text:
by M. R.
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
M. Z. Mané was the star who put our town on the map, and some of his glory reflected back on the town. His many talents as a poet and a painter, which did not come to full fruition, must have been absorbed from the natural environment in which he grew up. His calm and even temper must have been shaped by the tranquil, green surrounding of Radoshkowitz and its pleasant, friendly residents.
Mordecai Zvi grew up in poverty. His family lived in a small apartment near the market, on a side street which led to the fields. The father taught in heder, where his son was one of his pupils. His teaching income was not enough to sustain the family. The mother, Tamara, an energetic woman, sold ceramic containers at the market, and the father engraved tombstones. He would bring the stone slabs home, and his son, surrounded with the gloom of the dead, would yearn for the colors of the sun and the open fields.
The time M. Z. spent in nature must have been very limited because he does not mention it in his poems. Some say that a fire destroyed their apartment house, and the family had to leave and ask for financial aid from some rich relatives. When M. Z. reached the age of thirteen, in order to keep expenses down and acquire some spiritual gains, his parents sent him to a yeshiva in Minsk. He spent a few miserable years there, which he mentioned later in his writing. When he returned home, disappointed, his parents began looking for a way for him to make a living. He had a most beautiful handwriting, and so he went to the scribe, Zvi, and his son, Avraham Shachor, to learn their trade. This opened new paths for this most talented young man. Zvi and Avraham Shachor were learned and progressive men, and they recognized the outstanding talents of M. Z. Mané. They became a guiding light and spiritual support for him during his short life. They encouraged him to get a broad, general education and develop his special talents. They were happy with his accomplishments and were his true friends.
When Avraham realized that Mané had a talent for painting, he advised him to go to Vilna to study. Mané spent four years there, where he was aided by some generous people who supported him. He studied Hebrew and poetry and finished with distinction at a school for painting. He returned to Radoshkowitz at age twenty-one, an accomplished young man on his way up. He spent a short time there, but stood out from the young people of his generation as a very special, creative young man.
Zvi and Avraham Shachor were delighted with Mané's first successes. He painted both their portraits, which were hung in their room. At this time, another home opened to Mané, the house of wealthy wood merchant, Haim Yoel Shinhaus. He and his two sons Bendet and Leon spent most of their time away on business, returning to Radoshkowitz for the holidays. The younger son, Leon, was well educated and fluent in Hebrew and German literature and used to publish articles in the two languages. He befriended Mané. He admired his talents and his gentle ways and became his closest friend. After Mané's death, it was Leon who had his works published by Tushia.
Another admirer of Mané's was the Hebrew teacher, Ya'acov Orchiks: tall, bespectacled and a with a hoarse voice. Like a professional teacher, he added the vowels to Manés poems. Other aspiring poets who admired Mané were Itzchak Yoel Rubin and Haim David Rosenstein, who later became famous for their publications and educational activities. These were Mané's friends. They accompanied him on his walks out of town, discussing art and literature with him. Mané spoke a great deal about the writers and artists who had impressed him in Vilna. When he left for St. Petersburg to continue his studies at the Academy of Art, each of his friends went his own way but still followed the impressive accomplishments of their mutual friend, Mané.
Three years later Mané returned to Radoshkowitz for the summer, to rest. During his three years away he had seen the big world, the big city. He had seen many art treasures and made great strides in general studies and in professional knowledge. He had established some sources of income, met some important Jewish (Hebrew) poets Y. L. Gordon, the Baron Ginsburg, Kaufman and more. The highest authorities now recognized him as an artist and poet with a promising future. On this visit to Radoshkowitz he was received as a celebrity, not only by his friends, but by the whole town. He was special, a phenomenon, a climbing star, whose light shone on us all. That summer he enjoyed the love and admiration of the whole town.
The same summer Mané went to Warsaw and stayed with one of his Vilna friends, the singer and cantor, Shmuel Tsiz. He also came to know the writers and journalists, Nachum Sokolov and Shaul Pinchas Rabinovitz. The former published a yearly called, Ha'assif, and the latter, the yearly, Knesset Yisrael. Mané illustrated them with his drawings and published some articles.
A year later, Mané returned to Radoshkowitz to rest again. He was at the height of fame as an artist and poet, with a promising future, but was already touched by the disease which would kill him. The winter before, he had caught a cold in the frigid, damp winter of St. Petersburg and came down with tuberculosis. His body was weak from hard work and poor nutrition, and the disease never left him. He was unable to continue with his studies and so remained in Radoshkowitz. His last two years were spent in idleness and boredom, physical and mental torment and diminishing strength.
And so, Radoshkowitz saw its favorite son slowly dying. The circle of
friends around him grew. He wanted to establish a small library for the
books of the Haskalah. He also tried to publish with his friends, Shinhaus
and Rubin, a monthly called, Hanitzanim, (The Buds), for the readers
in town. The first issue was published after his death. Mané passed
away during the holiday of Succoth. His tombstone in the old cemetery tells
future generations of the light that was extinguished before its time.
[Page 149]
(Written on the 25th Anniversary of his Death)
by M. Rabinson
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
I came to Radoshkowitz a year after Mané's death, while the impressions of his life and illness were still fresh. With the wonder of a child, I absorbed the memories of the town, which seemed deserted after its luster had dimmed.
In winter afternoons, between Mincha and Ma'ariv services, when my friends and I were look for something to do, we would say to each other, Let's go look at Moshe Mané's face. He was the poet's father, who was sitting in the Beit Hamidrash studying silently by the light of a candle. He seemed to us the symbol of sadness and mourning, angry at the injustice of losing his outstanding son at such an early age.
How he must cry at night! we thought as we looked at him. How he must sigh and moan in his sleep. He must wish he were dead.
It was told that before his parents came to Radoshkowitz they were collecting hand-outs (money) from wealthy relatives. Tamara, the mother, was a tough woman, who used to scare her neighbors; the father was a gentle sort. He was handy and had a beautiful Hebrew handwriting. For a few years he was a melamed (in a heder) and then a carver of tombstones. His son must have inherited his talent for painting from him.
There was little in common between the mother and her gentle son; there was a spiritual and emotional closeness between father and son. But the poet loved both his parents deeply. He saw in them no fault and forgave the fact that because of their stinginess they fed him poorly as a child. In order not to upset his parents he behaved exactly like them. Even while studying in St. Petersburg, he denied himself any religious freedom. His only indiscretion was not covering his head once in a while.
As meek and mild mannered as he was, he was a leader in spreading the Haskalah in Radoshkowitz. He was the center who attracted many followers. A few young people wanted to establish a Haskalah library in town and used a ruse to do so. They asked the society, Mefizay Haskalah (The Spreaders of Haskalah) in St. Petersburg, to send them books, and one of the young people, the shochet's son, used his father's stamp on the letter, to give it sense of approval. One day a large bundle of books arrived from St. Petersburg and stirred up a big commotion. Rabbi Brodna was opposed to the establishment of such a library, even though his son was not. The rabbi's wishes prevailed, and the books disappeared. They were hidden in cracks and holes so that they could be read somewhere between home and outside. Then Mané returned to town and raised the devil. They rounded up the books, and the library was finally established. All that was needed now were funds to maintain it. Mané painted a portrait of Moshe Montifiore to be auctioned off, with the proceeds to finance the library. But the auction failed to bring in enough. Mané was greatly disappointed and wrote a satirical article about the people of Durakovich (durak in Russian means fool), whose understanding of Haskalah is limited.
While in Radoshkowitz Mané spent most of his time in Zvi Sachor's (the scribe's) home. Zvi and his father Avraham Shachor were Maskilim from the old generation. They read three of the Haskalah newspapers, Hameilitz, Hatzfeera and Hashahar. They were the first Zionists, and I remember how, after services at the Beit Hamidrash, Avraham would talk about Eretz Israel and tell us about the articles he had read in Hameilitz. As he was folding his talit he seemed like a man ready to set out for the promised land. Avraham was the local correspondent to Hameilitz, writing about major events in town. The progressiveness of the father and son hurt them professionally. People took the business of writing inserts for mezuzot and tefillin to other scribes. So they concentrated on making houses, translucent houses, which were a gift item for wealthy Bar Mitzvah boys. But since there wasn't enough income in this, they also owned a taproom. Consequently, they had their translucent houses, Haskalah books and barrels of drinks in the same house.
Mané first came to the Shachors as an apprentice after he returned from the yeshiva in Minsk. But Tvi and Avraham recognized his artistic talent and, being open minded as they were, wanted to see him develop that talent. And so Mané went to Vilna and then to St. Petersburg to study art. Mané appreciated all they had done for him and was devoted to them until his death. He painted both their portraits, and they adorned the walls of their home. While away, Mané wrote them letters full of love, and while in town he spent most of his time in their home.
Other close friends of Mané were L. Shinhaus, S. Tsich and Y. Y. Rubin. Though from the upper class, they did not shy away from Mané, whose mother sold pots at the market, and whose brother transported sand in his carriage. Mané found his friends had literary and artistic talents. Soon Shinhaus and Rubin, publishing articles, and Tsich, performing music, were seen as satellites to the big light Mané.
Mané enjoyed hearing his songs sung by his friends and acquaintances, even though he was very modest. It was the sheer pleasure of the creator hearing his creation, even though, we must admit, he thought himself an outstanding poet. He held a grudge against Y. L. Gordon, who dismissed his talent and would not make room for him among the honored poets in St. Petersburg. It seems that every artist dislikes others in his field. The same Gordon was very hospitable to prose writers but found flaws in all the poets.
After leaving the Academy in St. Petersburg, Mané returned to Radoshkowitz, sick, tired and sad. He knew that the disease meant he would die young but did not talk about it with those close to him, so as not to upset them. Mané saw himself living in a world full of death amid the tombstones which filled his father's home. Once, while talking to friends and sitting on one of the stones, he said, It's better to sit on this stone than to lie under it. The poet-painter, who loved life so, for the beauty in it, knew he would be leaving it soon.
The last two years of his life were a slow death, but even then there were moments of light and happiness. On days when he felt better he would write poetry and decorate
the pages with his beautiful drawings. Sometimes he would write poems
in gold ink. His beautiful handwriting had some of the gloom of the tombstone
[Page 155]
Remembering M. Z. Mané
(Open Letter to Tel-Aviv Municipality, published in the Daily Davar, 1936)
by Yoel Isaacson zl
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
I remember when I visited the cemetery in my home town, Radoshkowitz, forty years ago, and saw the tombstone of the poet, M. Z. Mané in ruins. I wrote about it to the authors, L. Shinhaus and S. Tsich, two of Mané's friends, and they sent me money to rebuild the stone and erect a protecting roof over it. I did so, and it is standing to this day.
