Sofia Geller was born in 1929 in Bratlsav. Her father worked as a coachman before the war. During the war, she evacuated to Central Asia, where she worked in a collective farm. When she returned to Bratslav after the war, she worked in the city council. She is married to Dovid Geller. She and Dovid have two daughters who live in Moscow.
Other Interviews:
Hebrew - the Language of PrayerWith Horse and Wagon to Donbas
Bratslav Matchmaking
"we need to have a wedding!"
Krishmeleyenen
Bratslav, Ukraine
In this clip, Sofia Geller shares what she remembers of the ways a bris was celebrated in prewar Ukraine. In particular, she talks of the krishmeleyenen the custom of boys coming to the parents' house in the days leading up to the bris to recite this prayer as a means of keeping the baby safe. Over time, however, the term came to symbolize any number of customs associated with the bris.