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Cultural
The memoir emphasizes the value of family, friends and memory. Throughout the memoir various aspects of her life growing up are shown. We discover the father and mother's background story, as well as the various friends. The impact their past had on them and on Bernice Eisenstein is examined in length. Relationships are also examined. The parents have a very good relationship (though they do fight over the father's poker habit). They have a deep love and mutual understanding of the pain and emotions the other one feels. The same goes for the friends. They all knew each other in Europe and all had gone through similar experiences. They had formed a close knit group of friends and remember and celebrate with each other.
Family
Family is valued quite highly. Many characters had lost members of their family (or entire families) during the Holocaust. When they came to Canada and started their own families, these relationships were even more precious, as they truly knew the pain of loss and value of family and love. The sense of being close and staying together was important (friends became like family and formed a very close bond). After the war, even though they had little material possessions, they had each other. Even as an adult, Bernice Eisenstein has a close relationship with her family and carries on their traditions, values and memories. For many survivors, children were a triumph. A symbol of overcoming impossible odds. A reminder of the triumph of the human spirit over evil. “The very act of creating life after surviving such suffering proved our faith in humanity and our thirst for a better life. This feeling would continue throughout our relationship” (Regina Eisenstein, 2005).
Remembering
Memory and remembering loss is also another important value presented in this book. The book itself is Bernice Eisenstein reminiscing about her childhood and her parents (and their relation to the Holocaust). The trial in the beginning of the book indicates the important need of attention, recognition and remembrance of what had happened and impacted her parents and their friends so deeply. Their gatherings also indicate this sense of remembrance. Also remembering those who passed/were lost is important. According to Jewish customs, some children are given the names of relatives who have passed on. This is a way of remembering them and allowing their memories to live on. Some examples of this can be seen in the memoir. The shop that their relatives opened called “Sara-Lee”. Sara was the father's mother and Lee was in reference to Lemel, the brother her mother had lost during the Holocaust. Bernice Eisenstein also named her son after her father who had passed away (she's keeping his memory alive not only through her book, but through her son).
While my father was alive, I searched to find his face among those documented photographs of survivors of Auschwitz — actually, photos from any camp would do. If I could see him staring out through barbed wire, I thought I would then know how to remember him, know what he was made to become, and then possibly know what he might have been. All my life, I’ve looked for more in order to fill in the parts of my father that had gone missing. . . . (Eisenstein, 2006)
Moving forward & being strong.
Recovery/moving forward is also valued. Her parents were very resilient and displayed initiative, adaptability and tenacity. They were able to pick up the remains of their lives and strive forward to live life fully and normally again (though it can never be truly normal or the same). They came to Canada with very little but were able to work and achieve a good life, family and friends (who also did the same). They remember and recognize the horrors and loss, but they did not allow it to them to hinder their lives or prevent them from living. They also wanted their children to be strong as well (part of the reason why the father crushed the shells).
...If we were not an eternal people before, we are an eternal people after the Holocaust, in both its very positive and very negative sense. We have not only survived, we have revived ourselves. In a very real way, we have won. We were victorious. But in a very real way, we have lost. We'll never recover what was lost. We can't even assess what was lost. Who knows what beauty and grandeur six million could have contributed to the world? Who can measure it up? What standard do you use? How do you count it? How do you estimate it...? We lost. The world lost, whether they know it or admit it. It doesn't make any difference. And yet we won, we're going on. (Phillip, K. as cited by Williams, 1993)
Valuing Possessions.
There are certain attitudes towards material goods that also appears in the memoir.
“Do you know what this means to me?” In her memoir, Bernice Eisenstein attaches sentimental value to many objects. Her father’s ties and clothing bring her vivid memories of how he dressed when she was a child. The object in which she attaches a great deal of sentimental value (and which her mother is so willing to give to her) is her father's wedding ring, the object which sparks her memories of the past. “My father has come back to me, and I carry the spirits of the dead within a circle of gold. The ring holds all that I have come from” (Eisenstein, 2006, p. 13). It also appears a great deal in symbolism (life, eternity, cycles, closeness, etc.) throughout the book. She describes how her mother found it sewn into the pocket of a confiscated jacket, how it was the only thing she had to give her father and how her father always wore it. “I have always attached sentiment to possessions, unlike my mother, believing that a person’s belongings hold power, can capture the essence of their owner (Eisenstein, 2006, p. 13). The author is surprised that her mother would offer this ring so casually. During the war possessions would be confiscated and stored and stores and homes would be destroyed. The ring still had a great deal of value to the mother (she told the story behind it after all). “Perhaps because all the things of value had been taken away from her during the war, my mother is unable to bind herself to any object” (Eisenstein, 2006, p. 13). Her father also showed similar attitudes towards this. After she returned from her travels she brought shells with her and gave them to her father (she picked them up as a token/memento). To her dismay, he crushed them in anger.
“[He was] Enraged at my fragility, that I could become attached to things of small consequence, when his own attachments had disappeared”. (Eisenstein, 2006, p. 36).