Now, when I immigrated to Israel I heard the poet's songs sung by many. And on Shabbat, the 15th of Cheshvan, this year, I heard at Ohel Shem (a theater) at an Oneg Shabbat, Asher Barash lecture about M. Z. Mané, on the 50th anniversary of his death. And the thought occurred to me that if the poet's songs have left such an impression on our own country, why not erect an everlasting memorial for this poet by naming a street in Tel-Aviv after him? Two of his songs, alone, are worthy of such a memorial. Am Olam (Eternal People) and Mass'at Nafshi (My Soul's Yearning).
And to schools in Israel and abroad and to Ohel Shem, as well, why not dedicate this year, the fiftieth anniversary of his death, to his songs.*
*Note: A short time after this letter was published, a street was named after Mané
by Ben-Zion Notlevich, Rabbi of Brooklyn, NY
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
My heart is beating, and my hand trembles as I try to concentrate and write for this book of remembrance of a town which was destroyed by evil men. I knew Radoshkowitz and its kind and enlightened people, and it pains me when I think of their bitter end. But I was glad to respond to the request to write about my father-in-law, the venerable Rabbi Meir Rabinson, who served as the town's spiritual leader for fifty years. He was kind and reasonable, friendly and very popular, and thus, left his imprint on the town and its people.
He was the son of Rabbi Yehoshua Zvi from Venzigola in Kovna county, who immigrated to Jerusalem and taught Torah there for a few years. In his youth, Rabbi Meir was known as the brilliant one from Venzigola. He was most talented and had a wonderful memory, and when he was accepted at the Yeshiva in Kroky, in Kovna County, at a very early age, he was known as one of the great Rabbis of Zamut. The great rabbis of the time, like our Rabbi Yitzhak Elhanan from Kovna, Rabbi Yoseph Zcharyahu Stern from Shavil and Rabbi Alexander Moshe from Rassain, admired him as one of the best of his generation. Even then he was known for his extensive knowledge of Talmud and as an innovator in Bible studies, which were printed in biblical monthlies like, Yagdil Torah, which was published in Odessa. In those days he was known as Rabbi Meirke from Kroky. Later he became the rabbi of Radoshkowitz, and he was known as one of the greats of his generation. He only added to his knowledge, which was very impressive. He knew all of the Bavli Talmud and all its interpretations by heart. His knowledge of the late writing was so extensive that he was among the few rabbis who would decide in questions regarding Jewish life in his town and the areas around it. Many rabbis from communities far away invited him to come and decide in matters regarding their communities. Even Rabbi Yerucham from Minsk would call on him to decide in difficult matters.
In addition to his great knowledge of the Torah, Rabbi Meir was a practical man with a good understanding of people. His knowledge of the Torah was like a fountainhead, and lucky were those who studied with him. He was a prolific writer. He filled many volumes with his wisdom and many innovations in Torah, Halacha and legends. All his writings are kept in the National Book Depository in Jerusalem. Some of his innovations were published, but most of his writing is still waiting to be published. Only then, will people be able to appreciate his greatness.
Rabbi Meir spent most of his life in Radoshkowitz, where he taught and created most of his innovations in Torah study. His name will forever be linked to Radoshkowitz.
However, late in his life he moved to Jerusalem, where he became friends
with the Chief Rabbi, Hacohen Cook. He died there at the age of eighty-four.
His picture and handwriting are enshrined in the Department of Portraits
and Autographs of the Greats of Israel of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
[Page 158]
by Shlomo Eliyahu Rabinson
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
My mother, the Rebetzin, Lea, daughter of Reb Zvi, lived in Radoshkowitz for forty years. She came there with my father, Rabbi Meir and their five children. The rest of their children were born there.
My mother was always busy working. She got up early and went to bed late. Throughout the day, she managed our family's yeast business, our main source of income. Our apartment was an open store, and the door was always open for the many customers who bought yeast in packages by weight.
She also ran the household. She took careful care of my father's clothes, and when he came home from the synagogue, the table was always set. She also raised her sons to study the Torah, pray and keep the commandments. When my two sisters, Miriam and Bryna, married two respected men, learned in the Torah, their families continued to live with us, and my mother took care of all their needs with great love. Miriam and her husband, Rabbi Manos Esser Polonsky, who was the rabbi in Liboy, were later killed by the Nazis, and Rabbi Ben Zion Notlevich, Bryna's husband, is today the Rabbi of the congregation Hevra Torah, of the Descendents of Radoshkowitz, in Brooklyn, NY.
At the end of the day my mother would withdraw to her room to spend some time alone, praying silently for the good of us all, while the tears ran down her cheeks. This was an hour of spirituality. When she left her room her face had a divine glow to it.
In her dealings with people, my mother was sincere, honest and spoke the truth. She gave to charity and did charitable deeds. She was very hospitable and fed the poor and helped many needy people.
On Shabbat and holidays my mother rested from the hard work of the weekdays;
she spent time praying and chatting with her neighbors. She was a true,
modest old-fashioned woman, occupied with spiritual matters, her heart
open to needy people. She died at the age of 73 and was buried in Jerusalem
of Latvia.
[Page 159]
by Tzvi Rabinson
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
My father was a beautiful, gentle man. He was Yoseph Sundel Rabinson, Rabbi Meir Rabinson's oldest son. He was born in Kroky, in Latvia. Even as a child he was studious and knew the Bible by heart. He studied in the Yeshiva in Volozin. His knowledge of the Bible was outstanding, and his memory was great. He was a decent and honest man. He served as a rabbi in a couple of communities but spent his last years in Radoshkowitz.
He died in Vilna a year before the outbreak of World War II. Before his death he spent much time praying and crying. When my brother, who was later killed during the Holocaust, asked him why he was crying, he answered that he foresaw a great calamity for the Jewish people.
He is survived by a daughter, Nechama, who was a rebitzin in Disna and is now in America, and a son in Israel.
May his memory be blessed!
[Page 160]
To My Father
by Henya Fuchs
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
Great is my pain for my family who were lost in the Holocaust: my dear and good mother, my good sisters, and my dear brother, and leading them, my righteous and generous father, his constant smiling, pleasant face, a testimony to his goodness. He was a devoted father and pleasant to all. He studied Torah day and night and fulfilled the commandments. He was ready to help a fellow human being at any time. He welcomed the poor and needy at our house. When a beggar came to our door he would give him a big, shalom aleichem greeting, and when a worker performed a service for him he would add to his wage, in case his work was worth more.
The only people he held a grudge against were the Poles, because they mistreated him. When he went outside on the day they entered our town, he was attacked by a group of Polish soldiers who surrounded him, laughed at him, pushed him to the ground and started to cut his beard off. When I saw this through the window I thought they were killing my father, and I fainted. Since then he would say, Those Jew haters won't be in power for long, they'll stumble and fall. All his life he taught Torah to the town's children and did it with devotion and love until he was killed by the Nazi murderers.
Blessed be his memory!
[Page 161]
(On the Grave of My Teacher, Yoel-Dov Isaacson)
by Dr. Yisrael Rubin (Ravkai)
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
The beginning of this era is the Haskalah, even though it had a foot in assimilation and ended with a national awakening. Zionism and socialism are both results of the Haskalah. It was most apparent when this movement swept from Western Europe to the east. It was the small towns there, rather than the cities, which were the breeding ground for the better part Zionism and socialism whereas the cities were associated more with assimilation.
Many of the historians make the mistake of attributing the national awakening to the leaders, who lived in cities, but I think that it was the masses who encouraged these leaders, and the masses lived in small towns.
For sixty to seventy years we had a group of Maskilim in Radoshkowitz who began purely on the teaching of Mendelssohn, but from there they were led by the poet M. Z. Mané, one of our first national poets, who, in his intuitive way, expressed his longings for Zion.
Mané died fifty years ago, but the people of Radoshkowitz still keep his spirit alive.
During forty years of continuous activity Yoel-Dov Isaacson, who just passed away in Jerusalem, kept alive Mané's legacy, a mixture of Haskalah and nationalism. He is responsible for educating hundreds of our town's young to Zionism. His teachings were so imprinted on them that even though some were temporarily lured by other ideas, all finally came back to his first teachings.
He was a kind and influential man. Even his store, where he spent some of his time earning a living, was a center for his students and his teaching.
From Mané to Yoel-Dov Isaacson was a steady period of keeping
the flame alive. Isaacson kept Mané's flame, and now Isaacson's
students will keep his. He deserves it!
[Page 163]
Ben Zion Shepsenbul
by Bezalel A.
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
He was my father, Yoel Zvi Isaacson's friend. They also shared the same ideals and point of view. Both were students of the Haskalah and Zionism and chose to implement it through Hebrew education. They wanted Jewish children to learn Hebrew and learn to love all that was dear to them the Bible and the Land of Israel.
I remember something which happened when I was eight years old. I studied in heder, but this took place on Shabbat. My father; my teacher; my friend, Ze'ev Alperowitz and I went for a walk in a field out of town. The conversation between the adults got around to the land of Israel, and I found my father and my teacher speaking Hebrew. At the time I could read and write in Hebrew and I even understand some of what they were saying, but I was really envious of their knowledge and I wished I could speak as fluently as they. I was proud of my father and was so grateful to my teacher, who made it a point to include us, the little ones, in the conversation. He would ask us questions on grammar, and we could answer all of them. My father was pleased with my knowledge, my teacher was proud of his students, and I was happiest for being able to share in the knowledge of the adults.
On Shabbat, I remember my father reading to us, his students, from the History of the Jews. He was never tired of reading and we, of listening. He would get excited, his voice soft and strong at times, sad and happy at times. When he came to the part about the destruction of the Temple, he could barely conceal his tears, and we would sit, captivated by his reading, our cheeks wet with tears, drinking in every word. Since then I have loved history.
I remember my teacher during services on Yom Kippur. I stood next to my father, and my teacher sat at the end of our bench. My father taught me not to leave during the prayer Asarah Harugay Malchut. According to him, it was the most important prayer in the Machzor. I obeyed my father and recited the prayer with intent and feeling. At the same time I saw my teacher, whose tears were falling on his prayer book. It seemed as though on Yom Kippur he let himself cry and his tears made me cry too. When the prayer was finished he would look around him as though he were embarrassed.
