Tag #117467 - Interview #83162 (Ester Khanson )

My brother and I had to go on with our studies. There were several Russian lyceums in Tallinn but we did not know the Russian language well enough to be admitted. There was a Jewish lyceum [4], where all subjects were taught in Ivrit. Children started learning Ivrit before school, in kindergarten. I did not know the Estonian language either. Thus, we had a limited choice: I could study only in a German school. There were several German lyceums and schools. There was a very good German girls’ lyceum, Elisenschule, where girls from high society studied. Mother wanted me to study there as well. I was not admitted to that lyceum because I was a Jew. There was another German lyceum for girls not far from our house. It was very democratic. My German was great after having spent so many years in Germany. I was enrolled in the lyceum. The teacher said it would be excellent if all girls would speak such good German as I did.

I was the only Jew in my class, but there were Jewish girls in other classes, in each grade. We felt no anti-Semitism. Jews were treated very friendly in the Estonian republic [5]. There was no oppression. Unfortunately, I did not know the Estonian language and in my first year I was free not to study the Estonian language at the lyceum. I took private lessons. During the summer holidays, when the whole family went on vacation, my mother hired an Estonian language teacher for me. All children played, swam, while I studied Estonian. I made pretty good progress. At the beginning of the year the teacher checked my knowledge of the Estonian language and was happy with my results. The Estonian language was taught by a German from a very good family. Her brother was a professor. An Estonian philologist came to our class and controlled the teaching process.