There are a few videos I’ll be adding to this page that show Mommom talking about life in Stanislawow prior to the war. She’s asked about her Temple, where the Jews live in the city, what her house was like, her schooling and much more.
Krueger – Butcher of Stanslawow
Today January 27, 2023, is international Holocaust Remembrance Day. Today I want to share a video that’s a bit out of order. We’re currently listening to the first of the 8 tapes in the interview. The video today is from the 7th tape. In Tape 7, Mommom mostly recounts her experiences in the US and how life has treated her well. Then she remembers a few stories she forgot to discuss earlier in the tape. This particular story is about the insidious Hans Krueger. Learn more about Hans Kruger on Wikipedia here.
Shabbat Before the War
In this edition of Mommom’s Story, Mommom discusses the Sabbath. In Judaism, we follow a lunar calendar. That means the day begins at sunset and ends at sunset. Shabbat begins on Friday night and ends on Saturday evening. Mommom discusses her father going to the temple and being home with her mother preparing the Sabbath meal and talks about the family gathering after services on Saturdays. It’s a very different life and time from how people in the United States and worldwide live today. I’m always thankful when I am able to participate in Shabbat. This post reminds us that we all should be more intentional about participating in the Sabbath, no matter when or how we celebrate it.
Mommom talks about her father bringing home a poor person and providing them with a meal. She calls it having an “Oraf” for Shabbat. I’m not sure of the exact word and have several queries out to try and get the specific meaning and origin of the actual word. I believe it is a Yiddish word. I plan to update this post once I have a better explanation.
Update:
The Jewish tradition of bringing home a poor person for Shabbat dinner is called “shabbat hachnasat orchim.” This tradition is rooted in the idea of welcoming guests and showing hospitality, which are central values in Judaism. On Shabbat, it is customary to invite guests to join in the celebration of the day, and inviting a poor person is seen as a way of fulfilling the mitzvah (commandment) of hospitality. The act of shabbat hachnasat orchim is also considered a way of performing tzedakah, as it provides food and companionship to someone in need. I believe the work Mommom was using was Yiddish variation of the word orchim.
Recent Posts
Family Introduction
Mommom introduces her family in this clip.
When I first started working on the idea of presenting Mommom’s story, I was planning on giving a speech. It didn’t take long to realize the Mommom presented it best. It’s obvious in this clip.
Recent Posts
Life Before the War
In today’s short clip, Regina talks about life in Stanislowow before the war.
Mommom mentioned her grandfather’s dry goods store in the video. The picture below on the left depicts the Marcus-Wolish building before the Russian invasion of Stanislowow. The picture on the right is the same building still standing in 2015, without the Marcus-Wolish name.
Recent Posts
An Introduction
Welcome to the first post on Mommom’s Story.
Every video the Shoah Foundation produced has an introductory card. It states the interviewee’s name, date, language spoken, and where the interview takes place. The interviewer is identified by name, There are 56,000 categorized index cards from the survivors.
The interview begins with Mommom giving initial details about herself.
Mommom is from Stanislowow, Poland. Today Stanislowow is known as Ivanov-Frankivsk and is part of Ukraine.