Religious practices and observances
Regina Eisenstein (Bernice’s mother) states: “Our children grew up in a household perfumed with love and respect for Jewish values. They have fulfilled all my dreams, each in their own way” (Eisenstein R., 2005).
Eisenstein’s Jewish culture and religion also play a major role and is often described vividly (from famous Jewish authors, to religious figures and so on). It is interwoven into her experiences, past, parents, their friends and herself (it is part of who she is). Eisenstein mentions various different Religious practices and observances. There are many important traditions, holidays, and religious practices that Eisenstein mentions in her memoir. She also notes how important language is in her culture (Eisenstein, 2006). Below will be a list of just some of the aspects of Jewish life and a list of Jewish words that Eisenstein mentions.
Naming children: Jewish tradition to name children after relatives who have passed (e.g. grandparents, lost sons, etc.)Child naming – It is customary to name a child after relatives who have passed away. Bernice Eisenstein was given both an English and a Yiddish name. Her Yiddish name comes from her father's two sisters that were killed during the Holocaust. Her cousin was named after Lemel (the mother's brother that was lost during the Holocaust). It is traditional for the male child to be named at his Bris (circumcision ceremony). This is a way to keep the memory of the deceased relative alive and to show them respect (for who they were, what they did, their significance and impact, and so on). At the end of her memoir this is the last scene. She has given her son her father's name, Ben, as a way to honor his memory. It shows the circular and cyclic connection of life, death and birth (Eisenstein, 2006).
Shloshim: meaning “30” is a Jewish Funerary observance/practice it refers to the 30th day after burial. By customs, the first day is Shiva, which is a seven day mourning period from the date of burial. There are many restrictions, such as limited leave of the household, not being allowed to attend parties, covering mirrors, conducting business or celebrations (e.g. marriages, buying new houses, etc.), doing actions that enhance physical appearances or cause pleasure(e.g. cutting hair or nails, shaving, bathing (normal showers are fine), wearing new clothes, etc (Meltz 2011). When Shloshim begins many of these restrictions will ends (save for attending parties, cutting nails, haircuts and new clothing). After the 30 day is over, the period of mourning ends (unless it is a parent, then it extends 12 months) (Goldstein, 2011). Eisenstein mentions the Rending of Garments symbolizing the rending of loss (2006). This is called “Keriah”. This is when mourners remove a strip of their clothing (generally adult mourners or the Rabbi does this. The strip is removed to the left near their heart, or is worn with a pin) (Goldstein, 2011). This is said to symbolize heart break, and immortality of the soul (Jewish Funeral Guide, 2011). Eisenstein (2006) also mentions the memorial candle (aka Yahrzeit). It is lit during mourning and on the anniversary of the death (Goldstein, 2011).
Kosher: Her father was a Kosher butcher and they seemed to follow a Kosher diet. It refers to practices and activities deemed morally correct by Jewish law and customs.
Bar mitzvah/ bat mitzvah: a coming of age ceremony of male and female children of 12 and 13 (they become responsible for their own religious actions and participation).
Traditional foods: Many of these are mentioned such as “sweet nothings” (puffed pastries with sugar), Challah (braided egg bread eaten during holidays), bagels and lox (bagel with smoked salmon), and Gefilte fish (chopped up fish mixed with vegetables). Symbolism and memories are often attached to these foods in her memoir (Eisenstein, 2006).
Yom Kippur: Jewish High Holiday and Day of Atonement. It is characterized by fasting (food and drink) for 25 hours. Prayers of forgiveness and atonement for offenses and the seeking of one’s name to be inscribed in the book of life for the year following (Rich, 2011)
Chanukah: Also known as the “festival of lights”. It lasts for 8 days. A candle is lit every day until all are lit on the menorah. This holiday symbolizes triumph over oppression, persecution and assimilation (the successful revolt against assimilation and oppression from the Greeks). The groups leading the revolt wanted to rededicate their Jewish temple (which had been desecrated by the Greeks). As part of this they needed to burn oil throughout the night. They only had enough oil for one day. Miraculously it lasted 8 days (Rich, Chanukah, 2011).When Eisenstein mentions Chanukah, it depicts her sitting on Santa’s lap (a Christmas tradition)(2006). Other than being humorous, this could be commentary on how traditions, cultures and celebrations are integrated into others (e.g. Chanukah being linked with Christmas because the dates of these events are close in proximity). She mentions various aspects of this holiday as well, such as the Dreidel. It has four sides with the letters Nun, Gimel, Hei and Shin meaning “a great miracle happened that day”( Eisensetein, 2006). In Yiddish, the letters on the side read: nit (nothing), gants (all), halb (half) and Shtell (put) which form the basis of the game. (Rich 2011)
Passover : An 8 day festival that commemorates the emancipation/freedom of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt (Rich 2011). On page 23 Eisenstein references Moses and the ten commandments.
