"Don't embarrass yourself with Yiddish in front of other Jews. What do you think, this is the Ukraine?" What do you think Rachel's parents meant?

As a child, Rachel's family only speaks German ("the language of assimilation") in public. She's told, "Don't embarrass yourself with Yiddish in front of other Jews. What do you think, this is the Ukraine?"

What do you think her parents meant?

(page 28)

I am not sure because I'm not knowledgeable about the Ukraine in the timeframe of the book, but if Ukraine was the free-thinking country that it is today at that time, then Rachel's parents were simply being cautious. The point would have been not to act Jewish in public in order not to attract attention to yourself. The pogroms were already in existence in Europe long before the Second World War started.

From the book and prior knowledge in the Ukraine Jews did speak Yiddish at home as well as in public before the Nazi era and it was common practice. In German, on the other hand upper and middle Jews spoke German in public even before the Nazi era partially because they thought it was more cultured.

It's very interesting that the Ukraine was referenced in this book, given the horrible circumstances occurring now. I think speaking Yiddish was a source of shame as being "lower class" and more "common" as opposed to being more sophisticated.

Most people want to be assimilated into their country, not stand out as different. Speaking Yiddish in public identifies you as perhaps a less cultured Jew. Perhaps given what went on in Germany Jewish people might have liked to keep a low profile.

Perhaps they thought of the Ukraine as low brow and wouldn't want to behave and speak like a Ukrainian? Its just a guess, another way I think the book could have been more explicit in their meaning.