On the other hand, on Simchat Torah my teacher was the center of joy for our Zionist Minyan.; He was the cantor; he was the Ba'al Kriá; he lived the service; he blessed the wine, and his Kiddush made people laugh. He knew how to be happy and make others happy.
Then came the last few years before I immigrated to Israel, when I was a member of Hechalutz. Those were the golden years in Israel. The Fourth Aliya was prospering. Many new immigrants came and bought land. Bnei Brak and Magdiel were established. There was much activity in Poland and good news from Israel. People were buying land and building houses. There are no policemen, no taxes, no real estate taxes. One is his own master and lives in freedom. At this news many communities establish societies aimed at purchasing land in Israel. In Radoshkowitz such a society was also established, and its founder was my teacher. At the founding meeting it was decided that each member would have to contribute at least one dollar a week. With time, it was hoped the money would grow and enable its members to purchase land in Israel.
But after a while some bad news arrived from Israel. As a result, the society fell apart, even though it had accumulated a few dozen dollars. Despair was everywhere, and it finally caught up with my teacher. His plans to buy a piece of land in Israel and all his dreams fell apart. The cruel reality brought an end to his heart's desire.
At the same time his financial situation worsened. After many years he had to leave his business and devote himself to teaching full time. Finally he got a job teaching in the Tarbut school. But he had a hard time adjusting to the new methods of the school. He finally left, saying, Let the young teach, I am too old.
He died in 1927, after many years of service to our town. Many of his
students live in Israel now and carry his memory in their hearts.
[Page 165]
by B. AN
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
Every one in town knew his room in his mother's home in the Synagogue Court. The room served as a meeting place for various youth organizations, but Ya'acov remained active in public and Zionist causes.
He was a meticulous dresser, well mannered and pleasant. He was an asset to the Zionist Organizations he represented. He represented them locally and nationally. Whenever a representative would come to visit, Ya'acov Cahanovich was his constant companion. He did his best to make our town look good to our guests to have good attendance at meetings, to have all committee members show up at meetings and have a warm welcome and a nice farewell party for out-of-town guests. Most important Ya'acov made sure the visit by an outsider would be fruitful by making the proper introductions and by getting our local people excited about the purpose of his visit.
The few years after the Balfour Declaration were the golden period for Ya'acov's activities in Radoshkowitz. Together with his friend Yoseph Lipman (now in Israel), they chaired the local Zionist Federation. The times were full of Zionist activity, and it was felt in Radoshkowitz also. We had a Zionist club, and much of the activity took place there. With the help of the older Zionists, funds were raised, Hebrew classes were started, and the Tarbut school was founded. Over the years the school became well established and was a great asset in the cultural and Zionist life of the town. Ya'acov was among the first in all these activities, and thanks to them, a new generation grew up educated to take its place in the life in Israel.
Ya'acov Cahanovich did not live to fulfill the dream he was building.
He was killed with all the other martyrs of the Holocaust. May these lines
be a gravestone to his memory.
[Page 167]
by Ze'ev
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
In childhood my brother, Haim, absorbed his love of all things spiritual and cultural and carried it with him the rest of his life. The Hebrew language became part of his being. He loved the Bible dearly, a passion he acquired from his teacher Benjamin Baron (the brother of the author, Dvora Baron), who lived in Radoshkowitz during World War I. This great scholar introduced Haim to the Bible and since then, the book never left his hand. It was his favorite subject in the Hebrew high school in Vilna. His first gift from Israel (he did not possess the strength to stay) was an album of flowers mentioned in the Bible.
Haim loved literature. His pleasant voice would be heard at family gatherings reading Hebrew poems by Bialik, Tchernichovsky, Yitzhak Katzenelson, etc. He loved tradition and, even though he was not religious, read Torah on Shabbat and holidays to the enjoyment of his listeners.
He became friends with new people from all walks of life, which served him well when he was acting in the theatre in plays by Gordon, Hirshbein and others. He was active in youth movements and public affairs in town. He was among the founders of the youth movement, Herut VeThiya (Freedom and Rebirth), Hechalutz, (The Pioneer), and the Tarbut school.
He found his true calling in teaching. He loved it and was very devoted to it. During the fifteen years he spent as teacher and principal of Tarbut he did much to raise the level of Jewish education, turning out students knowledgeable and devoted to it.
My brother, Haim, was a devoted and concerned son to our parents and to me, especially while I was studying in Vilna. He was killed by the Nazis in Hochaza (Rovna County) together with our parents, who had come to him from Radoshkowitz after he had lost his wife, Alisa, and his only son, Meirke, who perished in the Bialestok Ghetto.
My dear beloved brother, you fell with our people's martyrs. May your
name be blessed forever.
[Page 168]
by B. AN
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
He stood out among the young activists, and was a live spirit in public life. He had a burning desire for a university education, but since he was one of many children, he had to create his own path through his studies. It was a long and arduous path, first as a graduate of the Belarussian high school in Radoshkowitz, which he, Nathan, was instrumental in establishing, then through great hardship till he graduated medical school in Prague. He remained devoted to his home town and strove to become a respected physician there.
He had a special fondness for the Hebrew language and culture and served as a teacher in the Tarbut school in Radoshkowitz. He was very active in all social and public functions and was much admired for it.
He was killed while serving as a physician at the hospital in Radoshkowitz
during the Nazi occupation. In his naivete he believed that as a physician
his life would be spared. He was among the last to die.
[Page 169]
Mordecai Bumstein (His Story)
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
Mordecai was born in 1921 to a working class family in Radoshkowitz. His father, Shalom, worked at the biggest flour mill, and his mother was a seamstress. His birth was a happy event, since he was the first son after three daughters.
At the early age of two, he showed artistic talent. For hours he would sit at the sewing machine turning the wheel, or he would put in or remove all kinds of screws, until he lost a finger on his right hand. Still, he remained curious, full of joy and mischief, though very obedient as far as his parents were concerned.
His parents were intent on providing him with the best education and had high hopes for his future. He was bright and quick to learn. He studied for seven years in the religious school, Horev, and was the pride of his parents and teachers. His favorite subjects were mathematics and mechanical drawing. His teachers suggested that he continue his education in Vilna, but his parents couldn't afford it. They had had two more children and had to provide education for all.
Mordecai had to abandon his desire for further education. At the age of sixteen or seventeen he left for Vilna. After many difficulties he got a job as an apprentice in a metal workshop. When the Germans marched into Poland in 1939, Mordecai returned to Radoshkowitz. A short time after the liberation of Belarus by the Red army he joined the fire brigade and became its commander.
But at the start of war between the USSR and Germany, he foresaw the tragedy which befell the Jews. So he and a few other young Jews went to Russia, where he ultimately reached Russian Asia and joined a Kolkhoz, where he learned about agriculture. There, also, he worked hard and was well-liked by everyone. In nine months he joined the work brigade and worked in one of the big factories in Sverdlovsk. He did well financially, and his prospects for the future seemed good. But his dream to immigrate to Israel and build his home there did not leave him. In 1944, after the Nazi's retreat from Belarus, he received news from home about his family.
Those who survived did so, thanks to the fact that they had left the ghetto and joined the partisans in the forests. Two of his sisters were killed by the Nazis, and his father had died after fighting with the partisans for two years. The news only strengthened his resolution to leave Poland and go to Israel. In early June, 1946, Mordecai and the first survivors of his family, two sisters and a brother, left the USSR headed for Poland. There, he joined a few thousand other survivors, who planned to go to Israel.
In Lodz he joined Hashomer Hatzair, with the intention of joining Kibbutz Lochamay Haghettaot. Again, he worked hard, was well-liked, was always ready to help a needy friend and always had the right answer to a problem.
The big day finally arrived. He left with the ship, Exodus, in 1947. The British naval destroyers did not scare him. Don't worry, comrades, we will get there, he told his friend. One dreadful night, exhausted from seasickness, he insisted on participating in a naval battle. He did reach Israel only to be buried there, in Haifa on July 18, 1947, among heroes like himself.
May his memory be blessed!
(From a book published in his memory by Hashomer Hatzair Gal On)
by M.
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
On the small plowed hill near our farm, under a white tombstone, rests Arié, our dear friend. He came to us young and energetic, after twenty years of suffering and struggle. He was a child when World War II broke out and spent the war years in the forests with Jewish and non-Jewish partisans. He learned about life the hard way and was thus immunized against whatever might come. No wonder that later, when he left for Israel on the Exodus, he was prepared to face any surprises that awaited him and his friends, like his brother, Mordecai, being killed on that ship by British pirates.
He continued his struggle two years later when he finally reached Israeli shores. Those were the days of the War of Independence. He was sent to Kibbutz Ma'anit, on the front line. Arié welcomed everything with love. He did his duty on the front line. He spent the nights guarding and the days under fire. But he began to put down roots in the kibbutz, and he learned to raise chickens.
After a while a group was sent to Kibbutz Gal On, and Arié found his place here too. He took upon himself the heavy task of building a chicken coop for the kibbutz. He was a quiet fellow; he talked little but worked hard. He spent his days toiling and the evening, studying. He was modest on one hand, but ambitious on the other.
Then a deadly disease, which he ignored for years, put an end to his young life. He was taken away from us in the spring of his of his life, just as he began building himself a family nest.
May his soul be linked to our project, which is his.
(Al Hamishmar 1951)
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
He was born on Jan. 20, 1930, in Petach Tikva. His parents were, Zalman and Hinka Funt. His paternal grandfather, Reb Yekutiel Funt, lived in Radoshkowitz and was known for his intelligence and knowledge of the Bible. He was honest and pedantic, had strong opinions and did not acquiesce easily. He disliked bowing down to anyone, even to authority. He used to tell how much he was bothered by the police commissioner, a neighbor, who would come into his store and in a haughty manner use the familiar form, thou, and Yekutiel, to be polite, would answer in the respectful form, your excellency. After the revolution, when the Czar was removed, so was the police commissioner. One day he came into Yekutiel's store and said, How art thou, Funt? To that Yekutiel answered, Fine, thanks, and how art thou? That's how he got even.