Yiddish: was the native tongue of Jewish people in Eastern and Central Europe before World War II. It was brought over to other countries (such as Canada), by Jewish immigrants and is still spoken today (YIVO 2011). Eisenstein (2006) states: “Yiddish defines the world that I came from. It was the language that was spoken for most of my childhood years. It was my parents' other tongue, their Mamaloshen, filling every step they had taken from one country to the next”.
Throughout the book many different Yiddish words are used and this usage illustrates the importance of Yiddish to Eisenstein. It was part of her life growing up (the major language spoken in her household) and still remains part of her life (as she and others frequently use a mixture of Yiddish and English). Below will be a list of most of the words she uses in her memoir.
As defined by Eisenstein (2006) and clarified by Yiddishonlinedictionary.com:
Bashert: fate, the product of fate, meant to be.
Bris/Brit Milah: Circumcision ceremony
Bubby: Grandmother
Chaloshes: disgusting, revolting, eye sore.
Dresskeleh: Pretty little dress usually used for special occasions and holidays.
Farshtinkener:- really lousy situation
Fargessen: forgotten
Gedenk : Remember
Greener: immigrant or new arrival in Canada
Farblondjet:- lost
Farpotshket: messed up
Hundret und tzvantzik: (2006, p.120) This is to wish someone a long health life and comes from the belief that Moses lived in good health until he was 120. “May you live to be a Hundret und tzvantzik” and “Zolst leben biz hundret und tzvantzik”.
Klutz: clumsy person
Fertig: finished
Farfolen: lost
Kvel: Joy. Expressions of joy and pride over the achievements of a loved one.
L'chaim: “to life”. Traditional toast.
Mazel tov: congratulations! expression of happiness and congratulations.
Mechaieh: what a pleasure, joy or blessing.
Michigas: A stupid or crazy idea, or a behavioural quirk. (e.g. Detroit Michigas)
Nachus: Pride, joy and pleasure in the achievements of others, especially children and grandchildren.
Nem Bubbelah: have this little one. Endearing term used when giving a younger loved one something (e.g. like a baked good).
Nosh : small snack or nibble.
Oyf Simchas: (2006, p. 78 most notably) a term used in both celebration and Condolences. It acknowledges loss and expresses a wish to meet on happy occasions (Eisenstein, 2006, p.78)
Oy Gevalt: expression or worry, fear, exasperation or annoyance. “oh goodness”
Oy Veh: What now!? Oh no!
Rabbi: Religious teacher and leader of the synagogue/temple.
Scmeckt avek: smells away. endearing or insulting depending on the tone.
Shlep: To carry, bring in or drag something heavy, wither physically, emotionally or socially.
Shtetl : small Jewish town or community. Traditional and live apart from outside influences.
Simchas: Celebration or special occasion
Vus eppes:what's something
Yarmulke/kippah: Jewish skull cap
Zei gezunt: Yiddish farewell, goodbye, be well.
Eisenstein, B., (2006). I was a child of Holocaust Survivors. Toronto, On. McClelland & Stewart.
Eisenstein, R. (2005). Regina Eisenstein. Jewish Foundation Of Greater Toronto. Retrieved November 22nd 2011 from http://www.feduja.org/bookoflife/story_Eisenstein_Regina1/html
Goldstein, Z., (2011). Shloshim-the 30 day Mourning Period. Death and Mourning. Retrieved November 18th 2011 from http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/371240/jewish/The-Shloshim.htm
Jewish Funeral Guide (2011). Jewish Funeral Guide. Retrieved November 3rd, 2011 from http://www.jewish-funeral-guide.com/tradition/rending.htm
Meltz C., (2011). The Comforts of Mourning in Judaism. Retrieved November 18th 2011 from http://judaism.about.com/library/3_lifecycles/shiva/blshiva2.htm
Rich, T., R., (2011). Chanukah. Judaism 101. Retrieved November 22nd 2011 from
Various Yiddish Words and Phrases. Retrieved November 26th, 2011 from
Williams, S., (1993). The Impact of the Holocaust on survivors and their children. Retrieved November 22nd 2011 from http://www.sandrawilliams.org/HOLOCAUST/holocaust.html
Yiddish online dictionary. Various Yiddish Words and Phrases. Retrieved November 26th, 2011 from http://www.yiddishdictionaryonline.com/
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2 comments:
That Yiddish phrases and words was one of my favourite aspects of Bernice's book. I particularly liked Michigas!Detroit Michigas :-D and Bubby I love this language a lot.
Here is a link to an animation and song in Yiddish. It sounds and looks gorgeous! see if you can identify and of the words.
Here is another video of Yiddish terms.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q27XCkDSLbY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os5UeFjBFTs
I would also like to make another comment on what you mentioned about Judaism funeral practices. I found a very interesting link from a Rabbi that explains a great deal about funeral practices. I find the no flowers rule to be interesting as well! I agree with this practice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2sJH4YYxZc&feature=relmfu
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