Samotevitch
We welcome additions to this page!! This is hopefully just a beginning, and an example of what we hope to build out over time.
The Zalman and Tsippe Newmark family was primarily based in the village known as Samotevitch, in what is now Belarus. Alternate spellings are Samatevičy, Samotevichi, and Samatevichy.
Life in Samotevich
Samotevich was in the center of 4 surrounding villages. (One of those may have been Zhilonkevich where Tsippe was from).
Samotevich was a very pretty village. The houses were made from logs and had straw roofs. There were many trees.
The Newmark house was across the street from a well used by many neighbors. The house consisted of a living room, a table with a place for 12 people, three benches, six chairs, one dresser, one bedroom with two beds, and a big clock and mirror on the wall (not every home had a clock).
The kitchen had a big oven with bricks inside, and on top there was a small floor with bricks and a chimney stack. This was used for cooking and for heating the whole house. The top of the oven was used in cold weather for sleeping at least eight people, and, if necessary, ten people. Winters were cold, and even chickens had to be brought inside.
Samotevich had a bathhouse, used by women on Wednesdays, men on Fridays. The price was 3 kopeks for adults, 1 kopek for children.
Breakfasts were potatoes and sour milk every day, except on Friday meals consisted of blintzes and big pancakes. Friday night was chicken soup and meatballs. Shabbos dinner was fresh baked challah, tsimmes, potatoes, kasha with beans, and a big kugel. Meals were supplemented with foraged mushrooms, and schav (sorrel...Lillian Newmark refered to it as spinach). During the famine, schav was a great help.
There were no indoor toilets.