The Shochet

An Impressively Researched and Surprisingly Accessible Portrait of Jewish Life in the Mid-19Th Century. - Kirkus Reviews Set in Ukraine and Crimea, This Unique Autobiography Offers a Fascinating, Detailed Picture of Life in Late Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century Tsarist Russia. Goldenshteyn (1848-1930), a Traditional Jew Who Was Orphaned As a Young Boy and Became a Shochet (Kosher Slaughter) As a Young Man, is a Master Storyteller. Folksy, Funny, Streetwise, and Self-Confident, He is a Keen Observer of Nineteenth-Century Eastern Europe, Both Jewish and Non-Jewish. His Accounts Are Vivid and Readable, Sometimes Stunning in Their Intensity. the Memoir is Brimming With Information. Goldenshteyn's Adventures Shed Light on Communal Life, Persecution, Family Relationships, Religious Practices and Beliefs, Social Classes, Local Politics, Interactions Between Jews and Other Religious Communities (Including Muslims, Who Formed the Majority of Crimea's Populace), Epidemics, Poverty, Compet