Ludvipol: A Modern Shtetl
The Zionist Dream
so close to me.” We studied history, mainly Jewish history — we followed what went on in Eretz Yisrael — but also Polish history. We studied the Bible as history and stories of Jewish leaders like King Saul and King David. I remember the Bible stories better now than I used to because I have told them to my grandchildren so many times. The school was secular, with no religion or prayers, but we cel- ebrated all of the Jewish holidays. For instance, every Tu b’Shevat, the fifteenth day of the Jewish month of Shevat — planting season in Israel — the whole school used to go outside and plant trees. The school was strong in extra-curricular activities. My sister Chava, who took private music lessons from the age of five, played the violin in the school orchestra with the older kids and performed at concerts and shows. She also acted in a play about Purim, Esther HaMalka (Esther the Queen). Most of the plays had Biblical themes, but not all. I remember how the girls danced like swans in one play. I was in the school choir; we mostly sang Hebrew songs such as HaShkedia Porachat (the Almond Tree Blossoms), or traditional songs like Hinei Ma Tov. We also had a good physical education program and a soccer team. The Tarbut School was an important and happy part of our lives. I was bright and a good student. I did not need any help with my homework and never had problems with schoolwork. I had many good friends, and we spent a great deal of time together and slept over at each other’s houses. Most of my friends from early child- hood were later killed by the Nazis, but Itzak Gurfinkel, from my kindergarten class, is still alive. The language of instruction had particular political significance. For two years after the Russians took control of Ludvipol in 1939, we were not allowed to study Hebrew or Polish. We were only al- lowed to read and write in Yiddish and Russian. My early life made me and my friends quite multi-lingual. I have learned five languag - es well — Hebrew, Yiddish, Polish, Russian, and English — and can speak and understand Ukrainian, although not as well as I once could. I also understand German.
73
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online