This post takes us to the last two of the four holidays: Sukkot (Sukkos) and Simchat Torah (Simhas Torah). It also concludes my story with the celebration of Simhas Torah in Moscow Synagogue.
*20. Leader of All Peoples – one of the multitude of epithets Stalin constructed to refer to himself.
*21. The Big Brother of All Workers – see *20.
*22. Expert of All Languages – see #20.
*23. Machno – Ukrainian anarchist and popular peasant leader of “the Greens,” known for anti-Semitic atrocities.
*24. It was 1935, and 1937 was on its way – the most active years
of Stalin’s purges.
*25. Sher – traditional Jewish dance, from Hebrew shir (song).
During this holiday we are commanded to rejoice, and we do, as you have seen in this funky video. With the first of my Sukkos recipes, I wish you, Beautiful People, a joyful holiday and a happy year! Hag Sukkot Sameach!
https://koolkosherkitchen.wordpress.com/2016/10/16/count-your-blessings-quinoa-pomegranate-salad/
Enjoy!
koolkosherkitchen 
Beautiful story. חג שמח! 🙂
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Thank you, dear Ronit, and the same to you!
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Such incredible fortitude underlies all this
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Thank you so much for your insightful comment, Derrick
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Wonderful Dish…Healthy and yummy!
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Thank you so much, Gary!
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looks tempting
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Thank you, dear Surabhi!
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Thank you so much for sharing your family stories, and your recipes. The stories touch my heart.
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Thank you for your kind words, dear Mimi!
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Yummy looks good!
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Thank you, darling!
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You’re welcome 😊
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Just love that video – so fun! The story gave me a further peek into what lives of Jews in the Soviet State must have been like. Good wishes to you, Dolly.
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Thank you so much, dear Kerry, for your understanding and support!
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❤️ I helped an Orthodox Canadian Jewish family last Sunday at the airport. The father seemed overwhelmed at my kindness but I was perplexed that he thought he would receive anything else.
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Unfortunately, we have experienced much less kindness and much more “anything else” throughout many centuries, dear Kerry! I do appreciate your kindness and willingness to help, dear friend!
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I really do understand. Houston is fortunate to have thriving populations of various religions and, for the most part, we respect each other. To be honest, I still have a visceral reaction to a Protestant from Northern Ireland – wartime and terrorism affects us for our lifetimes.
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I can see that you understand, and I truly appreciate your understanding! We’ve met some Jews from Houston who told us about the friendly and respectful multi-religious environment. Lucky!
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Shalom my dear friend, may we all be a little kinder to each other.
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.Amen! Many blessings to you and yours!
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I so love your stories, dear Dolly…
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Thank you so much, dear friend, as I love yours!
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There is nothing like history told from within. Thank you, Dolly!
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Thank you so much for your kind comment, dear Joelle!
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Reblogged this on All About Writing and more.
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Thank you so much for reblogging, dear Henrietta!
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You are welcome
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Shakin’ the Lulav. ha! Is there really a ceremony in which it is shaken? (Complete ignorance.) I’m just astounded by the cruelties of the changes in government . Hard to determine who the villains are at a given time. The status quo is often the villain and those villified the martyrs and heroes. Just heartbreaking.
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Yes, the Four Species, among which Lulav (the palm branch) is the tallest, are actually shaken in six directions, i.e. right, left, back, forth, up, and down, every day of Sukkos, with an appropriate blessing, extending the blessing to all peoples of the world.
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Well, I enjoyed the fun everyone was having with this version of the ritual!!
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Thank you so much, Judy; I am glad you did!
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What a gorgeous dish, yummy. I do like it.
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Thank you so much, dear Rozina!
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Reblogged this on koolkosherkitchen.
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Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
HEY—WE’VE MISSED PARTS 1-7 !!!!
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Thank you so much for reblogging, Jonathan. All parts are posted, and each one has links to the rest of them.
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I see that—THANK YOU!
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Thank YOU!
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Really love the story! Thank you for sharing, Dolly! Best wishes, Michael
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Thank you for your kind comment, Michael. Best wishes to you and yours for a happy, healthy, and sweet year.
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Thank you for your kind word,s Dolly! Have with yours a blessed and successful new year too. Michael
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Thank you, dear friend.
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:-))
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Dolly, my extended family living in the USSR in those times was mostly secular, although the generation of my grandparents’ parents (two generations before you, I think) were religious. It’s interesting that your life in the USSR was so infused with tradition. You, to me, were lucky.
-David
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As I have said in the beginning, David, I am a rarity. And yes, I consider myself very fortunate. Your grandparents, like my parents, were “Stalin’s generation,” deliberately deprived of Judaism by the government. They did speak Yiddish because that was the home language (and my first language, incidentally), but their exposure to Judaism was minimal, for their own protection. My grandfather, on the other hand, knew Haggadah by heart and conducted a real Seder. I had a Bat Mitzvah and received my first Siddur as a gift from my great-grandfather ZT”L. I learned Chumash from the Tzena Rena (the Yiddish translation). My brother received his Tefillin when he turned Bar MItzvah. At the border in Tchop, when they were leaving, the stupid border guard cut his Tefillin straps into little pieces yet fortunately did not open the actual boxes.
I better stop, otherwise I can go on and on…
Again, I truly appreciate your interest,
D
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