MOM, THE BLESSING

Beti (Bracha) Cojocaru 

My dearest Mother

Mom had two first names: Bracha (Bruha ) and Beti. Bracha means 'blessing' in Hebrew, and indeed she was a Blessing to her family and to all around her. She could do anything, be anything. She could sew, knit, sing ,cook wonderful dishes, heal certain ailments . She had wit, humour, a nice voice, a good -looking figure. She was both kind and tough. full of energy, inventive, and - despite of the hardships of life - optimistic.

My Mom was the Engine behind her immediate family which included Dad, Me, and my Brother. She had to be, as we were shy and rather slow, surely compared to her.

Besides being a good homemaker, she contributed to the family's modest budget with money she earned from sewing for the rural women from the villages around Saveni, and from practising some forms of healing (cupping, anemas, massage).

Bracha, my mother, had a passion for crochet-knitting and music. Both hobbies, unfortunately, became difficult for her as the years went by, because she was gradually becoming deaf and blind.
Blindness was due to the glaucoma disease with which she was diagnosed in her late sixties. With deafness it's an earlier story. During the Holocaust, she got hit on her head and ears by a german officer . The consequence was a perforated ear and frequent headaches, all of which led to the beginning of her deafness condition . Her ears weren't any more what they used to be before the incident with the officer's bayonete.

After losing, in the Holocaust, her little girl Mina Ruhale and her youngest sister Rifca as well as most of her own health, she returned to town a human wreck. Fortunately, her optimistic nature and inner vitality helped her a lot in her efforts to recovery.

אמא שלי, ברכה קוז'וקרו

אמא ,אמא יקרה שלי

היהלום שבכתר המשפחתי

חריפת שכל, ברוכת כשרונות

כמוה פוגשים לעיתים נדירות

בעלת עור ושיער בהיר היתה

תכולת עיניים, קלת תנועה

על אף הופעתה העדינה

ידעה גם כיצד להיות קשוחה

היא תרמה לכלכלת המשפחה

עם כסף שהרוויחה מתפירה

ומביקורי בית בעניני רפואה

כגון כוסות רוח ושטיפות קיבה

אהבנו התבשילים והעוגות

מעשה ידיה המיומנות

ממולאים, מרקים, קציצות

עוגת שיש, קוגל אטריות

תחביבה - סריגה במסרגה אחת

עם חוט בהיר ,מסוג מיוחד

עשרות מפיות היא יצרה

עד לרגע בו מאור עיניה נפגע

(בשל מחלת הגלאוקומה הארורה)

גם מוסיקה לשמוע אמא אהבה

בין היתר, פרקי חזנות כבקשתך

עד לשלב ששמיעתה התדרדרה

ואז, גם הנאה זו ממנה נלקחה

איבוד הדרגתי של ראיה ושמיעה

לא פגם ברצון החיים העז שלה

מבחינה זו מיוחדת היתה במינה

ראויה לכל הערכה ואף הערצה

עברו עליה פרקי חיים קשים

השואה, שכול של יקירים

גם המוות לא חסך ממנה יסורים

עד לרגע בו נגמר פתיל החיים

Beti (Goldesfarb) Cojocaru

Bruha, Beti, mama mea

A avut o viata cam grea

Fiind insa optimista si isteata

Sa " mentinut la suprafata"

Din Transnistria a revenit schimbata

Bolnava, trista, si indoliata

Caci a pierdut acolo o copila si o sora

Deabia mai putea sa scoata o vorba

Era ea o binecuvantare, o 'bracha'

Pentru rude, vecini, si familia sa

Harnica, desteapta, inimoasa

Cu asta a fost ea norocoasa

Stia sa gateasca minunat

Sa puna legume la murat

Prepara dulceata si compot

Facea copturi simple dar si tort

Lucra la masina de croitorie,

Ajuta cateodata lui tata in frizerie

Mai castiga un ban (fara scuze)

Din 'specialitatea' ei- lipire de ventuze.

Ii placea sa citeasca, sa cante, sa crocheteze

Treptat insa a fost nevoita sa abandoneze

Aceste 'hobbies', pe care le-a savurat

Caci vederea si auzul s-au deteriorat

Cuvinte in Adagio

Oh mama, mama mea

Stau si gandesc la fiinta ta

Ochii tai albastrii si senini

Glas expresiv si cristalin

Tenul neted si frumos

Parul moale, matasos

Oh mama, mama mea

Mi-e dor si resimt lipsa ta

Ma doare si plang mereu

Far'de tine mi-este greu

Te caut si nu te zaresc

Caci esti in mediul ceresc

Oh mama, mama mea

In veci eu nu te voi uita

Caci m-ai crescut si educat

Intotdeauna ajutat

Cu ce-ai putut, si ce-ai avut

Mari eforturi ai facut