Fannie talks about herself

Chon. Fannie's birthplace

[Q = Len]

Q. Were there any other interesting people in the Jewish community [in Chon] in those days?

Chon [map] is the Yiddish name for Teofipol, a town in northwestern Ukraine northwest of Khmelnytsky. The names that the Jews used for towns were sometimes different from the official ones.

A. Well, except the rabbi. Evidently my father was very much interested...Rabbi Grodinsky, you heard about him. He had sons, doctors and... My father wrote to my mother [sic] that she should buy two talesim, one for him, a new one. You know, those big talesim, and one for the Rabbi.

Rabbi Grodinsky migrated to Omaha. He officiated when my parents were married. One of his sons, Manuel, was an important surgeon in Omaha.

A taless (mod. Hebrew talit) is the prayer shawl worn by Jews. Large ones are more formal, and are generally worn by older and more important men.

Q. Yes.

A. So this one he gave to the rabbi and one he kept for himself. Cause a tallis like that should last a long time. They get soiled, they wash it. It was a very good one.

Selections

Nathan Meiches, Fannie's father

Chon. Fannie's birthplace