Shochet (Vol. 2)

Michael Rotenfeld is a historical researcher who has long been fascinated by Jewish memory in its myriad forms, especially the genre of Jewish autobiography. He is the director of Touro University Library’s Project Zikaron, a permanent collection of previously uncollated and undigitized historical material from Jewish communities across the world. He also coordinated the digitization of David Tidhar’s ninеtееn-volume Encyclopedia of the Founders and Builders of Israel (www.tidhar.tourolib.org), which has received over three million page views.

• Volume TwoPart III: My Forty Years as a Shoykhet, and Moving to Palestine, 1873–1929Chapter 22: As the Shoykhet of Slobodze, 1873–1875Chapter 23: The Nobleman’s Attack and Moving to the Crimea, 1876–1880Chapter 24: Corruption in Bakhchisaray and Ungrateful Relatives, 1880–1889Chapter 25: The Threat of Banishment from Tsarist Russia, 1881–1884Chapter 26: Persecution in Bakhchisaray, 1884–1889Chapter 27: Raising My Children and My Wife’s Death, 1884–1897Chapter 28: Remarrying and My Children’s Departure from Russia, 1896–1910Chapter 29: Preparing to Leave for Palestine, 1910–1914Part III—Addendum: My Life in Palestine, 1913–1928Chapter 30: The World War and the Death of My Second Wife, 1913–1916Chapter 31: Marrying Off My Niece and Writing a Torah Scroll, 1916–1917Chapter 32: Exile to Kfar-Saba, 1917–1918Chapter 33: Suffering in Exile and Returning to Petakh-Tikva, 1918Chapter 34: Completing the Torah Scroll, the Arab Attack, and My Children Join Me in Palestine, 1919–1929Appendices:Appendix A: The Author and His RelativesA1. The Author’s Final Years in Petakh-TikvaHis Houses, His Properties, and the Local SynagoguesMemories From Those Who Knew HimHis DemiseHis Chabad LegacyA2. The Author’s ChildrenHis son Isruel (aka Israel Goldenshtein in France, 1873–1946)His Daughter Nekhame Brakhtman (Noami "Nadya" Brockman, 1877–1955)His Son Itskhok–Yosef "Yosl" (Joseph Edward "Joe" Goldeen, 1880–1954)His Son Yankev :Yankl: (aka Jacon "James" Goldeen, 1882–1948)His Son Shloyme Goldenshteyn (Shlomo, 1889–1962)A3. His Nephew Itsl (Isaac Goldenshtein, 1862–1907)A4. His Second Wife Feyge (ca. 1854–1916)A5. Bashe's Tsores — The Story of the Author's Third WifeA6. Salomon (Shlomo) Bernstein, Relative and Portraitist of the AuthorA7. The Printing of the AutobiographyAppendix B: Translations of Documents Written by the AuthorB1. Hebrew Engagement Contract for His Daughter Nekhame (1897)B2. Hebrew Ethical Will (1920)B3. Family LettersJanuary 23, 1914 Postcard from the Author's Son IsruelJune 1926 Letter from the AuthorJuly 3, 1926 Letter from the AuthorOctober 10, 1926 Letter from the AuthorJanuary 27, 1927 Yiddish Letter from the AuthorMarch 14, 1929 Letter from the AuthorApril 1929 Letter from the AuthorNovember 21, 1929 Yiddish Letter from the AuthorJuly 15, 1930 Letter from the AuthorOctober 30, 1930 Letter from the AuthorAugust 28, 1939 Letter from the Author's Son Isruel in FranceAppendix C: Translations of Additional DocumentsC1. Hebrew Letter from Rabbi Medini (Sdei Khemed) Regarding the Author (1879)C2. Episodes Related by the Author about Rabbi Medini (Sdei Khemed)C3. Two Certificates in Sh’khita Obtained by the Author’s Son Refúel (1904 and 1906)Appendix D: Genealogical ChartsD1. The Author’s Ancestors and SiblingsD2. The Extended Family of Ershl Teplitsky, the Author’s Brother-in-LawD3. The Author’s Children and GrandchildrenD4. The Extended Hershkovitsh Family, the Family of the Author’s Wife Freyde BibliographyIntroduction to the Glossaries and the Romanization/Transliteration SchemesGlossary 1: Words and PhrasesGlossary 2: Jewish Personal NamesGlossary 3: Geographic Places in Eastern EuropeIndex

“A fitting conclusion to a well-researched and meticulously edited memoir translation.” — Kirkus Reviews