The father, Zalman, one of the first pioneers from Radoshkowitz, passed on some of his own father's characteristics to his son, a bright and excellent student. His parents brought him up in a pioneering spirit. He belonged to the youth movement, Hano'ar Ha'oved, where he was very active. He attended an elementary school in Petach Tikvah, where he stood out as a bright and talented student. Then he attended Herzlia High School in Tel-Aviv. He majored in math and physics and graduated with a prize in mathematics. After graduation, he joined a youth group from Hano'ar Ha'oved at a settlement near the Kineret. These were the days of struggle with the British, so he helped defend his settlement. Then he trained as a squad leader, and when the War of Independence broke out, his unit took part in liberating and defending Tiberias, Ramat Yochanan, Mishmor Ha'emek, Zefat and more. When the Jordan Valley was threatened by Syria, he and his small unit fought bravely against much larger enemy forces. He fell in this battle on May 19, 1948.
He was buried in a large common grave in a grove in Degania Alef. He
was eighteen and a half years old. May his memory live forever.
[Page 175]
by Dr. Yisrael Rubin (Ravkai)
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
There was a rich gallery of interesting characters in Radoshkowitz wonderful material for a psychologist or artist. Let me mention only a few, those I remember best. My apologies to those I have not mentioned at all, and to those I have mentioned only briefly.
Among those whose knowledge was deep and sharp, or just loved the study of the Torah, let me mention:
Rabbi Meir, son of Rabbi Yehoshua-Zvi Rabinson, a fine looking man and a man of substance. He combined seriousness with delicacy and warmth. He peppered his sharp sermons with popular humor. His sayings became popular proverbs among the members of his congregation.
Rabbi Aharon, his assistant, was the rabbi of the common people, who, when they came to him with questions, felt no social distance. He was plain and kind hearted, his face and beard always in a cloud of pipe smoke. He had an interesting collection of pipes. But his words were nothing like the smoke; they were clear and simple. His sermons were not innovative, but since he was teaching simple Jews in small groups, he did not teach them Halacha; he taught them legend, and would add some of his own exciting words. As a child I liked to sneak into these lessons and listen to his stories.
Rabbi Ya'acov-Pinchas Gordon. He was a balabatishe Jew. He did not use his Torah knowledge to make a living. His mother-in-law opened a store for him, and he turned out to be a fine businessman. He was very pedantic about his own behavior and that of others. He would not readily accept their opinions. His ideas influenced many people my father, for example. He opposed Zionism and Haskalah, basing his opinions on his close knowledge of the literature. During my student years, I became captivated by the ideas of socialism. Upon my frequent visits to Radoshkowitz he was the only person to argue with me and point out the pitfalls of socialism, based on his reading of some of the forbidden pamphlets. He was a fine chess player and enjoyed solving difficult math problems presented by his brother-in-law, Yehoshua, who was self-taught in abstract sciences. His son Baruch, became one of my best friends and, in spite his father, a friend of Zionism and socialism.
Rabbi Yitzhak (Itché) Zilburg, son-in-law and pride of Rabbi Eliezer, was a virtuoso in talmudic and general wisdom, who could grasp very complex ideas from hints. He was restless and couldn't sit still, so I would find him pacing at the new synagogue, discussing secular matters of utmost importance. He was well read in Zionism and socialism. One glance at a text was enough for him to get the whole idea. I once saw him glance at an article by Nachum Sokolov in the weekly, Hazfira, and immediately begin discussing small details from the article. Years later I allowed myself a psychological test when I presented him the book, Zionism, by Dr. Sappir (in Russian) and The Communist Manifesto, by Marx and Engels, and again, after only thumbing through them, he was able to express his pros and cons. By the way, he was a Zionist.
Rabbi Mons-Isser Polonsky, Rabbi Meir's son-in-law. When he came to Radoshkowitz we met a new type of rabbi, one educated in Haskalah. What the previously mentioned Torah scholars knew about Haskalah was intuitive. Rabbi Mons-Isser's knowledge was based on formal education. The Maskilim in town whispered, The rabbi has a son-in-law who resembles his son, Dr. Mordecai Rabinson, a local hero like Mané, who combined Torah and Haskalah. Rabbi Mons-Isser was mild mannered, his European refinement contrasting sharply with the roughness of Radoshkowitz. He was moderate and logical in his arguments. Some Jews were asking, Is he really one of us? And the young Maskilim were happy to say, He is one of us.
Rabbi Nachum Lieberman. He was a shochet, melamed, Torah reader and prayer leader in the Lubavitch Shtibel. Like Rabbi Michel at the big synagogue, he was the central religious person, and the one people liked best. Both were popular and full of joy. He was the life of every party. With his beautiful voice and sense of humor he made everyone rejoice. He was not extremely religious, so he got along with the young Maskilim. He read Gemara and the secular, Hazfira, and even at his heder, he included some secular teaching.
Rabbi Moshe, the Melamed. (His wife was a midwife who amply supplemented his income). He was quiet and naïve, a rather lazy, but good hearted person, who could not hurt a fly. He was overwhelmed by the least little problem. His students knew his weakness and took advantage of him. They tortured him with their rowdiness. He was saved only by his wife, who was the exact opposite talkative, strong-willed and domineering. In town, people joked that when his students got out of hand he threatened them by saying, I'll tell this to my wife. Rabbi Moshe was no scholar, but he had an intuitive ability to explain the difficult portions of Gemara with a few well chosen words, and he was equally helpful to adults studying Gemara. His wife used to brag, In the morning my husband teaches little goyim, and in the evening, big goyim.
Rabbi Moshe (Eliots) Padarsky, a merchant, well mannered, respectful of Torah and Haskalah. His comfortable home was a meeting place for both circles. He was assisted by his hostess wife, Haya, a sister of the author, Dvora Baron. All the celebrations at the end of each portion of the Gemara took place in their home, with R' Michel dancing, with plays and games.
Rabbi Yechezkiel (Chatcha) Rubin, my father, who was a devoted member of the Talmud studies group. He added more studying in the early morning and late at night. Like most of his friends, he used to study from books he borrowed from the synagogue and bemoaned the fact that he could not afford his own books. He was happiest when, one day, I presented him with his own Mishna (which I bought with my first salary as a teacher). My father died while studying that book when he was living with me in Minsk.
Rabbi Zissel, one of the wisest old men of Radoshkowitz. Because
of his advanced age he could not join the circle of men studying Gemara
at the synagogue, but he followed their progress while studying at home.
Once, he even came to Rabbi Moshe Eliots' home to join the celebration
on completion of a portion of Gemara. Everybody would come to him when
they needed good advice on private or public matters. When not studying
Gemara or absorbed in readings in Haskalah, he played chess and did so
in a most original way he played against himself, to everybody's amazement.
[Page 180]
Yoel-Dov Isaacson Berl Chaska's. In my childhood, when Haskalah and Zionism were synonymous, he was the trailblazer. He was moderate and good natured. As a child he was known to rebel against the orthodoxy of his family (his father, Reb Ya'acov, was very religious and strict and later was critical of both Haskalah and Zionism). He made a living from his store but found satisfaction in various social activities devoted to his favorite subjects. His store became a center of activity for young Maskilim and Zionists. In his attic, in neatly piled stacks, next to the Passover dishes, were old issues of the periodical, Hamailitz. My friend Avraham Yitzhak Grodzensky and I would sweat up there for hours at a time reading them. We'd carefully leave the piles undisturbed, so our secret wouldn't be discovered. Berl gladly lent books to anyone interested but insisted that they be treated with respect. His favorite time was speaking Hebrew to his friends (Ben Zion Shepsenbul and others). Later, when he was getting ready to immigrate to Israel first he sent his son there he learned how to raise bees, since he wanted to become a farmer. His knowledge of Hebrew grammar was excellent.
Ben Zion Shepsenbul. He was not a native of Radoshkowitz but became one of the leaders of Haskalah and Zionism. He taught Hebrew to many young people, including me. He too, made his living from his store, but his heart was in Zionism. Like Zangvill, he once told me he enjoyed teaching so much that he ought to have paid for the privilege instead of being paid.
Zalman Sara-Dreishaus. If the two above-mentioned men were Cohens, he was a Levite. He provided young Zionists with books and tested them later to see how much they got from their reading. The first Hebrew library was in Zalman's house, all in one big drawer of his dresser. He had a full collection of Tushia, those thin, red pamphlets. Many a Sabbath, we would come to him for fresh reading material. I must admit that a few times when he gave me the key so I could borrow a book, I walked away with two or three one in my hand and the others under my coat. Years later he told me that he knew of my theft.
My brother, Shmuel (Rubin). He was restless and full of inner conflicts and consequently changed professions several times. An enlightened man, he wanted to earn a living working and several times jumped from one occupation to another. When he was married with children he learned watch repair, then he became a tanner. Later he learned to be a shochet and went to America to become a chef. He was devoted to only one passion all his life to Haskalah and Zionism. He was always reading studying Zvi Gratz's, The History of the Jews. When he taught he would excite his students with the Bible, to which he gave interpretations which were a mixture of Haskalah and tradition. He was a fine speaker and original thinker and even published a small book.
Ya'acov Cahanovich (Yankl Grishé-Lea's) was my beloved childhood boy friend, the representative of every progressive movement in our town. All correspondence from every Zionist organization came to his address. Every Zionist guest was welcomed by him. He was the founder of a large Hebrew library. He helped to establish the first Hebrew school and for many years was the spirit of every progressive activity.
Ilia Dude's (Lappidot). One of the first members of the Jewish socialist movement in town. At first he was known as a moderate and modest young man, who helped in his father's leather shop and spent his few free hours reading books. To this day I wonder how revolutionary ideas reached him from afar and excited him so, that he founded the first Socialist group in town. He spent every evening mingling among the groups of young people walking in the woods, looking for converts to socialism. He succeeded in attracting young people, maybe because he was so modest. I can tell you from my own experience. I heard his speeches. He was extremely clear and convincing and could be quite exciting in his soft way of speaking. All of a sudden new expressions were being used among the young people adopting socialism and Zionism.
Eli Dude's immigrated to America and disappeared. In my memory he remains one of the thirty-six righteous men, in a modern edition.
Leibé Yehuda's (Shapira). His father, Yehuda Faygel's was a pedantic melamed, strange, petty and rebellious, always complaining about somebody or something. He was very critical of those on whom he depended for his livelihood. Leibé, his son, grew up like an orphan at his grandmother's and suffered deprivation and contempt. He was rebellious like his father but applied himself to his favorite cause. He was an excellent socialist propagandist. His speech was full of fire and was merciless, but he captivated many young people. He also immigrated to America and was never heard from again.
Henia Mendel's (Tanhilevich) was known around town by the derogatory nickname Czaritza, meaning, She would like to have Czar Nikolai dethroned so she could take his place. She came from a nice quiet family, but her own speech was pure revolutionary fire. She was a great organizer and was very influential with young people. Eli Dude's and Leibé Yehuda's were men of theory; she was all action, a real revolutionary.
