February 5th, the fifteenth of the Hebrew month of Sh’vat is the yahrzeit of Alisa's mother, Bella. Like others of her generation, Bella endured hardship after hardship in her life in Russia until Alisa ensured that she and Naum emigrated to Stockholm. In her final months Bella was trapped within her body, unable to speak her thoughts. It was her lovely eyes that spoke and her graceful hands that declared her emotions as she touched Alisa or photos of her family. Leslie and I were moved when we met her and saw her eyes light up as we talked about Alisa. We’ve reprinted the eulogy given at her funeral by a rabbi who did not know her well but gathered the story of her life from her family. The English translation is followed by the original Swedish.
The English Translation of the Eulogy
Bella Chrapkovskaja was born in 1928 in Leningrad, the only daughter of Matos and Rosa. Both parents came from the Jewish settlement of Gorodok outside Vitebsk.[Belarus] Rosa had gone to Jewish high school but devoted her life to the family while Bella was growing up. In Leningrad, Matos worked as a fur tanner. When the war came, the Nazi army surrounded Leningrad and people died of starvation. Thanks to his work, he could bring home fat left over from the tanning process. The fat was distributed among Jewish friends and relatives and many lives were saved in this way.
In 1942 the women were evacuated east to Stalingrad and then on to Saratov. But Matos stayed in Leningrad because he was the production manager at a war factory. In Stalingrad Bella and her mother worked digging trenches. Bella was then 15 years old. When the war was over, the women returned to Leningrad. While Bella trained as a dental technician, she met her future husband Naum Belenki who was studying dentistry. He returned from the war as a war hero. In 1950 the couple married after Naum completed his training. A certified dentist, Naum was mobilized by the Red Army and together with Bella, moved to an island off the coast of Kaliningrad. They lived in very poor conditions at a military base. Their son, Gera, was born in 1952 and in 1957 their daughter, Alisa, was born.
Thanks to demobilization in 1960, the family could finally move back to Leningrad. Here, life became more normal. Bella worked as a dental technician and Naum as a dentist. They both worked until 1983 and eventually moved to Stockholm in 1995 to live near their children and grandchild Michael Belenki. Her husband died in 2006. Following his death, Bella lived alone in their apartment.
She was an outstanding grandmother - her eldest grandson Michael grew up very close to her. Even Daniella, her second grandchild enjoyed her love. It was "babolia " (grandmother) and "dedolia" ( grandfather) who picked up Danni every day from Hillel Academy. Bella was very happy to be able to spend as much time as possible with their grandchildren. Bella loved to cook Jewish dishes. Her chopped liver and gefilte -fish "a la Bella" gathered family and friends during many festivals, both in Leningrad and later in Stockholm. She was the perfect hostess. She created an open, warm, beautiful and loving Jewish home. Communism tried to erase all religious practice, but did not remove traditions! Bella rejoiced greatly in her free Jewish life in Sweden. Her grandchildren went to Hillel Academy and celebrated their bar and bat mitzvah. It was very important for her that Jewish identity survived through Michael and Daniella . Bella will be remembered for her warmth towards friends, love and devotion towards her family. She will be remembered by her son, Gera, and her daughter, Alisa, together with their families. May her memory be for a blessing.
The Original Eulogy in Swedish
Bella Chrapkovskaja föddes 1928 i Leningrad som enda dotter till Matos och Rosa. Både föräldrar kom från et judiskt bosättningsområde Gorodok utanför Vitebsk. Rosa hade gått i judiskt gymnasium men ägnade sitt liv åt familjen medan Bella växte upp. I Leningrad arbetade Matos med pälsar som garvare. När kriget kom och Leningard var omringat av tyskar och människor dog av svält, var det tack vare hans arbete som han kunde ta med sig fett hem som blev över vid garvningen. Det fettet delades ut bland judiska vänner och släktingar och många liv räddades på detta vis. 1942 evakueras kvinnorna till Stalingrad och sedan vidare till Saratov, men Matos stannade kvar Leningrad för att han var produktions ansvarig på en krigsfabrik. I Stalingrad fick Bella och hennes mor arbeta med att gräva skyttegravar. Bella var då 15 år gammal.
När kriget var [out] * återvände kvinnorna till Leningrad. Bella utbildade sig till tandtekniker och mötte sin blivande maken Naum Belenki som studerade till tandläkare. Han hade kommit tillbaka från kriget som krigshjälte och 1950 gifter sig paret efter avslutade utbildningar. Som färdig tandläkare blir Naum tvångsmobiliserad och tillsammans med Bella flyttar familjen till en halv ö utanför Kaliningrad. De levde under mycket knappa förhållanden på en militär bas. Sonen Gera föds 1952 och 1957 föds dottern Alisa.
Tack vare demobiliseringen1960 kan familjen äntligen flytta tillbaka till Leningrad. Här blir livet mer normalt. Bella arbetar som tandtekniker och Naum som tandläkare. De båda arbetar fram till 1983 och flyttar så småningom till Stockholm 1995, för att bo nära sina barn och då barnbarnet Mikael Belenki.
Maken gick bort 2006 och Bella bodde kvar själv i bostaden. Hon var en enastående mormor och farmor - hennes äldsta barnbarn Mikael växte upp väldigt nära henne. Även Daniella, det andra barnbarnet fick det glädje. Det var ”babolia”(mormor) och och ”dedolia”(morfar) som hämtade Danni varje dag från Hillel. Bella var mycket glad över att kunna umgås så mycket med sina barnbarn.
Bella älskade att laga judiska maträtter. Hennes Gehäkte-lever och Gäfelte-fish ”A Lá Bella” samlade familjen och vänner under många högtider, både i Leningrad och senare i Stockholm. Hon var den perfekta värdinnan. Hon skapade ett öppet, varmt, vackert och kärleksfullt judiskt hem. Kommunismen försökte att radera allt religiöst men lyckades inte att ta bort traditioner!
En annan sak som Bella gladdes mycket åt var ett fri judiskt liv i Sverige och att barnbarnen gick i Hillel skolan och tog bar- och bat mitzvah. Det var mycket viktigt för henne att den judiska identiteten levde vidare hos Mickael och Daniella.
Bella kommer att minnas för sin värme gentemot vänner, kärlek och hängivenhet gentemot sin familj. Hon kommer att minnas av sonen Gera och dottern Alisa med familjer.
Må hennes minne vara välsignat. Yehe…
*The Swedish word for "out" was not permitted by the blog site because it reads like a prohibited English word. What do you think of the censorship by the blog overseers?