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[Page 72]

The Way of Life

Memories

by Ethel Shimshak

The place of my birth, my dear town, you appear before me in all your happiness and joy, with all the goodwill and friendbetween one and another, and with all the will to help one another. I am sad to say that there quickly came a horrible, bloodthirsty time when an animalistic attack destroyed all that was precious in the blink of an eye. May the name of our enemies be destroyed, those wild animals descended from Amalek.

I am my parents eldest daughter. My name is Ethel, born in Stepan. After I got married, we lived in Rafalovka. With the help of G-d, we were fortunate and I was saved from the claws of the Nazi war. My parents were Aharon Mordechai and Hennia Shimshak. My sister Tzippah and her husband Pesach had 3 daughters, Beila, Rachel and Rivkah. Her husband, Pesach Plotnick, was a genius in Torah and with the help of my parents was able to devote himself totally to learning Torah. He brought joy to my parents and the whole family. All of them perished in the Holocaust. Also, my brother, Dovid, his wife, Channah, and daughters, Beila and Sarah, and their son, Avraham Altral, perished.

My parents and my brother were very capable people and in their financial lives they were very successful. They produced oil (Alearneal ?) and they always helped others. As I remember in their house, normally Motzei Shabbat, the big shots, shochets, and the Rav gathered for a Melava Malcah of song and dance. My mother always attempted to host all the important guests in an appropriate way. And I remember a special incident when they were burning coals, on top of which was a special warmer (samovar – Russian coffeepot). After a while the samovar melted because my mother never put water into it. After the moment of disappointment, everyone continued with the joy as if nothing happened and the guests enjoyed the other goodies and niceties of the party.


[Page 105]

Memories

by Ethel Shimshak

The place of my birth, my dear town, you appear before me in all your happiness and joy, with all the goodwill and friendbetween one and another, and with all the will to help one another. I am sad to say that there quickly came a horrible, bloodthirsty time when an animalistic attack destroyed all that was precious in the blink of an eye. May the name of our enemies be destroyed, those wild animals descended from Amalek.

I am my parents eldest daughter. My name is Ethel, born in Stepan. After I got married, we lived in Rafalovka. With the help of G-d, we were fortunate and I was saved from the claws of the Nazi war. My parents were Aharon Mordechai and Hennia Shimshak. My sister Tzippah and her husband Pesach had 3 daughters, Beila, Rachel and Rivkah. Her husband, Pesach Plotnick, was a genius in Torah and with the help of my parents was able to devote himself totally to learning Torah. He brought joy to my parents and the whole family. All of them perished in the Holocaust. Also, my brother, Dovid, his wife, Channah, and daughters, Beila and Sarah, and their son, Avraham Altral, perished.

My parents and my brother were very capable people and in their financial lives they were very successful. They produced oil (Alearneal ?) and they always helped others. As I remember in their house, normally Motzei Shabbat, the big shots, shochets, and the Rav gathered for a Melava Malcah of song and dance. My mother always attempted to host all the important guests in an appropriate way. And I remember a special incident when they were burning coals, on top of which was a special warmer (samovar – Russian coffeepot). After a while the samovar melted because my mother never put water into it. After the moment of disappointment, everyone continued with the joy as if nothing happened and the guests enjoyed the other goodies and niceties of the party.

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