Suraly Zylberman with other young Jewish women

This picture was taken in the 1930s of Suraly Zylberman, the sister of my wife, accompanied by other young Jewish ladies. Suray is the third from right. 

When I was 14, maybe 16, my brother Wigde got me involved in SKIF. And when we organized a 1st May strike for the first time in 1933, I think I was already in KZMP. I had gone over to that at the encouragement of my friends, especially by my future wife, Rachela Zylberman. 

Rachela was born on 8th September 1910 in the village of Lisznik, between Krasnik and Annopol. So she was six years older than me. She came from a progressive family: evidence of that was the fact that she went to grammar school, because you had to go there on Saturdays too. Her father walked around the house with his head uncovered, which was unthinkable among religious Jews. That was a large Jewish family, too, they lived near us, and we were neighbors. In material terms they lived quite well, because they had a restaurant at home where not only Jews but also Poles ate, technicians and engineers hired to build a ball-bearing factory. 

We were in the same gang, that's what we called it, eight or ten young people, girls and boys. Rachela was going out with Chaim Feldhendler at first, but in 1934 he was arrested. It was then that we became close.