Clara Shalenko’s paternal grandfather Leivi-Itzhok Shterbul

This is my paternal grandfather Leivi-Itzhok Shterbul. The photo was made in Odessa in 1903.

All I know about my grandfather on my father's side is what my father told me. My grandfather was born in Odessa in 1869. He was a tall, handsome man with a moustache. On the only photo I have he has no beard. My grandfather was religious. He had a tallit and teffilin. His friends came to see him, at Sabbath holidays they went to a synagogue all together. My grandfather's family followed the kashrut. They had special utensils and dishes for Pesach and they had specific utensils for meat and dairy products. They fasted at Yom Kippur. They lived in Staroriznichnaya Street near Privoz [a popular market in Odessa]. They had two rooms and a kitchen. They were not a wealthy family. I believe my grandfather studied at cheder. My father didn't tell me about what he did either. My grandfather died in 1922. He was buried according to the Jewish traditions at the Jewish cemetery in Odessa.