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Ovruch
 (09-010.39-F) -  Shelf Number: MDV 625
 IUCAT




No streaming derivative is available.

Date: May 24, 2003

Participants: Feldman, Veniamin Leibovich. Interviewed by Dov-Ber Kerler, Dovid Katz.

Location recorded: Ovruch, Zhytomyrs'ka Oblast', Ukraine

Language: Yiddish

Culture Group: Jews, Yiddish-speakers, Ukrainians

 Recording Content:   

The tape is a continuation of a formal interview with Veniamin Leibovich Feldman. (Part 3 of 3. See MDV 623 and MDV 624) They discuss religious traditions, in particular prayers. He then recites a number of prayers, among them "kaddish d'Rabbanan." The conversation turns to life today, before Feldman recites more prayers. Until ten years ago, Feldman led a minyan at the synagogue in Ovruch. They then discuss prewar religious life. He recalls the three different religious schools (chedorim) he attended in Novyye Veledniki, Slovechno, and Luhyny (Yiddish: Lehin), Belarus. They then briefly discuss a number of topics, such as dialectology, prewar Jewish Vilnius, and the Ba'al Shem Tov's grave, which he frequently visited as a child.

The conversation turns to the Volednicker rebbe, Rav Yisroel Dov Ber ben Yosef of Volednick, whose grave Feldman's father went to see on a regular basis, and Jewish Korosten. Feldman briefly talks about the small towns within the region of Ovruch. They then discuss antisemitism before the the war. Feldman then recites a Sabbath prayer, as well as others, before they discuss religious customs and terminology. The conversation returns to his childhood memories of religious life. He remembers local teachers (melamdim) and female healers (babkes). They return to discussing the rebbe of Volednick. Feldman then talks about different moments of his life and family, as well as life today. The tape concludes with the team asking a number of dialectological questions from the AHEYM Yiddish questionnaire.

00:00:00 religious tradition.
00:01:50 kaddish d'Rabbanan.
00:03:01 prayers.
00:09:07 religious life today and prayers.
00:13:44 prewar religious life.
00:14:12 dialectology and prewar religious life.
00:21:33 father's religion and Volednicker tzaddik.
00:23:43 Jewish Korosten.
00:23:44 region of Ovruch and family.
00:28:02 prewar antisemitism and Korosten.
00:30:21 prayers.
00:32:37 religious customs.
00:33:44 childhood memories of religious life.
00:38:01 words in loshn-koydesh and life today.
00:39:09 Volednicker rebbe.
00:42:01 best moments of life and family.
00:48:23 dialectology.
01:02:04 End of recording.