The Horse Adjutant who handled crime in the city, but the court police, the same ones who also beat the drum to announce the news for the city and slapped the lien on my mother’s furniture. When he arrived, I could tell by his expres- sion that something was very wrong. I stood by my dad while they were chatting until my father asked me, “Can you fetch a glass of water for our guest?” I left, doing as I was told. Within a few moments, when I was out of sight, I heard a single shot, and I shuddered. As soon as I heard the noise, I ran from the well and saw Spitz on the ground. Red marked his white fur. His
Spitz
mouth quivered and then it froze. I was shaken, but I knew he was dangerous and un- derstood why they had to destroy him. Working dogs were a common part of the com- munity, and the rules were very strict on having them. One rule for certain was that dogs were not allowed to roam freely in the town. If they were found loose, without a master, they would be captured by the local dogcatcher and brought to the pound. This was a job, according to my father, that suited me well for my future. The population of Grybow in the 1930s was about 6,000 people, most of whom were Catholic; however, a sizable proportion of about 2,000, a third of the population was Jewish. This Jewish population was further split between secular (not very reli- gious) and Hasidic Orthodox (very strict in traditions). The Hasidic Jews dressed very distinctively with beards, payess (side-curls), and long, black clothing with fur hats, all of which set them apart from the community. As you might imagine, you could find them congregating around the Orthodox temple. They spent much of their time around the temple in prayer. To them, learning Torah was a sacred task that required tremendous time and energy. I found records showing the Jewish people arrived in this region by the 1400s. So, before my life story, there were about 500 years of Jewish history in Grybow. By 1930, over three million Jews lived in Poland and many more in Germany and throughout Europe. They created a very rich and unique culture with their own language, customs, literature, and more. Some might even have called the 1930’s the ‘Golden Age of Juda- ism.’ Musicians would come from the nearby town of Tarnow once in a while. They would bring their fiddles, accordions, clarinets, and play Jewish music like the Hora and Klezmer. They would also play the Polka, a Polish classic. When my cousin Malka Schagrin got married in 1938, I saw the musicians up close. It was a private affair held
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