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THE PYROHY LADIES by IVAN KERNYTSKY Somehow unexpectedly and surprisingly but not without the help of the meeting's charwoman who first broached the matter and put it on the agenda, so to speak, the focus of attention at the ladies' parliament turned to pyrohy. The chairwoman proposed the following thesis: "Dear ladies, we will never manage to attract the younger generation into our organization while the bulk of our activity is devoted to making pyrohy and holubtsi, which a number of our chapters still practice. You yourselves make these pyrohy, you yourselves sell these pyrohy at picnics and other events, you yourselves buy these pyrohy, and you yourselves stuff yourselves with them. That's the extent of your activity. And this is what you offer by way of enticement in our modem times to attract a generation that is bom and raised here. It's laughable. During the discussion, as is usually the case in these situations, the opinion of the assembled ladies was divided. Some were for pyrohy, others were against, and still others took a neutral stand, that is, they could see the virtues of pyrohy but they also valued cakes, tortes, and other layered baking. A distinguished activist from New York proclaimed a real Demosthenian philippic in defense of the pyrohy ladies. "My dear friends," she said. "I will not allow anyone in this auditorium to cast stones at pyrohy and holubtsi, because it is thanks to these pyrohy, thanks to these pyrohy ladies, that we emigres cam to America. Our chairwoman has permitted herself to say here that their activity is laughable. I'll say something different. Today, we newcomers should kiss the work-worn hands of our older pioneers. Just think how many pyrohy and holubtsi they made to earn enough to fund our relocation, to give us newcomers some shelter in this free land. Let anyone say what they will, but today I bow my head to the earlier immigrants, to you pyrohy ladies, as some people mockingly call you. God grant you long and healthy lives and many more pyrohy to make. Enthusiastic applause drowned out the final words of the distinguished activist from new York. Many of the women had tears in their eyes. Some of the older women from among the earlier immigrants approached the speaker and embraced her the way folks do at Easter in front of the church. One old granny from Michigan tried to force a twenty dollar bill into her palm for, as she said, "Pani, you really gave them hell." Just as the chairwoman was trying to adjourn the morning session a young girl in glasses, perhaps a student, got up and asked to speak. "Allow me," she said in good Ukrainian, even, "to ask one question on a point of order. There's one thing I don't understand that I would like you to explain." "Please go on. What's the matter?" asked the chairwoman. "The ladies were all talking about pyrohy, how they made the,, cooked them, sold them, and so on. But I've never heard of cooked pyrohy. I've heard of baked pyrohy. Perhaps the ladies meant varenykyl "Yes, yes, varenyky," yelled the whole auditorium. "Oh. Thank you. That's all I wanted to know." After that explanation the chairwoman adjourned the meeting and the whole ladies' parliament went to the restaurant in the Ukrainian National Home for... pyrohy. * * * Reprinted with permission from Weekdays and Sunday by Ivan Kemytsky, translated by Maxim Tarnawsky. Mosty: Philadelphia, 1999. “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЛЮТИЙ 2000 19
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