Recently, Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” received a unique exhibit. This is a machine for making matzah, which was given to us by Sofia Tolchynska, a resident of Kremenchuk.

For many centuries, matzah was baked by hand before Passover, and mechanized production appeared only in the 19th century. The first machine for making matzah was invented by Reb Itzik Singer (namesake of the famous inventor of the sewing machine) from Alsace in 1838. The function of this device was to rotate manually, using a special wheel, rollers for rolling out pieces of dough. The layers thus formed were cut in a circle. Later, the matzah production process was modernized.

The children in the Tolchynsky family were brought up in the traditions of the Jewish people. In 1950, Sonya's grandparents, through relatives living in Moscow, received a drawing of a similar typewriter and asked a local craftsman named Shalabanov (unfortunately, Mrs. Sofia does not remember his name) to make it. Soon matzah production was established in their house. It was baked not only for the family, but also for customers.

“It was the 1950s, the time of anti-Semitism and anti-religious policy in the USSR, - Sofia recalls, - and such actions were not welcomed by the Soviet authorities. Therefore, matzah was baked at night and delivered to customers with the help of acquaintances. The last time the machine was in operation was 7 years ago, but it is still in working order”.

We truly thank the Tolchynsky family for their trust in the preservation of family heirlooms and the transfer of this exhibit to the Museum. As well as to volunteers Tatiana Ivanova and Serhii Donets, thanks to whom the machine was delivered to us.