Korczaks children - Playing the war during the war

There has been kids 'playing war' for generations. It used to be with sticks or by throwing sand or just splashing the water on each other. Here at Rózyczka prior to 1940.

The kids were playing war for generations. It used to be with sticks or by throwing sand or just splashing the water on each other.

Jarek Abramow.  son of Igor Abramow Newerly spends part of his vacations in 1940 at Korczaks summer camp. In his book The lions of my courtyard, Abramow describes the war with sand between Jewish children from the Korczak's camp and the local Polish children. Jarek Abramow was seven at that time.

Yes, it was 1940. Poland was occupied since September 1939. The area of the ghetto was not closed yet. It was marked by signs of a typhus epidemic. On the 12th of October 1940, Yom Kippur, Warsaw Jews were informed that the ghetto was being created. It was located in the northern part of the city.

Jarek Abramow. son of Igor Abramow Newerly spends part of his vacations 1940 at Korczaks summer camp. In his book The lions of my courtyard, Abramow describes the war with sand between Jewish children from the Korczak's camp and the local Polish children.

Rózyczka Summer 1940. I was always wondering, if Różyczka, besides showing the life outside the big and crowded city was also a kind of the first preparation for children for kibbutz life similar to Hachshara activities.

Just before that, in Spring, 1940, Korczak decided to run Summer Camp for the children from "his Orphanages". Korczak wrote the letter to Stanislaw Krupka, the mayor of the municipality of Wawer asking for help in organizing a summer camp. Korczak wanted to give the children a little bit of security and peace from the war.

He wrote to Krupka: "This may be the last chance of letting children run in the woods (...) it is maybe the last summer."
Mayor of Wawer, Stanislaw Krupka arranged both the transportation and food for the Orphanage! One has to remember that Poles were not allowed to help Jews. After this last summer 1940 at Rózyczka, Korczak wrote several letters to Krupka and gave him signed books.

I was always wondering, if Różyczka, besides showing the life outside the big and crowded city was also a kind of the first preparation for children for kibbutz life.

Children returned to the Orphanage Dom Sierot after the camp. However, after the creation of the Warsaw Ghetto in October 1940, the children Dom Sierot was resettled to the building at 33 Chłodna Street, within the ghetto area. Korczak was arrested for not wearing a band with the Star of David, ordered by the occupation authorities, to Jews. When physically exhausted Korczak returned after a month of arrest to Dom Sierot at 33 Chłodna Street children felt again safe.

Also, children from other Jewish boarding schools (not only Dom Sierot Orphanage at 92 Krochmalna Street) among others from the CENTOS boarding house for young children at 10 Graniczna Street, the CENTOS boarding house for girls at 18 Mylna Street, and from the Main House of Refuge at 127 Leszno Street were sent to the village in June 1940 to "Różyczka" where they were under the care of Dr. Janusz Korczak "(Archives ŻIH, Jewish Social Self-Help, 211/16, Information on the activities of CENTOS in June 1940).

*Abramow-Newerly J (2000) Lwy mojego podwórka [The lions of my courtyard]