Rachel Calofs Story: Jewish Homesteader on the Northern Plains is an extraordinary story. It was written originally in Yiddish by an immigrant from Russia who settled in North Dakota. She had such a miserable life and yet, she remained positive and continuously sought to improve her circumstances. She was an extremely hardworking woman and a loyal wife. She did not have formal Jewish schooling but always lit candles Friday night and observed other Jewish rituals and holidays.
Perhaps, when young people today are feeling sorry for themselves, they would do well to read this book and see how someone dealt a tough life of loss, abuse and hardships persisted. Without therapy and anti-depressants.
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A woman that I knew (she passed away) was wealthy but was engaged to a very poor boy. He was sent to America and it was several years before she could join him in America. The plan was that she would come and then the families would come and make a wedding but the families were wiped out by the Nazis yemach shmo. She married her chosson, who was a shochet, in a simple ceremony and then that night, she cleaned and kashered the chickens that he slaughtered so that she could sell them the next day. There was no lovely first night in a hotel or catered sheva brachas that week. She had been born in wealth, lost everything, but was given a husband and 3 children to be thankful for.
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