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As I’ve already said, from the age of 3 I had a religion teacher in Chmelov, where we learned the Torah. Then I attended elementary school, for four or five years, I think. I don’t know if it was a state school or a church school. I know that the principal was named Jarmay, a Hungarian name, but of course spoke Slovak and also taught in Slovak. Then my mother decided that besides Slovak I have to also learn German. Back then it was this trend, as it was the international language of Central Europe. No only Jews, but also many of those who wanted to succeed in that geographic region, needed to know German.
So I began attending school in Gelnica [Kosice region]. A Jewish religion teacher lived in Gelnica, I think he was named Reichner. He was some relative of my aunt’s, the wife of Pinchas from Circ [the town of Circ – Presov region], probably a cousin. My mother arranged that he’d not only teach me, but that I’d also live with him. At the same time she sent me to and registered me in a German elementary school, into higher grades. I don’t know, but probably it was from the time I was 10. In the German school all subjects were taught in German, and of course Slovak was compulsory as well. After finishing elementary school, I continued at a German council school [6]. Reichner taught only the lower grade of religion education. My mother had this idea, though she wasn’t any fanatic, that I could at the very least better educated in the Talmud. I’m guessing that she wanted me to be a rabbi – certainly she wouldn’t have had any objections to it.
So I began attending school in Gelnica [Kosice region]. A Jewish religion teacher lived in Gelnica, I think he was named Reichner. He was some relative of my aunt’s, the wife of Pinchas from Circ [the town of Circ – Presov region], probably a cousin. My mother arranged that he’d not only teach me, but that I’d also live with him. At the same time she sent me to and registered me in a German elementary school, into higher grades. I don’t know, but probably it was from the time I was 10. In the German school all subjects were taught in German, and of course Slovak was compulsory as well. After finishing elementary school, I continued at a German council school [6]. Reichner taught only the lower grade of religion education. My mother had this idea, though she wasn’t any fanatic, that I could at the very least better educated in the Talmud. I’m guessing that she wanted me to be a rabbi – certainly she wouldn’t have had any objections to it.
Location
Slovakia
Interview
Jozef W.