Interview (pre war life, geared towards women)
This year I interviewed my grandparents about their life pre-war, customs, families, etc.
FYI, my grandfather (saba) grew up Bobov in Krakow, and my grandmother (sabta) grew up in Brussels from a Salonician Sefardi family.
-How did you do with the lights on shabbat?
Saba: we had candles, and (non Jewish) maids
Sabta: we had a time switch, brought from Amsterdam by my grandfather, the chief rabbi, in 1939
-Who lights the shabbat candles and how many candles?
Both: Married women, two candles
-Do women cover their hair to light? with what?
Both: no
-Is the bracha before or after lighting?
Both: after
-Do they sing? do stuff with their hands?
Saba: It was whispered, 3 "turns" with the hands and eyes covered after
Sabta: Nothing with the hands or eyes
-When did women go to shul?
Saba: Pessach, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur
Sabta: for the holidays, Yom Kippur, Sukkot
-What the kiddush standing or sitting?
Both: standing
-Was it common to invite people for shabbat?
Both: No
-What about hair covering among the women?
Saba: A good number of shomer shabbat women covered, definitely not all. My mother wore it to shul, my grandmothers were of another generation who shaved and wore a short wig.
Sabta: The hat was social. When non Jews wore it, so did we.
-When did women eat in the sukka?
Saba: I have never seen a woman eating in the sukka.
Sabta: Once, on the first day, they went to shul and ate in the shul sukka
-What about men?
Saba: There was a sukka per family, mostly, and the men eat there for dinner.
Sabta: Very few men went to the shul sukka to eat.
-On Hanuka, who lit and what?
Both: candles, not oil, and only the father
-What happened on yahrzeits?
Saba: People did it for parents and grandparents. They did not fast.
Sabta: I don't remember any of this.
-Did people dressed up on Purim?
Saba: children had a mask of Mordechai or Esther, adults a small detail. Most was homemade, very few could afford costumes from shop.
Sabta: No one (but in Salonika some did).
-Did men wear a kittel?
Saba: on Yom Kippur and at the sedarim
Sabra: No
-When did women fast?
Saba: on Yom kippur, and Tisha Beav unless they were pregnant or old
Sabta: I don't remember except Yom Kippur and maybe Tisha be av. Fasting for women was never emphasized.
-What was a wig made of?
Saba: Real hair, very short, dark.
Sabta: I don't know.
-When did children learn the alef bet?
Saba: Boys in the cheder at 3, girls in the Bet Yaakov at 6.
Sabta: it depended on whether you went to Jewish school. Public school boys learned for their bar mitsva, unless their father taught them. Girls in public school picked some up... or not.
-Was there a shabbat look?
Saba: Married men wore a shtreimel and a gartel. Nothing for the women.
Sabta: Just dressing nice.
FYI, my grandfather (saba) grew up Bobov in Krakow, and my grandmother (sabta) grew up in Brussels from a Salonician Sefardi family.
-How did you do with the lights on shabbat?
Saba: we had candles, and (non Jewish) maids
Sabta: we had a time switch, brought from Amsterdam by my grandfather, the chief rabbi, in 1939
-Who lights the shabbat candles and how many candles?
Both: Married women, two candles
-Do women cover their hair to light? with what?
Both: no
-Is the bracha before or after lighting?
Both: after
-Do they sing? do stuff with their hands?
Saba: It was whispered, 3 "turns" with the hands and eyes covered after
Sabta: Nothing with the hands or eyes
-When did women go to shul?
Saba: Pessach, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur
Sabta: for the holidays, Yom Kippur, Sukkot
-What the kiddush standing or sitting?
Both: standing
-Was it common to invite people for shabbat?
Both: No
-What about hair covering among the women?
Saba: A good number of shomer shabbat women covered, definitely not all. My mother wore it to shul, my grandmothers were of another generation who shaved and wore a short wig.
Sabta: The hat was social. When non Jews wore it, so did we.
-When did women eat in the sukka?
Saba: I have never seen a woman eating in the sukka.
Sabta: Once, on the first day, they went to shul and ate in the shul sukka
-What about men?
Saba: There was a sukka per family, mostly, and the men eat there for dinner.
Sabta: Very few men went to the shul sukka to eat.
-On Hanuka, who lit and what?
Both: candles, not oil, and only the father
-What happened on yahrzeits?
Saba: People did it for parents and grandparents. They did not fast.
Sabta: I don't remember any of this.
-Did people dressed up on Purim?
Saba: children had a mask of Mordechai or Esther, adults a small detail. Most was homemade, very few could afford costumes from shop.
Sabta: No one (but in Salonika some did).
-Did men wear a kittel?
Saba: on Yom Kippur and at the sedarim
Sabra: No
-When did women fast?
Saba: on Yom kippur, and Tisha Beav unless they were pregnant or old
Sabta: I don't remember except Yom Kippur and maybe Tisha be av. Fasting for women was never emphasized.
-What was a wig made of?
Saba: Real hair, very short, dark.
Sabta: I don't know.
-When did children learn the alef bet?
Saba: Boys in the cheder at 3, girls in the Bet Yaakov at 6.
Sabta: it depended on whether you went to Jewish school. Public school boys learned for their bar mitsva, unless their father taught them. Girls in public school picked some up... or not.
-Was there a shabbat look?
Saba: Married men wore a shtreimel and a gartel. Nothing for the women.
Sabta: Just dressing nice.