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| Adam Czerniakow (Click for historic film) |
We know from Polish history that in the year 1264 the Kalisz prince, Boleslaw POBOZNY, gave a statute to the Jews which assured to them freedom of religion and autonomy to their councils.
Upon entering the territory of the General Gubernatorium, the Nazis immediately commenced the racial segregation of Jews by means of separation, debasement and gradual mass extermination.
On the 26th October, 1939 Governor Hans FRANK issued an order introducing forced labour for the Jewish population between the ages of 16 and 60 in labour camps created by the Germans specially for this purpose. And on Dec.1, 1939 Governor Ludwig FISCHER ordered the compulsory wearing of armbands with the Star of David on the sleeve of outer garments.
As Commissioner of this separate Jewish district, Gov. L. Fischer nominated the lawyer, Heinz AUERSWALD. On the other hand, the duties of burgomaster of the district were entrusted to the President of the Jewish Council of Elders, engineer Adam CZERNIAKOW.
The area intended for the Ghetto was described as "prohibited closed territory" and building of the encircling wall was commenced. However, the population was prohibited from using the term "Ghetto" under penalty of imprisonment. The official German name was "Seuchegefahrgebiet", or district threatened by typhoid.
Everyday life in this separated district - although very restricted by the lack of living space and ability to move around the city, still exists. There are active educational courses (conspiratorial, of course), classes, lectures of various kinds and concerts. Entertainment venues - small cafes where people meet and discuss the current situation, night clubs, etc. - are still open.
The fencing-off is accomplished by means of the 3 metre-high wall, stretching over more than a dozen kilometres. The bricks for this crippling wall came from buildings demolished or damaged during military activities in 1939. Prisoners - Poles and Jews alike - pick them by hand. Broken glass from thick bottles has been cemented into the top of the wall. In addition, the wall has been topped with barbed wire entanglements in some places. Elsewhere entanglements have been fitted into wooden frames placed on both sides of the wall - the Aryan as well as the Jewish side, so that no one can even approach it.
And so to get to my schools, I must now turn the other way on Pawia St. - that is, towards Smocza St. This takes me closer to Pawiak prison. It is very distressing to hear while passing by, the terrible moans and screams of people being maltreated and tortured in there. At present I cannot go any other way. Whenever I pass I always think of the fate of all those who find themselves behind the walls of this prison and my heart grows terribly heavy and sad.
Our dear friend, Dr. Ari Frenkiel, has been attending Sula for some time. The little girl's health is deteriorating progressively. She has no appetite despite everyone's readiness to give her whatever they have. So far the cause has not been established. But everyone agrees that she misses her daddy very much and that is the great problem. She was always her father's favourite child, while Jos was his mother's. Sula has withdrawn into herself so much that she often does not reply when asked a question. Maryla does everything possible, occupying herself with the child completely so that she will not have time to mope. Whenever I have some free time I play with her willingly, repeating games which my Papa used to conduct for me and my cousins. But all that does not distract Sula. Giving way to temptation, she begins to play. Then, at a certain point, she becomes lost in thought - and that is the end of everything. It is not possible to draw her out of her musings. She is completely beyond the world, a situation which worries all of us.
I woke early one day, excited by the conversation with Josek which I described above. I went quietly to the bathroom to tidy my appearance after the night. Then I went back to my room, dressed and waited for that black, curly mop of Jose's to slip in and I would see his almost coal-black, shining eyes with their long lashes. Actually his eyes were brown, but so dark that often they seemed quite black, depending on how the light struck them.
I was a bit hungry and looked for something in the kitchen but the bread bin was empty, not even a crumb left. I could not look for anything else for fear of waking Freda, whose bed was still in the kitchen. It seemed that all the bread had been used up yesterday, or perhaps Freda had hidden it somewhere for today? No matter. One has to harden oneself in all respects. I am, after all, a mature young lady.
I went through to the salon, the window and balcony of which afforded a better view of the whole "Skra" playing field. A large part of Okopowa St. in the direction of Powazki could be seen from here, and also Kirkut (a German word which had entered the Jewish jargon) - the Jewish cemetery next to the "Skra" playing field. The graves cannot be seen from here because the cemetery is surrounded by a high wall. But trees, both here and at the adjacent Evangelical cemetery on Mlynarska St., can be seen very well. It is the only wooded area in this district. The trees and grass are already becoming covered with fresh young greenery. I enjoy standing on the open balcony, breathing in the morning freshness.
