Page 12 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - January 19
P. 12
THE ROAD TO ZALESCKY
COLIN PRIMOST
I what it was like in her part of the world, the
never had the slightest inclination to look
into my mother's roots in Poland. I had no
weather, the trees, the food, everything that she
idea at all of where and how she had lived
there. might have experienced back then.
A year later, we were in Chernivitsi, the nearby
All she had told me was that at the age of 16, she city where my grandmother was born, and lived
left Poland to study medicine in London. till she moved over to Zalescky, to marry my
grandfather.
About a year ago I came across a beautifully
written book about the life of a young Jewish Chernivitsi, in South West Ukraine, is old and
girl born in 1920 in Krakow- Poland. The author somewhat impoverished and once had a thriving
described how she would wander through the Jewish community. Everywhere we went we saw
parks and woodlands that encircled the city, and relics from their past. Stars of David engraved in
then enter the beautiful city square for a coffee numerous buildings; signs of the long gone
and pastry, or stroll along the banks of the Mezuzot; and the main Synagogue still standing
Vistula River. I was so entranced by these tall, and now serves as the city's main Cinema -
descriptions that I told my daughter Tamar, that I known by the locals as the 'cinemagogue'. We
fancy visiting Krakow. visited the old Jewish cemetery with its 50,000
graves.
She liked the idea, but suggested that if already
in Poland - then surely I should visit my mother's We were a group of 7. Vassil our guide, Jeanette
old home? - And she would very much like to and myself and all four of our children; Tamar
come along. and Alon from Israel, Yariv from Brittany
France, and then the real hero, Eran, all the way
I protested strongly that I didn’t have the from Sydney Australia.
slightest idea where my mother had lived. But
my daughter can be tough at times, so eventually The highlight of the day came when we sat
we agreed that if I can track down my mother's opposite the former house of my grandmother
village, Tamar would worry about all the travel (whose address Vassil had found in an old
arrangements and accommodation. register). It stood in a small open square along
with a well and water pump, both still in use.
When I listed 'Zalescky' in Google, up came Directly opposite was the building of the local
Zalishchyky, West Ukraine- formerly in Poland. Mikve, (although no longer in use).
Could this be the right village?
My children surprised me by suddenly
Next I turned to 'JewishGen' and started looking producing and lighting a memorial candle, and
out for any mention of the 'Moshe Bader' family.
we said a few words in memory of my
Eventually a Johanne Bader pops up born 1848 grandmother, who was also their 'great
in Zalishchky! Bingo, it is the village of my grandmother'.
Mother's family! Suddenly I want to go and see
12
