Rifca Segal with schoolmates and teachers

These are the first and second grades of the elementary school where I studied in Sulita. I went to the Jewish school for four years. I, Rifca Segal, am the fifth from right to left in the front row, the one holding the plate that reads “1935”. I see I was wearing my wool outfit. I was in the first grade, so I was 7. The girl to the left, who holds the “1934”, is Sonia Zinger, the daughter of our teacher, Mr. Zinger. I was the best student in the first grade and Sonia was the best in the second grade – which is why we were chosen to hold those plates. I’m bragging a bit. We were the center of attention. Well, after we split, life was harsh on us. I don’t know what became of her. Her father, who taught Ivrit, is one of the four teachers – the second from left to right. To the right there’s Goldenberg, to the left there’s Balter, and the fourth, I forgot his name. Zinger only taught Ivrit, while the others taught all the subjects. I studied with Goldenberg from the first grade to the fourth – he taught all the subjects except for Ivrit, which was Zinger’s specialty. Girls weren’t separated from boys. But, should you ask me the names of my fellow students in elementary school, I couldn’t tell you. It’s impossible to remember. I can’t even recognize them any more. I remember one name, Burah Kohn; he also lives in Botosani and he went to school with me. But I can’t tell him apart. I am really fond of this picture and I am sorry to see it deteriorate with the passage of time…

I do my own praising: I was a very good pupil. As long as my parents lived in Sulita, I graduated 4 grades of primary school at the Jewish school. There was a Jewish school in Sulita, but we had to pass an exam at the end of each school year, which validated our graduating that year. There were 2 schools in Sulita, “Andreescu” and “Scurtu,” I passed my exams at “Scurtu.” It is as if I see before my eyes the building where the Jewish school was housed: you entered a long corridor along which there were 2 classrooms on either side, a teachers’ room, and I don’t know what else. The classes were mixed, made up of boys and girls. Goldenberg was my teacher from 1st grade until 4th grade, he taught all subject matters, only Ivrit did I study with a certain Zinger. I remember there were 2 other teachers, Nuta Schwartz – Nathan Schwartz – and a certain Balter, but they taught different classes.