Long Island Group Stitches Holocaust Project

Little Miracles: A Chanukah Story

from an interview with Abraham Bichler

by Helene Kusnitz

Abraham Bichler was born in Krylov,Poland. As a young child,he and his family were sent to a labor camp in Siberia at the beginning of World War II. No one was allowed to celebrate holidays and everyone worked every day. The only observance Bichler remembers was on Chanukah.

His grandfather would take a potato, cut it in half, make a hole in it and put a bit of cotton and a little oil in it to make a menorah. Every night he would add another piece of potato.

Food was scarce and the diet consisted mainly of potatoes. A song to make light of the situation was sung in Yiddish. Translated into English, the song says: "Sunday, potatoes; Monday, potatoes; Tuesday, potatoes, etc. until Shabbos, something different, potato kugel!"

Abraham Bichler wrote a book about his life called Little Miracles. It describes his experiences during the Holocaust, his post-war travels and eventual emigration to America. He currently resides in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7

Posted on December 23, 2005.