Hirshel Dude's, Eliyahu's young brother, who died young. In his
short life he proved to be very brave and daring. He was not a scholar
like his brother, but a man of action to the point of risking his life.
[Page 185]
Vavka (Ze'ev Wolf). He was a tailor-mender, whose house in the synagogue court looked as if it were about to fall apart, sticking out from one angle and unseen from another. The same with its owner. Sometimes he stood out among a group of Jews in the synagogue or the market, talking more than others, and then he would disappear for days.
He was the typical uneducated person, though sometimes he would insist on interpreting one of the most obscure passages of the Bible, and people would laugh.
And yet, sometimes he would come up with the most accurate adjectives for certain people, those whom he disliked most. He could tell about imaginary events in the most descriptive language, to the delight of children, who would listen eagerly to his stories.
Reb Shmuel Vatelier, a pedantic malamed, was named after the village he came from. He lived at the edge of town and thence his second name, Reb Shmuel der Ekediker. He was very quiet most of the time. Even with his students at the heder he used very few words, and just one day a year, on Simchat Torah, he would talk and sing and conduct a children's choir. That day he was full of joy, as though he were compensating himself for his gloom the rest of the year. I can still see him singing in Hebrew and Yiddish.
Haim Nishka's (Mané). He was the popular town doctor, the right hand man of the Polish Dr. Zalensky, who was considered the specialist in the area. And thanks to him even Haim had a large practice among Jews and gentiles. He owned the first gramophone in town; his son owned the first mandolin. He was also the owner of the first beauty shop. His daughter became a midwife in Vilna and brought to Radoshkowitz refinements we never knew before: Russian conversation and literary discussions.
Haim Nishka's had but a few medications at his disposal and two or three formulas for prescriptions. He would vary them from time to time, regardless of the illness. And strange as it seems, according to his patients, it helped. The old Polish doctor would not see a patient once he had been seen by his assistant, Haim.
Yodel Lea-Bryna's (Segalovich). His store was one of the largest in town, and his customers were the richest. He carried attractive and modern merchandise cosmetics for women, bikes for rental to young people and harmonicas for music lovers. Yodel was the first to enjoy pleasures of the modern world, according to our naïve standards. He was the one who conducted our community choir in the forest, and it was he who introduced dancing (waltz, fox trot, etc.)
Fishel Haim Heshla's. He was a tinsmith but was very creative and artistic and did interesting things in metal. Some of his work decorated the columns near the cantor's stand in the synagogue. They were things he made for his own pleasure. His son and daughter, devoted members of the Socialist Party, were also talented and creative. His daughter embroidered the flag for the May 1st parades, his son decorated the halls where the party balls were held, and he, Fishel, unlike other parents whose children had joined the party, was their friend. He not only knew about their revolutionary activities and did not protest or interfere but supported them.
Reb Avraham, the Hat Maker. He was a very good looking Jew, straight and nimble, good natured and ready to assist all in need. Despite his extreme piety he did not clash with the young progressive element. He expressed his dislike, but was careful not to hurt them. He liked to conduct prayers and stubbornly insisted on doing so on Shabbat and holidays. He had a nice voice and sang beautifully. As a young boy, I enjoyed two things which were my privilege as his neighbor the tasty apples and plums which grew in his garden and his beautiful singing when, every Friday, he practiced for the Torah reading. Reb Avraham was not a scholar but still studied Torah and a page in Gemara every week.
Yacovson, the Shamus. To this day I wonder why this modest Jew was called by his last name, which was very rare. (Some of the scholarly Jews were called by both their first and last names, like Reb Chatch Shapira, Reb Yoseph Rosenhaus). He was quiet and followed other people's orders all his life. He followed Rabbi Damta everywhere and carried out his every wish at the slightest hint. He performed his many duties at the big synagogue very carefully and silently.
He never lost his temper, even over children's mischief. His wife sold cloth in a small makeshift shop next to my father's. On market day they would carry the merchandise from home and back again at the end of the day. Yacovson was of little help to his wife. He was too quiet, in general and didn't know the goyish language, so he couldn't be of much help. But I remember how he used to draw customers to his wife's store using one word, tshuish, (which meant listen in our local Belarussian), and when he brought a customer into the store he would tell his wife, I brought you another tshuish.
Yoshé (Yoseph) the Butcher. The chief gabai of the new synagogue was a sort of self-crowned king, but no one disputed his right to the crown. He was quick to anger, energetic and ready to sacrifice everything for his synagogue. The children were scared to death of him, and it wasn't only the children everyone was careful not clash with him.
Reb Haim, the Shoemaker. He had no children of his own, and maybe that was the reason for his extraordinary love of children. He was always surrounded by children, who loved him and his stories and would follow his every word. In his shop he employed a few workers and treated them well. When the wave of organized strikes by the socialists reached our town, Reb Haim proclaimed that his workers would not strike, and, indeed, they did not, because he raised their pay even before being asked to. His workshop was kind of a cooperative he divided the profit equally among his workers. He was the first to contribute to the settlement of Israel and carried stamps in his pocket which said, You will reclaim the land of Israel. He once he told me proudly, It's good that I always carry a sacred Mezuzah in my pocket. He was referring to a share in the Anglo-Palestine Bank. He was kind and supportive of the young socialists, too.
Ziré-Meré and her daughter Sara (Epstein). Righteous women in the best sense of the word. They made their living baking all kinds of sweets, and the many children who
came to their door found in them the same sweetness as in their products. One never heard a loud voice or the sound of disagreement. Ziré gave to charity secretly, and so did her daughter.
Reb Haim Moshe Yerachmiel's. He wore two hats: he was the shamus in the new synagogue and a pedantic melamed. But his real talent lay in his third occupation making tombstones. He taught himself to carve highly stylized letters and even made his own tools. Many stones in the cemetery of Radoshkowitz were made by him. He was able to talk to his students in a simple language and explain the most complex ideas in a logical, childish way. He also made toys for them from paper and wood, which could have served as models for professional teachers.
He lived modestly and religiously. He fasted on all fasting days and even on other days ate sparingly. From his meager income, he gave to charity.
Rabbi Feitl. Rabbi was not a title of respect rather the opposite. There was a rumor that in his youth he had been the leader (rabbi) of a band of thieves, but no one knew if it was true. When I knew him he was old, quiet, modest and among the moderates. He lived all his life in his small house on Minsk Street which was a very busy street. Yet, he was seldom seen on the street, keeping to himself as though wanting to be unseen, like a shadow. His voice was heard only when reading T'hilim at the synagogue towards evening on Shabbat, and, unlike other Jews, he read it softly and warmly, which was much more effective than whiny, loud reading.
Izik, the Blacksmith. His shop was near the bridge, on the way to the public baths. The sounds of his hammer could be heard from afar, the sparks flying in all directions. He was always covered with soot, but when he talked he conveyed light and inner peace. He was full of warmth and kindness. He used to praise Jews and gentiles alike. I once heard him say to his assistant, who was replacing a horseshoe, Be careful, son, don't hurt the animal.
Itché-Zalman the Zulik (The Cheat). I wonder where he got his nick name? Was it from his cleverness and cunning? But he was not like this in his everyday life as I knew him. On the contrary, he was honest, the first one to come to the aid of the needy and a peacemaker when people were arguing. And he was clever. He could get to the bottom of things on the basis of the slightest hint, but he never used his ability in a negative way. He respected learning. The first yeshiva in town, under Rabbi Haim-Nachmun from Volozin, was in his house and, for a while, with no payment.
Yoel-Zerach (Yacovson). Son of the above-mentioned shamus. He clearly refuted the saying, The apple does not fall far from the tree. He was the exact opposite of his father full of life and joy. In spite of being an adult, he was the first to join in any childish prank at the synagogue or elsewhere. He was a carriage driver, transporting people to and from the train station. On the way, he would entertain passengers with his singing and jokes. People would say that time seemed to fly when riding with him. But in spite of his talent, he had few riders, since most people went with David Ortzica's, the main carrier.
Moisai (Poliacov). For some reason he was called Moisai and not Moshe, maybe because he was half a lawyer. His was an enlightened home; his daughters spoke Russian, and he preferred his poor Russian over Yiddish. In general, he kept to himself and did not have friends. Most people thought he was conceited, but to those who got close to him and got to know him, his strangeness was not due to conceit but to some psychological flaw, since he was good-hearted and always ready to help a friend.
Adelsky, the teacher. As principal of the public school, he kept his distance from most people and socialized with those in authority the customs director and police commissioner. He came to synagogue only on Shabbat, and when he showed up in his uniform, which made him stand out, people would say, He's here already. People were a little afraid of him and poked fun at him at every opportunity. I was one of his students and can remember some examples of his skill as a pedagogue.
Reb Yoel, the leather merchant and his sons, Umka and Dudl. Reb. Yoel's house was a meeting place for all Maskilim. The sons, Umka and Dudl, with their father's support, were among the first very active Socialist-Zionists.
Mina Rhoda (Isaacson). Her sons and sons-in-law were well learned in the Torah. All the Torah scholars met in her home, where she received them with open arms. She set the tone, a mixture of refinement and simplicity.
Reb Lima Levine. His home was kind of an illustration of Y. L. Perez's Four Generations. Reb Hirshel lived to be over a hundred. His son, Lima, was about eighty years old when I knew him. His son, Haim, was interested in Haskalah and Zionism, and his son Moshka, was among the first to appear dressed up, carrying a Russian book. These four went to synagogue together every Shabbat and embodied Jewish roots at their best. They were all kind and polite and never quarreled with anyone. From the open windows of their homes emanated a warm intimacy.
Reb Hirshel liked to tell that as a youngster, a few years before he put on tefillin, he would wrap himself up in a talit. What did this wonder mean? He was married before he was Bar Mitzvah.
All four generations dealt in the forestry trade all their lives and,
like trees, stood tall and proud.
[Page 193]
by Ya'akov Robinson
Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
The Radoshkowitz community was a uniform group without internal conflicts, and the love of Torah was shared by all. There were no differences between life at the Beit Hamidrash and life outside. The community was unified and peaceful, respectful of scholars and the pious, and of men of action and those interested in the sciences. The leaders were versed in world affairs, aware of city life, polite and moderate; and people looked up to their leaders with respect. My father, the rabbi, used to say, in Radoshkowitz we have no masses, because our so-called masses would be considered respectable middle class in other towns.
