Traditional and New Commemoration Practices in the Jewish Community in Russia (Based on Field Work in the Smolensk Region)

This paper focuses on the modern and traditional funeral practices of the Jews in the Smolensk region (in particular in the town of Roslavl, Russia). During the years 2015-2016 we have conducted extensive research of the Jewish community in Roslavl. This paper is based on the data collected during our field research. The primary source of data for our research are the collected interviews. In addition to interviews, we used the method of participant observation in one of the memorial days.

The following memorial days are important to the traditional Jewish community – Yortsayt, Tisha B’Av, Lag B`Omer. On Lag B’Omer and Tisha B’Av people traditionally went to the cemetery to visit the graves of their loved ones. Currently in these communities Lag B`Omer is referred to by its "new" name – the "Jewish Radunitsa" (Radunitsa is a Christian holiday, the 10th day after Easter, a traditional day of commemoration of the Slavs). Instead, the nearest Sunday to Tisha B’Av and Lag B`Omer was selected to be a new memorial day. Often commemoration ceremonies are held to the 9<sup>th</sup> of August (9th of Av) and Lag B`Omer is held on the 9^th of May. 9^th of May became a traditional memorial day in modern Russia, it marks the Victory in the World War II on which it is customary to visit the cemetery.

Thus we see that the rituals practiced in the Jewish community of Roslavl stem from several different traditions (Jewish shtetl traditions, Slavic traditions, Soviet and "new" Israeli).