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When I was at my parents’, I got used to going to the hayloft to smoke. Once one hayloft almost burned down. Viktor Weit’s brother, who was a shoemaker, was at our place for a visit. My mother found out that she was missing some cigarettes and matches, and he came looking for me. I was smoking in the hayloft, and I threw the match someplace off to the side. Then I only remember that he didn’t catch up to me, because he was putting out the fire that I had unwittingly lit in the hayloft.
Let me return to my home. So, in Pusovce I had a good friend from school, who was also my neighbor. My mother was also friends with his mother. He was named Juraj Migas. For example, when my mother had work to do, she asked Mrs. Migasova to feed me. I was still a baby, so she nursed me and on the contrary, when Mrs. Migasova was out in the field, then my mother would nurse Juraj. We were milk brothers [milk brother: children from different mothers, nursed by the same woman – Editor’s note] and later excellent friends.
We were the only Jewish family in Pusovce. We used to travel to Chmelov to pray. The prayer hall was at my grandpa’s place in that little room which was also a bedroom. The ten people [minyan: a prayer minimum of ten men older than 13 – Editor’s note] for prayers came from the towns of Radvanovce, Chmelov and Pusovce. In Chmelov there were two more families, the Schönfelds and the Altmans. From the whole larger region, only one of the Schönfeld daughters and I survived the Holocaust. They would always all meet at my grandfather’s on Saturdays and holidays. At the age of 13 I had a bar mitzvah. Well, it was a big celebration. I don’t remember it all that precisely any more, but I know that there was a feast. My mother was happy. My grandfather was proud of me.
Let me return to my home. So, in Pusovce I had a good friend from school, who was also my neighbor. My mother was also friends with his mother. He was named Juraj Migas. For example, when my mother had work to do, she asked Mrs. Migasova to feed me. I was still a baby, so she nursed me and on the contrary, when Mrs. Migasova was out in the field, then my mother would nurse Juraj. We were milk brothers [milk brother: children from different mothers, nursed by the same woman – Editor’s note] and later excellent friends.
We were the only Jewish family in Pusovce. We used to travel to Chmelov to pray. The prayer hall was at my grandpa’s place in that little room which was also a bedroom. The ten people [minyan: a prayer minimum of ten men older than 13 – Editor’s note] for prayers came from the towns of Radvanovce, Chmelov and Pusovce. In Chmelov there were two more families, the Schönfelds and the Altmans. From the whole larger region, only one of the Schönfeld daughters and I survived the Holocaust. They would always all meet at my grandfather’s on Saturdays and holidays. At the age of 13 I had a bar mitzvah. Well, it was a big celebration. I don’t remember it all that precisely any more, but I know that there was a feast. My mother was happy. My grandfather was proud of me.
Location
Slovakia
Interview
Jozef W.