not contribute anything for our support. I was sent to a Byelorussia school. In the beginning of WWII (June, 1941) we, my mother and I, ran away from the fascists. At a railway station we were put into a cattle train. We traveled on the train more than one month to reach a region's settlement called Fershepenuaz (in the Urals).

We did not have enough food and warm clothes. In Fershepenuaz we were placed with a hostess in her own house. I began to work. At first I worked as a helper in the printing house. I had a very low salary. (Local residents had a kitchen garden and many other things). I changed job, went to the 'kolchoz' (collective farm) in the field. I did not have warm clothing and got sick with pneumonia and was sent to a Hospital. There was a Jewish doctor. She kept me in the Hospital for the entire winter. My mother visited me there. In the spring the doctor permitted me to leave the Hospital.

At that time mother was taken to the hospital and very soon she died there. The doctor gave me a document about the death of my mother. There was written some illness, and the reason for her death. But the doctor said, "She died because of hunger, but I cannot write that reason". She lived only 42 years.

Later I was mobilized to work at a military plant in Chelyabinsk. My mother loved me very much, took care of me. However the condition of our lives was awful."

I thought that the speech would be too long and not concrete. In fact I spoke at the Kiddush, "I want to observe the Yahrzeit of my mother .We lived in the town of Orsha, Byelorussia. When WWII began we ran away from the fascists. We were placed in a cattle train and arrived at the town of Fershepenuaz (in the Urals). Very soon my mother died. She lived only 42 years".

Home | Email Us