Nayman recites kaddish and other prayers that he learned from a Hassidic rebbe and cantor in prewar Klyachanovo. Nayman talks about his life in the Hungarian forced labor battalion in 1942, when he was "drafted" at the age of eighteen. His assignment was to build bunkers for the army. Then, Nayman was deported to the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp, from which he escaped. From Mauthausen, Nayman was sent to the Gunskirchen forced labor camp. He describes his experience there and explains that he was so hungry, he had to eat frogs. One of Nayman’s work assignments was to dig graves.
Nayman recites prayers, then answers Kerler's question about where he learned the prayer melodies, saying he prayed in the village synagogue. He recalls being taken into the Hungarian military at eighteen, in 1942, to dig bunkers, and then being taken to a camp in Austria (Mauthausen), from which he ran away. He describes a forest camp, hunger, eating grass, snails and a frog, being beaten, digging graves and surviving by playing dead. Kerler asks about the Yiddish words for some of these things.
Kerler asks the Yiddish names for food items such as grasses and snails; the recitations are only partly legible in the transcript.
Nayman recalls how Purim was kept in the village before the war: he read the megillah, sent gifts (shalakhmones) and children performed Purim plays in the houses. He recites a rhyme from a Purim play and says it was about sixty years ago. He then recites Sabbath songs (zemirot) and other prayer texts, with Kerler naming the zemirot.
Includes Kerler's questions about the term for Purim gifts and Nayman's rhyme from a Purim play.
Nayman talks about his childhood memories and his family, in particular his father taking care of the cattle. He remembers different folk customs. Nayman then recalls the prayer books he studied with in cheder. He then recites prayers.
Nayman talks about his father's work with cattle, making cheese and carrying dairy goods weekly to his grandfather. He gives his own name and the added name Khayim given when he was ill, and answers Kerler's questions about folk customs such as extinguishing coals in water against the evil eye and spitting. He then speaks about learning to read Yiddish and Hebrew in cheder at about thirteen, the books he used, his Czech school, and some Hungarian, and recites prayers.
Adds the evil-eye customs, the discussion of languages he could read, and his name-change after illness.
Nayman talks about his family, in particular his father. Nayman helped his father carrying food items. He then talks about contemporary religious life.
Nayman recalls his father, who sometimes hit the cows, and how he himself carried dairy goods to be sold, with gendarmes sometimes stopping them. A talk follows, about an American Jew who came each year to pray at a grave, and cantors and teachers in a nearby town (the name is unclear), with names such as Yitskhok Eyzik Yankevitsh. Kerler questions him about prayer at various places.
Adds the American visitor who prayed at a grave and the cantors in a nearby town, beyond the father and the cart of goods.
Nayman talks about prewar Jewish life in Klyachanovo, including occupations and political organizations. He remembers book peddlers from Mukacheve. Nayman then discusses prewar holiday celebrations and remembers non-Jews who spoke Yiddish. Nayman then answers terminological questions and recalls food customs.
Nayman describes prewar village life: a stone synagogue, work on the land with cows and horses, two or three shoemakers and some tailors, doctors available only in Mukachevo, and a book and religious-goods peddler from Mukachevo. He also covers Zionist and other political groups, non-Jews who spoke Yiddish, and how Jews from different countries spoke. Kerler asks about terms for Hanukkah and Sabbath foods, Hebrew letters, wells, the oven, cemeteries, and the shoykhet, and Nayman recalls foods for Passover, Shavuot and before Yom Kippur.
Adds the Hebrew alphabet recited by Nayman, the shoykhet and teacher, and the many food and dialect terms elicited.
