Meineh Shayneh Gehdanke Fun Pesach (My good memories of Pesach)

March 2013HenyaChaiet-100

 

 

Ich gehdenk ahz glych nach Purim flegen mir aun hayben ramen tzu machen dee hoyz Pesachdik. Mir hauben nisht gehhat kein dindzt flegen mir alleh helfen dermahme.

(I remember as soon as Purim was over we started cleaning to ready the house for Passover. We did not have maids so all of us helped mother.)

Erev Yom Tov, zaire free fleckt mein mutter un ich aus pahcken dee teller, teplach un alleh farshaydeneh zachen far dos kauch tzimmer. Ich haub daus zayergehglichen taun der far vaus dee mahmeh fleckt der tzeylen ah myseh mit yeder zach vaus iz gevein un daus barrel.

(Very early the morning of the first seder night my mother and I would unpack the large wooden barrel that held all the Passover dishes, pots and other things used in the Passover kitchen. I loved doing this as my mother had a story about every item we unpacked. The barrels were very large and it took several hours to unpack. I still remember many things that we unpacked.)

Daus klayneh kestehleh vaus haut gehalten dee Swee-Touch-Nee tay. Ich haub nauch meineh. Ahz meh haut gehkayft ah funt tay flegen zey geben ah mahtahnehayn yor hauben zehgehben ah grayseh teller un zex klayneh tellerlach far frucht. Ich haub daus nauch heint. Mein yerusheh fun der mahmeh.

(One was the little red and gold metal box that held the Swee-Touch-Nee tea. Every little girl I knew kept her special things in them. I still have mine. Ask your mother or bubbe[grandmother] if she remembers them. If you bought one pound of tea, you were given a gift. One year mother got a lovely bowl and six small bowls for fruit. We used these for compote every year. Before mother died she gave them to me.)

Dee shayneh gedanken zeinen mein yerusheh fun meineh elteren. Seh iz nisht tauh in der velt gehnoog gelt tzu kayfen meineh shayneh gedanken fun meinehyungeh yoren.

(These lovely memories are my inheritance from my parents. There is not enough money in the world for me to buy my lovely memories of my childhood.)

Haut ah Freylachen Pesach mit ayer mishpaucheh, un frient. Nempt ah bissel zeit tzu machen shayneh gedanken. Daus iz zayer ah gooteh un ah naytahcheh zach.

(Have a very Happy Passover with family and friends. Take a little time to make good memories. This is a very good and important thing to do.

Henya Chaiet is the Yiddish name for Mrs. A. Helen Feinn. Born in 1924 ten days before Passover, her parents had come to America one year prior. They spoke only Yiddish at home so that is all she spoke until age five when she started kindergarten. She then learned English, but has always loved Yiddish and speaks it whenever possible. Chaiet lived in La Porte and Michigan City, Ind., from 1952 to 1978 and currently resides in Walnut Creek, Calif. Email: afeinn87@gmail.com

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