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When I was 7 years old I started attending a private gymnasium, Jozef Ab’s gymnasium. That was in 1930. This school was located at number 8 Zielona Street. And I remember this Ab until this day from before that war [WWII]. He wore this tail-coat and a monocle. He came to our school, because he was the owner and the headmaster, but more of an honorary one, because I remember that headmistress Rajn dealt with everything. It was a Jewish school, but the classes were taught in Polish. We studied the history of Jews, Hebrew, so it was Jewish in this respect. But we also took all the regular subjects: mathematics, history, science, chemistry. All the normal subjects, like in the other schools. I remember that this school could not issue secondary school-leaving certificates [Polish, matura], so you’d have to take final exams at different schools. Only Jewish children attended that school and only girls, because it was a girls’ school. I don’t know why parents sent me to this specific school, it just worked out like that.
At school we were taught by teachers who were not always Jewish. My favorite teacher was the physics teacher, his name was Kojranski. I don’t even know is Mr. Kojranski was a Jew. I only know that I liked him very much, because he played with me, he was like a grandpa. He carried us, that is me and a girl-friend of mine, on his shoulders, one on one shoulder and the second one on the other. And it once happened during a lesson that I wasn’t able to answer a physics question correctly. And he said to me: ‘How could you disappoint me like this? I thought you’d be the best one in the class.’ And I was pretty good, this just happened once. And when I started crying, he took out a handkerchief, had me sit on his knee, wiped my tears and said: ‘Don’t cry, I’m sure you’ll do better next time.’ I remember this till today. He was my favorite teacher. But physics still wasn’t my favorite subject. I am more of a humanist. So I liked Polish, history, the humanities. For example, I still remember that my essays were read aloud in class or when there was some kind of celebration. I was quite a good student. One of the best in the humanities. At math, physics, I was a bit worse.
I had quite a few girl-friends at school, but only one best friend. Her name was Lila Otelsberg. We were practically born together, because she was born in December on the 22nd and I was born in March on the 23rd. She is still alive, I even met her last year. She lives in the United States. There was also Wanda Rajn, the daughter of the headmistress. I also liked her a lot. She was always up to something, full of mischief, her mother couldn’t control her. And she has visited me. She came after the war, with her husband. She was living in Israel, but I don’t know where exactly. I don’t recall going to any after-school activities with my friends. Each one of us would nicely go straight home, to her chores. We didn’t go to any playgrounds.
I remember once there was a Latin test at school. We loved that [Latin] teacher. His name was Narcyz Lubnicki. He was an elegant man, and we were teenagers, so we really admired him. So there was this test and we all failed it. And the headmistress’ daughter said: ‘Girls, when classes are over, let’s go to the teachers’ lounge, steal those tests and change our grades.’ And we did that. And it happened that the janitor showed up and all of the girls but I managed to run away. So I was devastated. I said: ‘What will happen if he tells the teachers?’, but somehow he was nice and didn’t tell. But everyone caught on anyway. Because who would have changed the grades? The test was annulled, but I remember this event, because I was terrified all Saturday of what would happen if the teachers found out. There was no corporal punishment at school. I don’t recall anyone ever getting flogged.
At school we were taught by teachers who were not always Jewish. My favorite teacher was the physics teacher, his name was Kojranski. I don’t even know is Mr. Kojranski was a Jew. I only know that I liked him very much, because he played with me, he was like a grandpa. He carried us, that is me and a girl-friend of mine, on his shoulders, one on one shoulder and the second one on the other. And it once happened during a lesson that I wasn’t able to answer a physics question correctly. And he said to me: ‘How could you disappoint me like this? I thought you’d be the best one in the class.’ And I was pretty good, this just happened once. And when I started crying, he took out a handkerchief, had me sit on his knee, wiped my tears and said: ‘Don’t cry, I’m sure you’ll do better next time.’ I remember this till today. He was my favorite teacher. But physics still wasn’t my favorite subject. I am more of a humanist. So I liked Polish, history, the humanities. For example, I still remember that my essays were read aloud in class or when there was some kind of celebration. I was quite a good student. One of the best in the humanities. At math, physics, I was a bit worse.
I had quite a few girl-friends at school, but only one best friend. Her name was Lila Otelsberg. We were practically born together, because she was born in December on the 22nd and I was born in March on the 23rd. She is still alive, I even met her last year. She lives in the United States. There was also Wanda Rajn, the daughter of the headmistress. I also liked her a lot. She was always up to something, full of mischief, her mother couldn’t control her. And she has visited me. She came after the war, with her husband. She was living in Israel, but I don’t know where exactly. I don’t recall going to any after-school activities with my friends. Each one of us would nicely go straight home, to her chores. We didn’t go to any playgrounds.
I remember once there was a Latin test at school. We loved that [Latin] teacher. His name was Narcyz Lubnicki. He was an elegant man, and we were teenagers, so we really admired him. So there was this test and we all failed it. And the headmistress’ daughter said: ‘Girls, when classes are over, let’s go to the teachers’ lounge, steal those tests and change our grades.’ And we did that. And it happened that the janitor showed up and all of the girls but I managed to run away. So I was devastated. I said: ‘What will happen if he tells the teachers?’, but somehow he was nice and didn’t tell. But everyone caught on anyway. Because who would have changed the grades? The test was annulled, but I remember this event, because I was terrified all Saturday of what would happen if the teachers found out. There was no corporal punishment at school. I don’t recall anyone ever getting flogged.
Period
Interview
Helena Najberg