Suddenly the door opened and Josek, also dressed to go outside, came into the room. He had a bag with him and in it several coloured crayons and some other bits and pieces. We left the house silently so as not to wake anyone and approached the newly-erected wall. There were no police posts on our side. Jos handed me his bag as I was to mark the bricks while he measured and counted them. He counted the number of feet along the whole length. He even counted the bricks and pulled out a piece of string. I watched with admiration. He did everything like a professional surveyor or builder. I looked up at the houses and along the whole street to make sure we were not being watched. So far I did not notice anything.
At a certain point Sam (Samuel) appeared. He waved his hand from a distance, indicating that he was "one of us". He had some metal tools (a broken piece of a crow-bar, a hammer and another piece of sharpened iron) and got down to work at once. Together with Josek they tapped bricks, measured again and indicated bricks which I marked with the crayons as I had been told to do. No other work had been planned for the morning. There would be work for the boys in the evening. I had to go to my schools - both the school of nursing and the "komplety" in the morning, and to the commerce school in the afternoon. I had to fit it all in so could not help the boys any more that day.
For a few moments the boys discussed where to meet and when so as to plan their "work" freely and safely. Samuel considered that it would be best to pretend not to know each other and to know only first names, or rather pseudonyms. Instructions should be given directly through "leaders" of the group - that is, through Jos and Sam - who had nominated themselves as these "leaders".
Because Mama was occupied with more important problems, the rules and regulations in our house changed daily. I promised Jos that I would introduce Samuel officially to our house. This happened unexpectedly towards evening when Maryla was busy with Sula.
While introducing Samuel - not too clean today and somewhat tattered - I did not forget to remind everyone that it was thanks to him that we did not fall into the hands of the Gestapo when returning from "komplety" with those history books.
This placed him on the proper level for mutual acceptance. In the course of conversation he displayed such intellect and ability beyond his years, such clarity of mind and sharpness of observation, such innate intelligence that no one could understand how such an unlikely boy could be so clever. Everyone was delighted with him.
Mrs. Irma jumped up at once and ran to her apartment, bringing back some of Josek's clothes for him. She also told Josek they could become friends.
Samuel did not want to accept anything. He only asked to be allowed to contact Josek or myself at any time, as necessary. Approval given, and while saying goodbye, force almost had to be used to push the bundle of clothes under his arm so he would take it. He had so much pride.
Just before evening, when the boys were to remove those bricks from the wall, Samuel brought Freda some potatoes and oil to make potato pancakes. He was to be paid for these separately but would not take the money, so there was a problem. But after I whispered that he should take it for our "organisation" he accepted with thanks. Later he brought in addition two large onions for Sulenka to bite on like an apple because she was beginning to have problems with her teeth.
Then, quite innocently at first and without even knowing how, I entered into collaboration for the "great Cause" with these children, younger than I. When I returned from school that evening Samuel showed me a hole in the wall large enough for an 8 year-old child to pass through easily. Samuel and Josek had to squeeze through a bit but could manage all right. On the other hand I could not get through, no matter what.
Josek apologised for the error in calculations concerning me. Unfortunately, due to his youth, he did not notice that I already had quite a sizeable bust. That was the real reason for the difficulty but I was too shy to explain that to the boys.
Before going to bed Josek indicated to me in the salon that he wanted to speak to me in the hall where no one could hear us. He declared that he had decided on his change of name and would take the name "MOSZE" as his pseudonym.
It was the name of his maternal grandfather whom he dearly loved and who loved him very much. It was lucky for his grandfather, Jos said, that he died one year before the war and does not see what they are doing to us now.
He would not have been able to get through the hole in the wall and would have been sure to worry about everyone, so perhaps it was better that it happened that way. At least he, Jos, had sat in "penance" and shed many tears for his grandad, so now grandad will be his patron, as Christians say - right?
"Yes", I replied, "only remember that you can never disappoint him."
"That's correct!" he answered. He kissed my cheek for goodnight and ran quickly to his room.
From that time, although our life became ever more difficult, nevertheless for us young ones a new life had began. More interesting, providing us with a concrete objective - to help our elders in every possible way and to cause problems for the occupier who torments people so much.
And so, that ingenious hole in the wall - "passage-way" might be a better description - gave us the opportunity thousands of times to obtain food on the Aryan side. Not only for ourselves but for other people who needed it. The ever-helpful Mrs. Maria Majewska from the kiosk provides us with most valuable services and assistance in this endeavour.
