Chapter VI

 

What did the people of Rozalimas notice about their Jewish fellow-citizens.

What did the people of Rozalimas notice about their co-citizens who happened to be Jewish in those days (1930-1941)? How did they interpret their observations?                                                                                        

They noticed that the synagogue was used on Saturdays and that the men were seated downstairs and the women upstairs in the synagogue. They noticed that the services in the synagogue were held until the German-Nazi Occupation started (until summer 1941).

They noticed and heard the spoken language of their Jewish neighbours, which was Yiddisj.

They noticed that the Jewish men and boys wore yarmulkas on special occasions and that some of them wore the yarmulkas every day.

They noticed that before Pesach the Jewish women cleaned the house thoroughly and that they baked a lot of matzos. They noticed, that the women even changed the crockery. The items used every day were replaced by special and luxurious items. They noticed that during the Pesach-festivities, the Jews of Rozalimas were eating matzos instead of bread. They noticed the end of Pesach especially, because they were given matzos by their Jewish  neighbours.

They noticed that when a Jewish person had died, the corpse was put in a coffin and that this same coffin was used time and time again when a Jewish person had died. They noticed that the dead body was laid down in a hole at the cemetery and they noticed that the hole was covered with boards inside. They noticed that inside the hole the Jews of Rozalimas put a bag filled with sand to serve as a pillow for the deceased.

They noticed that once a year in the synagogue the Jews of Rozalimas had their so-called ‘terrible night’ and during this night men and women prayed a lot (Yom Kippur).

They noticed that when there was a rainstorm, the Jewish men who were in the forest at that time hugged the trees and prayed loudly.                                                                                                          

They noticed that  in the autumn the Jewish families had built some sort of tent in their yard and that the roof of the tent was covered with branches from the pine-trees.They even noticed that the Jewish families had their meals in this tent .(Sukkoth is the name of this Jewish feast : The Jews commemorate their 40 years stay in the desert after their liberation from slavery by God Himself in Egypt. These festive days last 7 days and it is a feast of profound  joy.).    

And what did the Jews of Rozalimas notice about their non-Jewish fellow-citizens?

I can’t give you the answer, because the Jews of Rozalimas aren’t there anymore, they are wiped off the face of the earth forever.  


Copyright © 2005 Dora Boom

Back to Rozalimas Opening Page