Dorothy Kraus Memoir - Mother Teaches Me

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Dorothy Kraus Memoir

Mother Teaches Me
Mother said, “Look here, Dwoirele, since there is no other school where you can learn, I suggest that we try something else together. I am not a teacher but you can learn what I know. So, to start with, why don't you read from the books I have, especially some of the stories by Sholom Aleichem. You read them out loud and I will correct you when you make a mistake.” I started out by reading the simpler stories by Sholom Aleichem and little by little I began to understand why mother felt so excited about those marvelous tales.

Since our educational sessions were doing well, she suggested next that I learn some of the Polish language she knew. “I can't teach you how to write in Polish,” she said, “since I don't know it myself, but you can learn to speak it.” However, I didn't do so well with my Polish lessons. Actually, mother didn't like the Polish language and she said so. Her opinion was that the Polish tongue was too artificial. It had too many French words in it! These words were brought in by the rich gentry who had visited France and preferred its language to their own!

The Russian tongue was more to her liking, she explained. “In Russian you pronounce every letter, the sound is strong and direct.” And she began to sing the Russian songs she knew. A favorite of hers was Volga, Volga, Matie Rodayia. I would follow her lips and imitate the words. And soon I began to like the Russian sounds the way she did and would show off before my girl friends.

Editor's Notes: Volga, Volga, Matie Rodayia: a folk song, Волга, Волга, мать родная (Volga, Volga, mat' rodnaja), about the Cossack leader Stepan Razin, who led a major uprising against the nobility and the Czar. This article about Razin includes the lyrics in Russian and English, as well as a playable recording of the song.

This material is from Original Page 28 and Original Page 29.

Page Last Updated: 29-Aug-2012