According to tradition, Radoshkowitz was quite old; some said as old as Vilna and once spread as far as Ragva, a distance of five viorst. The old synagogue was quite beautiful there were only three such synagogues in all of Russia. It was destroyed in a fire, but I did see it when I was a baby, and I remember that its walls were covered with lists and quotations. The ark was decorated with two lions with their tongues sticking out. This wonderful building held memories of great Torah scholars who came from our town Rabbi Izil from Slonim, for example, son of a baker, who as a boy would climb to the top balconies early in the morning and scare the praying men.
Rabbi Haim, from Volozin, said about the Great Rabbi, Avraham Ber, I am afraid of the Radoshkowitz bear.
Rabbi Simcha from Davinsk counted three rabbis among the generation's thirty-six righteous: Moshele from Baltrimanz, Rabbi Zondel from Aishishok and Rabbi Shlomo Mordecai from Radoshkowitz. And Vatcha, a member of Habad, said about him, jokingly, Thank God, we have an impressive rabbi, but he is a coward, he is afraid of God.
After Brudna came my father, Rabbi Meir Rabinson, wise in the Torah and world affairs. He excelled in discussions and sermons. He understood human nature and got along with everyone, big and small. He was well-liked by the gentiles, and Father Troyan, who was a friend to the Jews, used to visit his home and was impressed by the many books which lined our walls.
Some of the great rabbis in other towns were related by marriage to residents of Radoshkowitz, like Rabbi Pinchas Razovsky and Rabbi Hirsh Hominer. Others who came from Radoshkowitz were the great authors, Rabbi Avraham Maskit Eitan and Rabbi Leib Vilkomirer, a great Torah scholar.
From the permanent residents of Radoshkowitz, I must mention a long list of people who were community leaders, learned in Torah and Haskalah:
Yehuda Shalom's and Shalom Edel's, were active in community affairs. Among the Hassidim were some who were good looking and had good taste, like Barka Haim Aba's. Among the unassuming ones let me mention Notké, the melamed, my father's right hand man in doing works of charity. He was my first teacher, and his son is the philanthropist, Axelrod. Among the good looking people, let me mention Hazi Shapira, Yoshé Rosenhaus, Koifman Alterman, and Eliots and Moshe Padarsky. Among the scholars: Rabbi Moshe No'ach Rubinstein, Rabbi Ya'acov Pinchas Gordon, Rabbi Ya'acov Moshe Alperovich, Rabbi Yekutiel Funt and Rabbi Ya'acov Ze'ev Epstein, a studious man, who taught Mishna all his life. Another diligent student of Torah was Yitzhak Ya'acov, the melamed, who left a deep impression on me. My learned friend, Haim Shmuel Lappidot, was the student of Rabbi Shimon Shkep from Telz Yeshiva. But the greatest was Rabbi Yitzhak Zilburg, with whom I studied Torah. In his youth he was friends with Rabbi Avraham Ber who later was appointed as rabbi in Kovna.
Among those close to Torah studies but from the middle class, I remember a few fine friends. Yoel Honi's, my friend, Avraham Leib's father, was a lovely and honest man. The cantor and shochet, Reb Michel, who lived to be a hundred, was kind and good tempered. His son, Haim David Rosenstein, was an excellent teacher and author and was among the founders of the revised heder in Russia. Reb Pesach Canterovich, my first melamed, was kind and loved by his young students. Shmuel Eliezer's Isaacson was fluent in Midrash and honest. The two shamashim who served our town devotedly for many years, Reb Yerachmiel Ben Hendle, a smart and well-liked man, who was there at the synagogue and completed Thilun every single day, and his son, Reb Yechezkel Rubin, a jolly and kind man, who studied Torah all his life and raised sons who excelled in both Torah and science Rabbi Shmuel Rubin and Dr. Israel Rivkai (Rubin). Reb Ze'ev Yacovson was a kind and quiet man. He was a shamus at the Beit Din and a frequent visitor at Rabbi Damta's.
Among the newer circle, those who combined Torah, Haskalah and Zionism, I should mention Yoel Dov Isaacson, Ben Zion Shepsenbul and Moshe Lea-Bryna's. The first two were outstanding teachers, well versed in Hebrew and Hebrew grammar. Yoel Dov Isaacson moved to Israel where he died.
Among those who had respect for Torah and Torah students were the butchers, Yoshé and Leibé. They were regular, persistent students of Ein Ya'acov. Others worthy of mention from the vicinity of the town are Yoshé from Kaleisburg, Itché from Odrei, who would read at the Big Synagogue on the High Holidays, and the father of the honest and highly respected merchants, Moshe and Shimon Zukovsky. Other important and honest merchants were Sinai from Vermeika and his son, Alter; Yehuda and Avraham from Ragva and the mechanic, who was the Ba'al T'filla on the high Holy Days at the new Beit Hamidrash.
The regular students at Beit Hamidrash were young, local men like Reb
Nachum Haim from Volozin. Also, the home of Ziré-Meré, a
regular supporter of these students, was an off campus place of study.
[Page 196]
by Ya'akov Robinson Translated by Elisabeth Ruderman
In 1911 two brothers, both students at Beit Hamidrash came up with the idea of establishing a yeshiva in Radoshkowitz. The oldest, Shmuel, went to Volozin and brought back two learned young men to serve as the nucleus for the yeshiva. One was from Vishkov, and the second, from Lomza, was an excellent scholar, who was later appointed rabbi in Padgorna, a suburb of Minsk (His father-in-law was known as the outstanding scholar form Bobroisk, and was among the martyrs killed in Hebron in 1929.) The first eight students were joined by thirty local young men, to form a core of permanent scholars. Rabbi Raphael, the head of the reduced Volozin Yeshiva, saw a rival in the Yesihva of Radoshkowitz. The yeshiva depended on local contributions, a task undertaken by the yeshiva director, aided by the writer of these lines.
The students of the yeshiva studied in the big Beit Midrash, which was
as large as the Big Synagogue in Tel-Aviv, and in the evening there was
a lamp on every window sill. Each student studied his own page of the Gemara,
but the children were taught in a group and one of the students explained
one page of Gemara per day. The study consisted of explanation and logic,
and the yeshiva turned out a few brilliant students. Among the oldest students
was Mordecai Epstein, now living inTel-Aviv. One other student worthy of
mention is H. A. Friedland, from Horodock, who became famous in America
as a teacher and writer. The yeshiva existed for seven years under the
direction of Rebbi Moshe Padaresky, Rabbi Yekutiel Funt and others.
JewishGen, Inc. makes no representations regarding the accuracy of
the translation. The reader may wish to refer to the original material
for verification.
JewishGen is not responsible for inaccuracies or omissions in the original work and cannot rewrite or edit the text to correct inaccuracies and/or omissions.
Our mission is to produce a translation of the original work and we cannot verify the accuracy of statements or alter facts cited.
Radoshkovichi, Belarus Yizkor Book Project JewishGen Home Page
Copyright © 1999-2019 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 27 October 2012 by OR


text:
Follow Us
A map of London's most toxic breathing spots
Air pollution is up to five times over the EU limit in these Central London hotspots.
- Dirty air is an invisible killer, but an effective one.
- More than 9,000 people die prematurely in London each year due to air pollution, a recent study estimates.
- This map visualizes the worst places to breathe in Central London.
The Great Smog of 1952
London used to be famous for its 'pea-soupers': combinations of smoke and fog caused by burning coal for power and heating.
All that changed after the Great Smog of 1952, when weather conditions created a particularly dense and persistent layer of pollution. For a number of days, visibility was reduced to as little as one foot, making traffic impossible. The fog even crept indoors, leading to cancellations of theater and film showings. The episode wasn't just disruptive and disturbing, but also deadly. According to one estimate, it directly and indirectly killed up to 12,000 Londoners.
Invisible, but still deadly
London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Image: MONEY SHARMA/AFP/Getty Images
After the shock of the Great Smog, the UK cleaned up its act, legislating to replace open coal fires with less polluting alternatives. London Mayor Sadiq Khan is hoping for a repeat of the movement that eradicated London's smog epidemic, but now for its invisible variety.
The air in London is "filthy, toxic," says Khan. In fact, poor air quality in the British capital is a "public health crisis". The city's poor air quality is linked not just to thousands of premature deaths each year, but also to a range of illnesses including asthma, heart disease and dementia. Children growing up in areas with high levels of air pollution may develop stunted lungs with up to 10% less capacity than normal.
ULEZ phases 1 and 2, and LEZ
Image: Transport for London
Khan has led a very active campaign for better air quality since his election as London Mayor in 2016. Some of the measures recently decided:
- Transport for London has introduced 2,600 diesel-electric hybrid buses, which is said to reduce emissions by up to 40%.
- Mr Khan has pledged to spend £800 million on air quality over a five-year period.
- Uber fares will rise by 15p (20¢) to help drivers buy electric cars.
- Since the start of 2018, all new single-decker buses are zero-emission and all new taxis must be hybrid or electric.
- Mr Khan has added a T-charge on the most toxic vehicles entering the city. On 8 April, the T-charge will be replaced by an Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), contiguous with the Congestion Charge Zone.
- The ULEZ is designed to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter by charging vehicles who don't meet stringent exhaust emission standards.
- By October 2020, a Low-Emission Zone (LEZ), applicable to heavy commercial vehicles, will cover most of Greater London.
- By October 2021, the ULEZ will expand to cover a greater part of Central London.
Central London's worst places for breathing
Heathrow (bottom left on the overview map) is another pollution hotspot
Image: Steven Bernard / Financial Times
What worries experts is that despite considerable efforts already made, levels of air pollution stubbornly refuse to recede – and remain alarmingly high in locations where traffic flows converge.
It's not something you'd think of, given our atmosphere's fluctuating nature, but air pollution hotspots can be extremely local – as the above map demonstrates.
One important lesson for all Londoners: Don't inhale at Marble Arch! Levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are five times the EU norm – the highest in the city. Traffic permitting, quickly cross Cumberland Gate to Speakers' Corner and further into Hyde Park, where levels sink back to a 'permissible' 40 milligrams per cubic meter. Now you can inhale!
Almost as bad: Tower Hill (4.6 times the EU norm) and Marylebone Road (4 times; go to nearby Regent's Park for relief).
Also quite bad: the Strand (3.9), Piccadilly Circus (3.8), and Hyde Park Corner (also 3.8), Victoria (3.7) and Knightsbridge (3.5), the dirty trio just south of Hyde Park.
