I: Did you wonder when you were 4 years old and living in the horrific conditions within the ghetto, did you wonder why it was so awful? Or is that all you knew?
G: That’s all that I knew. When you are born in that certain situation, that’s normal. It becomes so.
I: That was your normal.
G: So, I just accepted it. I mean, one time when my mom was moving me from one place to another because of danger. I threw a fit. It was late at night, etc. I was at that time 4 years old and we were saved again. I said in my book that we were saved by an old beggar. Apparently, the people with whom I was lived alerted my mom that somebody suspects I’m Jewish and they were going to blackmail her with them, or whatever. So my mom picked me up that night, took me out. So this was past curfew. And I threw a fit. I guess because I didn’t want to be moved to another place. I mean, most of the people. Some of the people treated me well, some of the people didn’t treat me very well and they saved me, so I’m grateful for that. But, some of them did treat me well and I didn’t want to move to one more unknown family.
I: Right. You were a little kid.
G: So, I threw a fit. And I remember thrashing in the snow, it was winter and crying. And this beggar came up. It was a beggar. He had on his shoulder a burlap bag. And the way you scare kids in Poland, then at least, was, you know, a beggar was going to come along and put you in his burlap bag and carry you away. So, I was laying on the ground thrashing and he bent down over me and said, little boy do what your mother says, or I’m going to put you into my bag and carry you away. I shut up, I shut up, and I was silent until we went to where we were.
G: That’s all that I knew. When you are born in that certain situation, that’s normal. It becomes so.
I: That was your normal.
G: So, I just accepted it. I mean, one time when my mom was moving me from one place to another because of danger. I threw a fit. It was late at night, etc. I was at that time 4 years old and we were saved again. I said in my book that we were saved by an old beggar. Apparently, the people with whom I was lived alerted my mom that somebody suspects I’m Jewish and they were going to blackmail her with them, or whatever. So my mom picked me up that night, took me out. So this was past curfew. And I threw a fit. I guess because I didn’t want to be moved to another place. I mean, most of the people. Some of the people treated me well, some of the people didn’t treat me very well and they saved me, so I’m grateful for that. But, some of them did treat me well and I didn’t want to move to one more unknown family.
I: Right. You were a little kid.
G: So, I threw a fit. And I remember thrashing in the snow, it was winter and crying. And this beggar came up. It was a beggar. He had on his shoulder a burlap bag. And the way you scare kids in Poland, then at least, was, you know, a beggar was going to come along and put you in his burlap bag and carry you away. So, I was laying on the ground thrashing and he bent down over me and said, little boy do what your mother says, or I’m going to put you into my bag and carry you away. I shut up, I shut up, and I was silent until we went to where we were.