Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

Eva Ackermann - December 6, 1982

Rationing

Was there rationing already at this point?

Uh, no rationing uh, I don't remember so much rationing. It was--if it was--I really don't remember that uh, oh, I know, of course. Um, they didn't allow uh, the shochet to uh, the shochet is for the benefit of the people--uh, can you help me out what a shochet is?

The ritual slaughterer.

Yeah, e...e...exactly, who has to be present in order to uh, have the meat koshered. Uh, the fact that there was no uh, act...actually, I don't remember at what point, but I was sort of happy because I figured if all we can--I used to smell always. The good smells used to come out of the meat market where it was you know, over there sometimes they were uh, roasting uh, sausages and I wasn't allowed to eat that so I was sort of glad that now we are going to uh, enjoy that type of food. And my mom, she should rest in peace, said uh, I said, "what will we do?" She said, "well we just won't eat any meat." I mean it never entered her mind that uh, that uh, we will eat meat that was not uh, kosher so...

Were there nuisance laws too? Do you remember the nuisance laws? Was that part of the of, uh...

Well, there wasn't enough nuisance to uh, uh, I, I really, I have, I would have to uh, if I would have done my homework, I really can't remember back uh, I oh uh, I can't remember if we had to sit at a certain place uh, I suppose. I just, I just uh, would hate to come up with something that's not accurate. But uh, it's in the back of my mind, uh...


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