The photograph of Vera Taminic at her bat mitzvah was taken in 1930 in the Osijek synagogue.
“Because of my enrollment in the gymnasium, my family moved to Osijek in 1929. I enrolled in the women's gymnasium. It was not a Jewish school, but at the time I started there the director was a Mr. Herschl, and many of the teachers were Jewish... As soon as we got to Osijek, I joined the Jewish youth there… Around 2,000 Jews lived in Osijek. There were two synagogues, one in the upper part of the city and the other in the lower part. We had our own rabbi, cantor and shochet (kosher butcher). The rabbi was Dr. Ungar, a very well-educated man. The synagogue was well-attended, large and beautiful. It seemed especially so on my Bat Mitzvah. Many of my relatives and friends came. I felt very honored and I received a lot of presents. From my parents I received a gold chain... Every Friday night, even the young people would go to the temple. No one forced us to go, it was in our upbringing, and out of our own personal need… In addition to the temple we had a place for socializing, performances and lectures. The Jewish community was big, very active and religious...I became actively involved in Hashomer Hatzair. This was a left-leaning Zionist group that supported the idea that Israel should be built based on kibbutzim (collective settlements), without the need for force and weapons, in a peaceful manner. Our goal was to go to Israel one day and cultivate the land. We had good instructors. Among the first settlers in Israel were Jews from Osijek.”
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Bar/Bat Mitzvah – Bar mitzvah for boys or bat mitzvah for girls refers to the ages, 12 and 13 respectively, at which a Jew becomes obligated to fulfil the Jewish commandments and is allowed to participate fully in Jewish ritual and law. Since the Middle Ages, Jewish families have celebrated this milestone with a variety of different ceremonies and celebrations that have developed over time and place. In the past only boys celebrated their coming of age, though in recent years almost all communities also celebrate the girls' Bat Mitzvah. Bar and bat mitzvahs may consist of the celebrant being called up to the Torah for an aliyah, reading the weekly Torah portion or Haftarah, giving a sermon about the Torah reading, or leading the prayer service. Parties are probably the most common way of celebrating this milestone with family and friends. In recent years, participating in a social action project has also become quite common in some communities.
Jewish Community of Croatia – Jews have been living in what is currently called Croatia since the seventh century. Life was very difficult for Jews until 1782 when Emperor Joseph II published a document calling for equality for all citizens. Jews were granted full citizen rights in 1873. At the onset of World War II, 25,000 Jews lived in Croatia. In 1941, life became very difficult for Jews living in Croatia after a pro-Nazi government began ruling the country. The government implemented discriminatory laws and collaborated with the Nazis, resulting in the murder of 78% of Croatian Jews in the Holocaust. Today there are approximately 2,000 Jews living in Croatia; they continue to suffer from anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.