Elephant & Castle is the only pollution hotspot below the Thames and, perhaps because it's relatively isolated from other black spots, also the one with the lowest multiplication factor (2.8 times the maximum level).
On the larger map, the whole of Central London, including its relatively NO2-free parks, still shows up as more polluted than the outlying areas. Two exceptions flare up red: busy traffic arteries; and Heathrow Airport (in the bottom left corner).
Traffic congestion on London's Great Portland Street
Image: Mike Malone, CC BY SA 4.0
So why is Central London's air pollution problem so persistent? In part, this is because the need for individual transport in cars seems to be inelastic. For example, the Congestion Charge has slashed the number of vehicles entering Central London by 30%, but the number of (CC-exempt) private-hire vehicles entering that zone has quadrupled over the same period.
Cycling has really taken off in London. But despite all pro-cycling measures, a wide range of other transport options and car-dissuading measures, central London is still a very congested place. Average traffic speeds on weekdays has declined to 8 miles (13 km) per hour – fittingly medieval speeds, as the road network was largely designed in medieval times.
Narrow streets between high buildings, filled to capacity with slow-moving traffic are a textbook recipe for semi-permanent high levels air pollution.
The large share of diesel vehicles on London's streets only increases the problem. Diesel vehicles emit lower levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) than petrol cars, which is why their introduction was promoted by European governments.
However, diesels emit higher levels of the highly toxic nitrogen dioxide (NO2) than initial lab tests indicated. Which is why they're being phased out now.
As bad as Delhi, worse than New York
By some measures, London's air quality is almost as bad as New Delhi's.
Image: Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
By some measures, especially NO2, London's air pollution is nearly as bad as big Asian cities such as Beijing or New Delhi, and much worse than other developed cities such as New York and Madrid.
The UK is bound to meet pollution limits as set down in the National Air Quality objectives and by EU directives, for example for particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide.
- Particulate matter (PM2.5) consists of tiny particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter emitted by combustion engines. Exposure to PM2.5 raises the mortality risk of cardiovascular diseases. The target for PM2.5 by 2020 is 25 µg/m3. All of London currently scores higher, with most areas at double that level.
- Mainly emitted by diesel engines, NO2 irritates the respiratory system and aggravates asthma and other pre-existing conditions. NO2 also reacts with other gases to form acid rain. The limit for NO2 is 40 µg/m3, and NO2 levels must not exceed 200 µg/m3 more than 18 times a year. Last year, London hit that figure before January was over.
Google joins fight against air pollution
Elephant & Castle, London.
Image: laszlo-photo, CC BY SA 2.0
Studies predict London's air pollution will remain above legal limits until 2025. Sadiq Khan – himself an asthma sufferer – is working to make London's air cleaner by measures great and small. Earlier this week, he announced that two of Google's Street View cars will be carrying air quality sensors when mapping the streets of London
Over the course of a year, the two cars will take air quality readings every 30 metres in order to identify areas of London with dangerous levels of air pollution that might be missed by the network of fixed sensors. An additional 100 of those fixed sensors will be installed near sensitive locations and known pollution hotspots, doubling the network's density.
It's all part of Breathe London, a scheme to map the British capital's air pollution in real time. Breathe London will be the world's largest air quality monitoring network, said Mr Khan, launching the scheme at Charlotte Sharman Primary School in the London borough of Southwark.
Up to 30% of the school's pupils are said to be asthma sufferers. Charlotte Sharman is close to Elephant & Castle, as the above map shows, one of Central London's air pollution hotspots.
Strange Maps #956
Got a strange map? Let me know at firstname.lastname@example.com.
- London's already hit its air pollution limits. Here's how to breathe ... ›
- London Air Quality Network ›
- Air pollution in London passes levels in Beijing... and wood burners ... ›
- How's the Air in London? 'We Should Be Worried' - The New York ... ›
- Air pollution: why London struggles to breathe | Financial Times ›
- Silent Killer: In London, Air Pollution Has Become a Matter of Life ... ›
- London Air Quality Network - King's College London ›
Is it too late to halt climate change? No, no, and no.
The impact of giving up is exactly the same as the impact of denying climate change.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Live Results
|Sacramento Bee Preview (June 4)
|Boston Globe Preview (June 4)
Sacramento, Calif. – Two Harvard heavyweight boats advanced directly to the grand finals, while the varsity eight won its heat to move on to the semifinals in the first day of action at the 107th IRA National Championships on Lake Natoma Thursday.
Third-seeded Harvard joined No. 1 California, No. 2 Stanford and No. 4 Washington as winners of their heats in the varsity eight and move on to the semifinals tomorrow morning. Boston University, Brown, Cornell and Wisconsin also advanced directly to the semis with their second-place showings.
Brown jumped out early and gained a three-seat lead over the Crimson in third heat. The Bears increased its advantage to six seats by the 500 meter mark. Harvard held off Syracuse who was gaining on both crews. With the move, the Crimson cut into the Bears lead and pulled even halfway through the race. Harvard and Brown increased its pace to 37 strokes per minute and moved away from the Orangemen. The Crimson made a huge push with 200 meters to go, rowing as high as 43, and took a two-seat lead with 50 meters remaining and held that position thru the finish line. Harvard completed the 2,000 meter course in 5:54.20, Brown clocked in at 5:56.18, while Syracuse was third in 6:05.18. Only top-seed California had a faster time than the Crimson. The Golden Bears finished in 5:51.50.
The freshman eight recovered from a slow start to win its heat and advance directly to the Saturday's grand final. Navy took an early lead in the race with California and Harvard trailing. California pulled away and the Crimson followed as both crews put a length of distance between them and the field halfway through the race. The Crimson used several moves during the second 1,000 meters to cut into the Golden Bears lead. With 250 meters to go, the Crimson was a third of a length back but pressed, rowing at 39, to pull even with Cal and then took the lead with just under 50 meters left to row. Harvard held on for the win, clocking in at 6:01.8. The Golden Bears came in at 6:04.10, followed by Syracuse at 6:11.10. Only Washington had a faster time, completing the court in 5:58.10. The grand final will take place Saturday at 1 p.m. (EST).
The Crimson won the varsity four, holding off Yale at the finish line. Florida Institute of Technology and Yale battled it out over the first 1,000 meters before Harvard used a strong push throughout the middle of the course to gain on the leaders. The Crimson was less than a second behind the Yale with 500 meters to go and used a strong finish to move into the lead. Harvard clocked in at 6:54.50, followed by the Bulldogs in 6:56.53 and FIT in 7:01.71. The Crimson will compete in the grand final scheduled for Saturday at 12:24 p.m. (EST).
In the second varsity eight, where the winner advanced to Saturday's grand final, the Crimson finished second behind Washington in its morning heat. Washington led from start to finish, while the Crimson battled with Stanford early on for the second position. The Huskies continued to move away from the field, while the Crimson increased the gap between it and the Cardinal. By the 1,000 meter mark, the Crimson held a three-quarter length lead over Stanford, but was too far behind the Huskies to make up ground. Harvard finished in 6:04.32, while the Huskies crossed the line in 5:57.84. The Crimson will race in the repechage Friday morning with the winner moving on to the grand final.
Harvard's open four was fifth in its heat with a time of 7:05.02. Navy and Washington pulled away from the field early, while Princeton, Syracuse and Harvard had to play catch up. The Crimson battled with the Orangemen and Tigers for the third spot, but was held off at the finish line. Harvard will race in the repechage Friday morning with the winner moving on to the grand final.
Racing gets underway at 11 a.m. (EST) with the women's lightweight eight heats. Harvard will begin action with the repechages for the open fours.


text:
got a link this time: http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SPORT/12...ustralia.reut/
got a link this time: http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SPORT/12...ustralia.reut/
woops put this in the wrong categorie, would a moderator please move it to cricket chat?
This belongs in the Ashes category Stumped, because it's related to the Ashes.
Use the report post feature if you have an occurance like this again
Moderators - firstname.lastname@example.com (will go to all moderators)
Email/Hangouts - email@example.com
oh ok...i thought coz its not just the ashes its the way buchanan thinks kp conducts himself in all games not just the ashes
Who gives a toss what Buch thinks?
He's always been off with the fairies.
I think a few in his own team regard him as an irrelevance.
So I'm quite sure most of the opposition do.
What's with the article? It says that Pietersen "asked" to be moved up to 4 because he was sick of batting with tailenders, and then mentions that Fletcher said he hadn't wanted to bat there. I've not seen the first claim anywhere else, and it seems to contradict the second.
It's cold on the outside they say
But the cold leaves you clear while the heat leaves a haze
mmm....never noticed that, but where does kp usually field
Whether he's a "team player" or not, he's done more for the team than any other in this series, so who cares?
And it would have been better, for the team, if KP had not been stuck with the tail at Perth, and hence made bigger scores than he did. Same goes for Lord's last year.
Originally Posted by Axl Rose
RIP Craigos. A true CW legend. You will be missed.
I think the way he has slogged towards the end of the innings, when stuck with the tail, indicates that he's every bit the team player.
Hard to be down by more than 4-0 with 4 matches played so far mate. That's a thrashing if ever I've seen one.Originally Posted by PhoenixFire
The point is that KP, even though Dunc and the rest of the team wanted him to bat 4 for the whole series, refused and said he felt more comfortable at 5. Since when the hell does he make those decisions? Fred should tell him "You bat 4 or you're out of the team". They wanted their best player at 4 and KP had a whinge and refused. So he finally bats 4, 8 innings too late. He put his own wants over the wants of the team.
That my friends, is not a team player.
How the hell do you know what went on?
Has anyone actually confirmed that the Flintoff/Fletcher wanted Pietersen to definitely bat at four and he flat out refused?
All I've heard so far are rumours...
I read the article. Dunc said that they all wanted him at 4 since the start of the series however he declined and said he felt better at 5.
""We've been trying to get him to four but he just feels very, very comfortable at five," Fletcher said"
The captain and coach wanted him at 4. KP is not in a position of authority. He should move wherever the hell the captain and coach want him to.
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text: There is a long list of those in congress that benefited from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. At the time they saw nothing wrong with it. It's like trying to see past your everyday bills. If the money is coming in then you live in the day. If it suddenly stops and the bills keep coming then, we look back and forward to see what we can do and what we should have done. Now does this mess need cleaned up? Read Sarah Palin's answer to Sean Hannity about this. She was clear about what needs cleaned up. I don't see Barack Obama as maliscious but as an opportunist to do what ever he needs to do including rubbing elbows with the unsavory to reach his political goals. That can be scary. I do feel better with Colin Powell and Joe Biden on his side.


