A simple reflection on a complex subject

by Larissa Shabelnik

Thanks to Larissa Shabelnik who sent me this article published on the Chechelnik Herald Gazette
This is a revised version of the automatic google translation from Ukrainian

It may be pretentious and I actually shouldn’t say it but by investigating this subject, I concluded that Chechelnik is still kissed by God. Not in vain in our little home -geographically our surface is really small compared to other- in the eighteenth century there were temples for prayers of three different faiths: Saint Michael's Orthodox Cathedral, the Church of St. Joseph the Betrothed and the synagogue. This, of course, is not the whole list of places of architectural and commemorative places in Chechelnik district. Their historic past gave us so much that were not published in a book from the pen of historians. If they see what we have, the district would simply be flooded with tourists.

But we have what we have! We are so accustomed to the decrepit old buildings that we do not pay attention to them. Although, why not doing it? Take, for example, the sanctuary of the Jews - the synagogue that our residents call the "old furniture shop." Somehow the Chechelnikers have decided that it was the best place (in the center, near the bazaar) to throw rubbish without effort or to "make their needs".

It is our vision of historical monuments, but the Jews themselves have a different opinion. The evidence came on January 20th when about twenty Jews from England, Portugal and Israel, arrived on the day of the death of a righteous man to pray at his grave. By the way, they believe that day - the day of maximum influence of the righteous on the world, and every year this phenomenon increases.

They also celebrated a service and prayed in the old synagogue. Men are not allowed to stay in the synagogue with their heads uncovered. During morning prayers, they put a special prayer cloth (Talit), which is a rectangular piece of woolen cloth with four tassels on the corners (tsitsit), and wear Tefillim - leather boxes containing pieces of parchment with passages of the Scriptures. With long lanyards, these boxes are attached to the forehead and left arm of those who pray. A picture of the editor shows the scene. Synagogues usually have a prayer room for women separated from the area with seats for men or women take seats in the gallery. In our synagogue the women area is missing so the Jews didn’t let me in, but on the street they talked willingly.

The conversation with the tourists could not miss to mention the Holocaust (the persecution and mass extermination of Jews), since January 27th is the International Day of Holocaust Remembrance. Although, according to our guests, they commemorate in April this tragic date. In Israel there are no entertainment, no broadcast such as transmissions at schools, universities, military or government agencies in commemoration of the victims. They do not like any of those pompous events, just remember and pray. The Jews honor the memory of their ancestors.

So why did God kissed Chechelnik ground; its history is better known than the foreigners are tenacious. Everything depends on us, because indeed it turns out that our land, with so many historical sites, is turning it into a "lost civilization" by our own hands.

Larissa Shabelnik, 2012

Other pictures of the visit that didn't appear on the article