Selected text
In Zagreb, Belgrade and other places, there was a Jewish youth society
called Hashomer Hatzair - "Ken," which in Hebrew means "nest." There were
social events; we had clubs for youth, students and children. Some of them
were in the community's building, but most were in a special space. Ken and
Hashomer Hatzair had a space in the center of Zagreb on Ilici Street on the
second floor. There was a third Jewish group, B'nai Akiva. My sister and I
went to B'nai Akiva for some time because we got the nicest cakes there,
but I went to Ken before that. I hear that even today the children come to
the club only to get Coca-Cola, cakes and snacks. That is almost equally as
attractive as that which they learn in the clubs. I remember that we went
because of the cakes, which were made by Jewish women who brought them to
the club. This club was at the Kresimirov Square, which still exists today.
We also had a very developed sports club called Maccabi. It was originally
called the Zidovsko Gombacko Drustvo Makabi (Maccabi Jewish Gymnastics
Society). Maccabi had a very strong table tennis section. Maccabi played in
the Zagreb football league. We went twice a week for exercise, gymnastics.
It was on the same street as the Jewish school. The hall was beautiful and
it still exists. It made our day when we went to Maccabi. We had some
famous, first-rate athletes in boxing, fencing, gymnastics and football.
The table tennis player Herskovic was the best in the country. Leo Polak,
the boxer, was first in the Balkans. A few years later, someone said he had
been the best Croatian boxer of all time, even though he was a Jew. I met
him when we were getting ready to escape in 1941; he came to the community
to get his documents. My father introduced me to him: "Leo Polak, the
famous boxing champion.
called Hashomer Hatzair - "Ken," which in Hebrew means "nest." There were
social events; we had clubs for youth, students and children. Some of them
were in the community's building, but most were in a special space. Ken and
Hashomer Hatzair had a space in the center of Zagreb on Ilici Street on the
second floor. There was a third Jewish group, B'nai Akiva. My sister and I
went to B'nai Akiva for some time because we got the nicest cakes there,
but I went to Ken before that. I hear that even today the children come to
the club only to get Coca-Cola, cakes and snacks. That is almost equally as
attractive as that which they learn in the clubs. I remember that we went
because of the cakes, which were made by Jewish women who brought them to
the club. This club was at the Kresimirov Square, which still exists today.
We also had a very developed sports club called Maccabi. It was originally
called the Zidovsko Gombacko Drustvo Makabi (Maccabi Jewish Gymnastics
Society). Maccabi had a very strong table tennis section. Maccabi played in
the Zagreb football league. We went twice a week for exercise, gymnastics.
It was on the same street as the Jewish school. The hall was beautiful and
it still exists. It made our day when we went to Maccabi. We had some
famous, first-rate athletes in boxing, fencing, gymnastics and football.
The table tennis player Herskovic was the best in the country. Leo Polak,
the boxer, was first in the Balkans. A few years later, someone said he had
been the best Croatian boxer of all time, even though he was a Jew. I met
him when we were getting ready to escape in 1941; he came to the community
to get his documents. My father introduced me to him: "Leo Polak, the
famous boxing champion.
Period
Interview
Albert Eskenazi