|
Recording Content:
This recording is a formal interview with Mikhail Aronovich Vainshelboim, who was born in 1927 in Berdychiv. (Part 1 of 2. See MDV 353) His mother was named Feyge, and his father, Arn, was a painter born in Berdychiv. His father was imprisoned during World War I. He discusses his parents and other family members before he turns to childhood memories. He remembers well the Great Famine in 1932/33. He went to a Jewish school. He explains how students sang Yiddish songs and performed Yiddish plays at his school. The conversation then turns to his life during the war, where he discusses in great detail how he escaped the Germans. The tape concludes with a discussion of Yiddish songs and anecdotes, in addition to Jewish religious and cultural life before the war.
|
00:00:00
|
Vainshelboim provides personal information. |
|
00:01:14
|
Vainshelboim provides personal information and speaks about his family. He grew up with four siblings, two brothers and two sisters. His parents were also born in Berdychiv and his father worked as painter. He then recalls his grandmothers' observance during his childhood. |
|
00:06:59
|
Vainshelboim discusses his childhood memories of his family life. He explains his father's playing of musical instruments and lists the songs his father would sing. He also recites a song in Russian. |
|
00:08:50
|
Vainshelboim talks about his education before the war. He attended a Yiddish school for four years and then switched to a Russian school. Vainshelboim remembers cultural activities at the Yiddish school's auditorium. |
|
00:10:36
|
Vainshelboim speaks about prewar Jewish life, including the synagogue structure and occupations. He explains how his father was a prisoner of war during World War I. Vainshelboim then talks about his family. |
|
00:13:32
|
Vainshelboim addresses his life during World War II. He describes his family's evacuation, which ended with their return to Berdychiv a month later, due to crowded trains. He then explains how his parents and siblings were taken to forced labor in December 1941. He then describes his escape from the police and subsequent hiding in Rizhkovtsi (17:23). Vainshelboim then describes their daily life and labor in the Berdychiv ghetto, before speaking about a three-day long massacre. Vainshelboim continues with describing his second escape and following return to Berdychiv, as well as his third escape in August 1942. |
|
00:26:30
|
Vainshelboim speaks about his encounter with Ukrainian policemen, which resulted in his third escape. He then describes his escape toward Tsherekhovoy (30:17), as well as the help he received. After staying in Tsherekhovoy for one year, he moved on to Petrivka (30:47). He then continues to talk about his odd jobs there and then fourth escape to the Ruzhyn region. There he worked on a collective farm for one year until December 1943 and then escaped again with a horse and wagon to Pohrebyshche and further. Vainshelboim explains how he worked at a mill from 1944, for six years. |
|
00:34:02
|
Vainshelboim talks about his life after the war. He was drafted for his military service in 1950 and served for four and a half years. He worked at a mill for twenty-five years and then at a beer factory for five years. Vainshelboim states that he was the only from his family who survived the war. He then returns to his life during the war, especially addressing the massacre. |
|
00:37:16
|
Vainshelboim addresses his childhood memories, including games. He also talks about prewar religious life, before briefly addressing his contemporary religious observance. He then talks about his family. |
|
00:40:15
|
Vainshelboim speaks about his education before and after the war. He finished six years of schooling before the war. He attended an evening school in 1961, for five years. Vainshelboim then returns to his childhood memories of family life. He also addresses antisemitism during the prewar Soviet period, before recalling the Great Hunger in 1932/33. Vainshelboim then speaks about his family. |
|
00:43:37
|
Vainshelboim remembers Yiddish songs and sings one stanza of a tailor song. He then recalls how his father played during Sabbath and speaks about prewar cultural life. |
|
00:46:11
|
Vainshelboim talks about traditional Jewish weddings before and after the war. He then recalls cultural anecdotes. |
|
00:49:13
|
Vainshelboim speaks about his family and holiday celebration, including food customs, before the war. He recalls how the community baked matzos before and after the war. Vainshelboim then speaks about his life , after the war, including his education. |
|
00:51:58
|
Vainshelboim speaks about prewar Jewish life and remembers locals in Berdychiv. He then addresses prewar religious life and speaks about his own observance. |
|
00:57:11
|
Vainshelboim speaks about his family, particularly his wife. He was married in 1954. He raised two children and two of his grandsons live in Canada and Israel. Vainshelboim then speaks about contemporary religious life. |
|
01:00:04
|
Vainshelboim returns to talking about his life in the 1930s in Berdychiv, before addressing prewar cultural life. He remembers a Yiddish theater, before talking about historical studies on Jewish life in Berdychiv. Vainshelboim then briefly recalls his mother's traditional cooking. |
|