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I went to school in 1933 when I was 6 years old. I wanted to go to school, even though I was too young for it. I had a friend - Sopha Galperina. She was one year older than I and it was time for her to go to school. I missed her and kept nagging about her letting me go to school. My mother and I went to director of the Ukrainian school. When he heard that I was 6 years old he told me to come to school in another year. We went home, but I lost appetite and my mother became very concerned about it. She promised me to let me go to school with Sopha if I ate my breakfast promptly. During classes I stayed outside waiting for an interval when I could play with other children. Once a teacher noticed that I was outside the classroom. She asked me what I was doing there and I told her honestly that I was eager to study. She asked me whether I could read and write. I knew letters and could read. She checked what I knew and took me to the class. There were long desks for 10 pupils in this class. The teacher gave me a sheet of paper and a pencil. I did everything other pupils did. Perhaps, I was not so good at it, but I enjoyed going to school. My teacher talked to director to give me a chance at school and he agreed. By the end of the first form I had the best grades. There were 5 or 6 Ukrainian children in my class and the rest of us were Jewish children. We studied all subjects in Ukrainian.
When I was in the first form in 1933 we had a meeting dedicated to an anniversary of Lenin’s death. I went to school with Sopha and her mother. I had a big ribbon in my hair. My mother taught me a poem “Hard sorrow” about Lenin’s death. Sopha’s mother put me on a chair on the stage and announced that I would recite a poem. I recited it pathetically and was a great success. People applauded me for a long time. I can still remember this poem:
Why are you crying, Mama? What’s happened?
Why is there black cloth on flags? And where are the people hurrying?
– Why am I crying, my little one? Lenin died, our Illich,
The one that was the first to call for freedom.
And the little one burst into tears: Mama, shall we go to him?
– We shall go there with other people to say “farewell” to Illich.
I became a young Octobrist and then a pioneer at school. I took it very seriously.
I remember how happy I was to become a pioneer. We became pioneers at school on the birthday of Lenin in April at age of 10 years. Senior pioneers tied red neckties on us and we pronounced a pioneer oath. I saluted everybody on this day.
I was a very shy girl and as quiet as a mouth. However, I took an active part in public life of our school. I was a senior pioneer in my class and later became a member of the pupil’s committee at school. I was a disciplined pupil and believed it to be my duty to participate in all pioneer activities.
When I was in the first form in 1933 we had a meeting dedicated to an anniversary of Lenin’s death. I went to school with Sopha and her mother. I had a big ribbon in my hair. My mother taught me a poem “Hard sorrow” about Lenin’s death. Sopha’s mother put me on a chair on the stage and announced that I would recite a poem. I recited it pathetically and was a great success. People applauded me for a long time. I can still remember this poem:
Why are you crying, Mama? What’s happened?
Why is there black cloth on flags? And where are the people hurrying?
– Why am I crying, my little one? Lenin died, our Illich,
The one that was the first to call for freedom.
And the little one burst into tears: Mama, shall we go to him?
– We shall go there with other people to say “farewell” to Illich.
I became a young Octobrist and then a pioneer at school. I took it very seriously.
I remember how happy I was to become a pioneer. We became pioneers at school on the birthday of Lenin in April at age of 10 years. Senior pioneers tied red neckties on us and we pronounced a pioneer oath. I saluted everybody on this day.
I was a very shy girl and as quiet as a mouth. However, I took an active part in public life of our school. I was a senior pioneer in my class and later became a member of the pupil’s committee at school. I was a disciplined pupil and believed it to be my duty to participate in all pioneer activities.
Location
Ukraine
Interview
Faina Volper Biography