And now, despite the stationing of German gendarmerie, SS and "blueys" all the way from Okopowa St., a co-ordinated team of boys and girls - whoever can squeeze through our passage-way - goes forth, well organised, to buy food. Some of them guard the passage-way on our side. Others on the other side of the wall - some distance off, naturally. Still others wander around, further from the passage-way but closer to the guards, distracting the watchful gendarmes with their games from this useful spot.
Whenever possible we pick children of mixed Aryan-Jewish marriages for this task because they do not look so obviously Jewish. It is safer this way and we have masses of children to choose from. At worst, the guards chase them off with threats, when they hide in gateways of houses on Okopowa or Dzielna St. which are occupied by Poles.
Only when an agreed sign is given do they leave their hiding places to come back through the passage-way and rejoin us.
Recently some good-hearted Poles have began to drop down food by the base of the Ghetto wall - often having bribed German gendarmes with a suitable sum. The guards then move further down Okopowa St., pretending that they are busy with something else so cannot see what is going on behind them.
Meanwhile the children wander around buying whatever they can carry back. Everything is always paid for by the wealthier among the Jewish population, including bribes for the guards. Which is not cheap in total, but amounts to enormous sums. But how else can one manage not to starve? People will do anything to save their lives.
As the eldest in our group, I collect money for these purposes. I receive the foodstuffs also and later my Mama and Mrs. Irma share it out among the poor - according to need. Having been forcibly ejected from other districts of Warsaw, they were not able to bring anything with them.
And there are so many sick people who sit, sleep, live and die on the streets of this, our own district.
Only those who see them with their own eyes, who are in daily contact with them, know how many there are. It is simply horrifying. Many will certainly find it hard to believe. But what I am writing down is the most true of truths. Not just seen from the sidelines or from a distance, or heard about.
It is the cruel truth - personally felt and lived through.
Not everyone will be able some day to comprehend this cruelty, nor the participation and total sacrifice of these young children. And what sacrifices they make, these small "heroes" - as they surely deserve to be known! Moving out at break of dawn, returning in the evening before curfew. Furtively passing though that passage-way of ours - not for their own needs, but mostly for others. With no financial reward, sometimes merely for a slice of desperately needed bread.
Often, all too often, deep in the bellies of these children can be heard the rumbling of hunger. Such a six, seven, or eight year-old child may be carrying under its skimpy jacket or blouse a loaf of bread.
Admittedly clay-like, it almost drives them crazy, actually causing saliva to drool. Yet no child touches this bread because they know that, for the sake of the battle against the enemy who torments us, they carry sustenance to someone who, perhaps, no longer has the strength to stand up.
Not a day passes now without throngs of impoverished people appearing in our district, forcibly evicted from various areas by the inhuman occupiers.
Thus apartments, houses and streets become more and more crowded and cramped.
Mama, sensitive as always towards human misfortune, gave away Uncle Mitek's rooms to friends of Dr. & Mrs. Frenkiel - the Adlers, a family of four. He is an engineer and it is a marriage with two little girls - a four year-old named Emma and Rachel, who is not yet eighteen months old.
Emma is not such a beautiful "angel" as Sula but is pretty, like most girls of that age. She is sweet and pleasant, cuddling up ingratiatingly to everyone. Kind-hearted Maryla immediately offered her help in looking after the child. I do not know if her intention is to distract Sulenka from her longing for her daddy by Emma's presence. Or perhaps it is because - not entirely, but slowly and gradually - she is losing me as I mature with each passing day. On the other hand, tiny Rachel must still remain totally in her mother's care.
One day a letter came for my parents from Papa's sister. There are four people - uncle, aunt and two children older than I. They did not know that Papa was not here. They were asking for help, inquiring in which of my parents' properties they might stay, having been forcibly thrown out of their own home by the Gestapo. They needed a place to stay until Uncle could find work somewhere.
For the moment they had not yet looked around for something. Fortunately the Gestapo did not know that Auntie was Papa's blood sister - my grandmother being her mother - when they were thrown out. Mama replied at once - anywhere but here in Warsaw, or in Pyry. She turned to me to advise her:
"Lala, please decide for me. Perhaps your head is more clear than mine at this time. I am beginning to feel lost and I really do not know where would be best for them?"
I considered that it would be best if they went to Gloskow right away. Our Granny was already there, in Jazgarzewo, so it would be better. The more so since it is located among forest and so would be safer. Mama accepted my decision as being the right one.
