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When I came to school I only knew Romanian, but the melamed who taught us Hebrew only spoke in Yiddish. I couldn’t answer him and he used to beat me, because he couldn’t accept the idea of a Jewish child not knowing Yiddish. But one day he beat me with a liner over the face and when I went back home my father could see the marks. He asked where they came from and I told him the truth. Now, I must tell you, my father was a very proud man. Next day he didn’t go to work but came with me to school. He spoke to the principal about the incident and then told me I wasn’t to go to Hebrew classes again until that ‘old fool’ would be replaced. But he never was so that’s why I didn’t study Hebrew for four years.
Location
Iasi
Romania
Interview
Isac Tinichigiu