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| We entered a large hall. I noticed many rows of little drawers on one side. “Everybody has his own,” Felek said. “We put various things in them. The little ones even put things like buttons, boxes, colored glass, and stones - their treasures,” he added with an air of superiority, pointing to the bottom drawers. Afterwards, he added proudly: “There are no keys - we don’t need them.” |
Chapter 2
“There are no keys - we don’t need them”.
I matriculated in 1931. A helpful friend suggested that I apply for a job in the orphanage run by Dr J. Korczak.
My happiness was limitless when I received the news that my application was successful. I had gained the only opportunity I would ever have of studying and moving to the capital city. By a miracle, I became independent and could afford to leave my hometown. I have to admit that I was also attracted to the work in the orphanage. I felt that I knew what it was to be an orphan. I felt sorry for them, the poor, sad children. I thought, “I’ll teach them to play and to laugh! I’ll relieve them of their misery. I’ll give them a lot of heart!”
I was overwhelmed with happiness and a sense of ambition. I was an independent adult helping others!
My qualifications as an educator, which I had gleaned in Pinsk, were less than modest. I realized this only much later.
On September 1, 1931, I arrived in Warsaw at 92 Krochmalna Street. I was received by the manager of the orphanage, Stefania Wilczynska. The conversation was polite but brief and to the point - she had a lot of other duties to perform. I was given two days free to look around and get to know the environment.
A twelve-year-old boy called Felek Grzyb was my guide, showing me the living arrangements, sometimes adding short explanations: “Here everyone takes their shoes off so as not to bring in dust and mud.” “Here is the kitchen - nothing interesting. Mrs. Doba rules here. Here are all the pots and pans, and here are the plates, cups, and saucers. And the place is as clean as a whistle - it’s simply frightening!”
I said: “I suppose the girls help out a bit?”
Felek changed his tone. “What do you think? They work in shifts, and the boys do too...” He obviously wanted to change the subject and said, “Just look at this little gadget - you put the hot dishes on it and turn the winch, and they arrive in the dining hall still hot. You can try it yourself.” He opened a door which led to a small study, and then to another room, which he described as a sort of sewing room.
We entered a large hall. I noticed many rows of little drawers on one side. “Everybody has his own,” Felek said. “We put various things in them. The little ones even put things like buttons, boxes, colored glass, and stones - their treasures,” he added with an air of superiority, pointing to the bottom drawers. Afterwards, he added proudly: “There are no keys - we don’t need them.”
