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I was already 8 years old when she married a second time. She married her cousin. He was also from Gruszow Wielki, from some poor family with a lot of children. I know that he was a cattle merchant and being a cattle merchant is what brought him here. When they met, my mother didn’t want to live alone, so they married. They had a daughter, Maria, in Hebrew Miriam. I was very glad to have a sister. I loved her very much and she loved me very much too. She was interested in embroidery, and somewhere I’ve got some embroidery that she did, to remember her by.
My stepfather was named Viktor Weit and my sister was named Maria Weitova. When she was born I wasn’t living at home, but with my grandparents in Chmelov, where I was attending a regular elementary school where there was also a teacher of religion. He was quite the original character! He had a classroom in the basement of one richer Jewish citizen, and that’s where he taught us, Jewish children starting from 3 years of age, the Bible [Hummash: The five books of Moses – Editor’s note] and Hebrew. Apparently he also taught us to write in the Latin alphabet, because when I entered 1st grade of people’s school, I didn’t like it. I was constantly bored, because I already knew it. That happens very often to Jewish children in normal schools.
And Viktor? Viktor was an interesting person. I held Viktor in high esteem. Though he could read Hebrew, he didn’t understand what he was reading. But what made him special? Not only was he an excellent farmer, he very much lived for it and knew all about it. And what was the most important, and what I very much regret, that I never had a tape recorder and that I didn’t record it. Because when the villagers used to gather in that large room of ours where the bar was and where people would drink, people would tell stories. Who had experienced what at the front. My stepfather was a naturally talented humorist. I remember that the Pusovce locals laughed till their bellies hurt when he told stories. He knew how to turn everything into a joke. He had a special talent for telling funny stories. He didn’t read the jokes somewhere, he made them up. But they were excellent.
My stepfather was named Viktor Weit and my sister was named Maria Weitova. When she was born I wasn’t living at home, but with my grandparents in Chmelov, where I was attending a regular elementary school where there was also a teacher of religion. He was quite the original character! He had a classroom in the basement of one richer Jewish citizen, and that’s where he taught us, Jewish children starting from 3 years of age, the Bible [Hummash: The five books of Moses – Editor’s note] and Hebrew. Apparently he also taught us to write in the Latin alphabet, because when I entered 1st grade of people’s school, I didn’t like it. I was constantly bored, because I already knew it. That happens very often to Jewish children in normal schools.
And Viktor? Viktor was an interesting person. I held Viktor in high esteem. Though he could read Hebrew, he didn’t understand what he was reading. But what made him special? Not only was he an excellent farmer, he very much lived for it and knew all about it. And what was the most important, and what I very much regret, that I never had a tape recorder and that I didn’t record it. Because when the villagers used to gather in that large room of ours where the bar was and where people would drink, people would tell stories. Who had experienced what at the front. My stepfather was a naturally talented humorist. I remember that the Pusovce locals laughed till their bellies hurt when he told stories. He knew how to turn everything into a joke. He had a special talent for telling funny stories. He didn’t read the jokes somewhere, he made them up. But they were excellent.
Location
Slovakia
Interview
Jozef W.