text:
If geriatric health care provider doesn't sound like your dream job, how about Spanish language interpreter, graphic designer or data mining?
These are among the so-called "Hot Careers for College Grads" according to the latest edition of an annual report by the University of California San Diego Extension.
The data was collected from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 750 community and business leaders and from the 26,000 students who take classes at the Extension.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
The goal is to reconcile a jobs "mismatch" that leaves 3 million positions unfilled nationwide every month, according to Henry DeVries, assistant dean of UC San Diego Extension
Two fields that are new to the list this year reflect the impact that news and the economy can have on job creation.
"Ever since the Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scandal, companies are scrutinizing their books even more," DeVries said. "We've seen a dramatic increase in the need for auditors and financial examiners."
Hospitals and insurance companies are also generating some new postions in cae management spurred by the realization that patients need help deciphering the codes and mounds of complicated instructions.
According to the study the job of case worker continues to evolve, with a greater emphasis on of home visits, crisis management and quality improvement responsibilities.
It's no surprise that several of the top growth areas are in the realm of new media.
What may be less predictable is that mobil phones continue to grow in importance -- according to the study, 80 percent of adults in the U.S. have cell phones, which are now multifunction "smart" devices that require ever-more sophistcated design, programming and technical support.
Getting the right education for the job market isn't easy -- by the time you get your degree the employment opportunties may have shifted, DeVries says.
But most of the top fields remain consistent year after year, and if you put the time and money into either retraining or getting the right education, your return will be worth it.


text:
75 Quick & Easy Secrets from the Test Kitchen
Cook better and faster with time-saving tips, tricks, and recipes from the Family Circle food editors.
Techniques and Basics
Three Techniques You Need to Know
You'll spend less time prepping once you've mastered these key how-tos.
1. Garlic Mincing
Cut thin vertical slices almost to stem end, slice parallel to surface, and cut across to mince. (Also use this trick on onions.)
2. Pepper Prepping
Hold pepper at stem end and slice down through about one-quarter of the pepper. Rotate and repeat slicing until only center is left.
3. Chocolate Melting
Place squares in a dry, microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 30 seconds to a minute; stir and heat another 30 seconds if needed.
Saute Basics
With this technique, you can turn chicken cutlets, pork chops, or thin steaks into supper in no time.
- Make sure the pan is hot (you have to pull your hand away after a few seconds). Add oil, butter, or spray.
- Pat cutlets dry. Coat in seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Add to pan in single layer; do not crowd.
- Do not move cutlets — let them cook until edges begin to turn golden-brown. Use tongs to flip.
Suggested Sauce Combos
After the cutlets are done, remove and keep warm. Stir in wine, scraping up browned bits from the pan, then...
- for chicken, add heavy cream, tarragon, and mustard, and cook over medium-high heat until thickened.
- for boneless pork chops, stir in peeled apple slices, rosemary, and raisins, and cook until tender.
- for thin steaks, simmer sliced mushrooms and onions until softened, stir in Worcestershire and beef broth.
Food Safety Savvy
- Remember the four basics:
- Clean. Wash hands and surfaces often.
- Separate. Don't cross-contaminate.
- Cook. Cook to proper temperatures.
- Chill. Refrigerate promptly.
- Be sure to use raw eggs within 3 to 5 weeks of purchase; consume hard-cooked eggs within 1 week.
- Vent one edge of plastic wrap when covering still-warm dishes to let steam escape.
Can't Live Without 'Em...
Here are the top 10 tools guaranteed to make your cooking life easier.
Fat separator measuring cup
Why: Removes fat quickly from soups and sauces.
Good set of tongs
Why: Doesn't pierce meat, so juices are sealed in.
Nonskid cutting board
Why: Stays in place for efficient dicing and slicing.
Small offset spatula
Why: Ensures a professional flair when frosting cakes.
Kitchen shears
Why: Streamlines basic tasks like snipping herbs, trimming fat from meats, even slicing pizza.
Silicone spatula
Why: Won't scratch nonstick pans.
Instant-read thermometer
Why: Indicates in a flash when your food's cooked to the right temperature.
An extra box of baking soda
Why: Puts out any small fire that flares up.
Large skillet or saute pan with lid
Why: Lets the cook make enough for a crowd — the 12-inch size is the most versatile.
Serrated knife
Why: Slices bread, cake layers, and tomatoes as thin as you want them.
Annoying Tasks Made Easy
Pit olives: Roll olives between a cloth under the palm of your hand; this will loosen the pit, and you will be able to pop it right out.
Prep gingerroot: Scrape thin skin off with the side of a spoon before grating, slicing, or chopping.
Peel roasted beets: Pull on clean rubber kitchen gloves; as you peel, beet skins will stick to gloves, leaving hands stain free.
Pry out pits: Use the tip of a vegetable peeler to remove cherry pits
Clean sandy greens: Fill a large bowl or the sink with water, then swish greens around with your hands. The grit should sink to the bottom; lift greens out of bowl.
Peel hard-cooked eggs: Add a little oil to the water when cooking so shells slip off.
Grill onions: Cut into 1/2-inch slices; stick several toothpicks through to keep them intact.
Peel tomatoes: Make an X in the bottom, place in boiling water for 1 minute, then remove to ice water; skins will slip off.
Prep grill: Before heating, coat rack with spray to keep food from sticking.
Soften butter: Instead of waiting for butter to soften at room temperature, microwave on a plate for 15 to 30 seconds.
Clean leeks: Cut off root end, slice in half lengthwise. Place under cool running water to rinse out any sand.
10 In-a-Pinch Solutions
- Get odors out of a cutting board by liberally sprinkling it with salt, then scrubbing it with half a lemon.
- Out of sour cream for baking? Substitute plain yogurt. (Plain, not vanilla!)
- Instead of using ice cubes to chill sangria or punch, freeze grapes; they won't dilute the drink as they melt.
- For recipes that call for ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, try pumpkin pie spice, a blend of all three.
- Decorate baked goods easily: Just fill a plastic bag with melted chocolate, then snip a corner off.
- Rather than turning to more salt, add flavor — not sodium — with hot sauce or lemon juice.
- If you run out of unsweetened chocolate, blend 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon shortening to equal 1 ounce.
- Grease baking pans with the wrapper from butter.
- No buttermilk? Add 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup; add enough milk to equal 1 cup.
- To keep a pastry crust flat when prebaking, put uncooked rice or dry beans inside the foil lining if you don't have pie weights handy.
Keep on Hand
We like to fill our pantry with products that deliver a lot of flavor without the fuss. Once you've stocked up, try these great recipe ideas:
Tube of tomato paste. Make a family-pleasing soup:
Jar of chopped garlic. Try garlicky shrimp over pasta:
Tube of herbs (basil, chili paste, etc.) Broil chicken, peppers, and basil:
Jar of salsa. Bake spicy chicken with rice:
Can of chopped green chilies. Offer a light version of roast pork:
Package of dried mushrooms. Add mushrooms to a zesty pasta:
Package of baked pizza crust. Serve a spicy pizza in 15 minutes:
It Works for Us
We've come to rely on a few simple tricks that we do almost automatically; they save us time and effort, and they'll help you too.
- If you accidentally burn tomato sauce or other sauces, do not stir; simply transfer to a second pot, leaving burned portion in original pan.
- To keep lettuce fresher longer, wrap a paper towel around the root end to absorb water, and store in a resealable plastic bag.
- If you end up with extra tomato paste, measure it into individual tablespoons and freeze in plastic wrap. To use, just stir into sauce — no need to thaw.
- To more accurately gauge amounts, clear a space in your over-the-counter cabinet for a glass measuring cup. When prepping ingredients, carefully pour in your milk, oil, or water, and it will already be at eye level. When syrup or honey is called for, lightly coat inside of cup with nonstick spray so liquid will pour easily.
- Here's a simple way to cook once and eat twice. When grilling or sauteing boneless, skinless chicken breasts, make extra, then marinate in Caesar dressing in a resealable bag. For an easy salad the next night, warm them slightly in the microwave, then serve over greens sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
- Puree end-of-season fresh herbs with a little olive oil and then freeze in ice-cube trays. For instant flavor, pop into sauces as needed.
- Buy boneless meat, poultry and pork in bulk, wrap individually, then freeze. That way you'll be ready to cook for a crowd or just one.
- Add assorted vegetables to boiling pasta during last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Freeze cut cake layers (well wrapped) for up to 1 hour before frosting to keep crumbs to a minimum.
- To help meatballs, seafood cakes, patties, cookies, or any other soft mixture retain a uniform shape, refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes before baking or frying. To cut meat into thin slices, put in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes before slicing.
- Keep a permanent marker in your butter compartment to date opened bottles of salsa and sauce. If the fridge temp is 40 degrees F., you can store opened salsa for about 1 month, commercial salad dressings for 3 months, and ketchup for up to 6 months.
Quick & Easy Recipes
Check out these quick and easy recipe ideas from the editors.
Grilled Pork & Onion
I always have mustard and apricot preserves on hand so it's easy to mix up a glaze that doubles as a sauce. Plus, you can stir it into couscous — the speediest side dish ever — for a fruity flavor hit.
— Peggy Katalinich, food director
Bacon & Goat Cheese Omelet with Salad
There are nights when all I want for supper is a simple egg — sometimes I'll fry it and serve it on a crisp salad, other times I want it scrambled. This omelet is a little more ambitious, but it still takes less than 20 minutes start to finish.
— Cindy Heller, assistant food editor
Penne Pesto with Veggies
Every time I make this dish, it's slightly different, depending on what vegetables I have in the crisper. The only constants are the pasta and pesto.
— Julie Miltenberger, senior food editor
Chicken & Veggie Stir-Fry
I pick up chicken breasts and a bag of cut-up veggies on the way home. It only takes me about 20 minutes to put a healthy dinner on the table.
— Katie Kemple, food assistant
Red Snapper with Rice & Beans
I use canned beans instead of dried, which really makes this classic Jamaican dish cook up fast. Often I will steam a whole fish, but fillets are even speedier!
— Althea Needham, test kitchen associate
Meatballs & Gravy
The beauty of this recipe is that I can keep all the ingredients in either my freezer or pantry. As soon as I get home from work, I give the ground beef a quick thaw in the microwave and I'm all set.
— Michael Tyrrell, associate food editor
Copyright © 2007. Used with permission from the September 2007 issue of Family Circle magazine.