The Virtual Historian

We were assigned shovels and marched into the country. How wonderful it was to see green fields and hills! Weworked until noon and were then allowed to use a shower — a realshower — what a treat! Usually, we just washed in a small basin.One day, I believe it was November 17, 1943, everybody inTerezin was awakened early. We were told to get ready and orderedto march on the street. We organized ourselves quickly by lining upin a column. Perhaps 40,000 of us were led out the gates to a largevalley where we stood in formation to be counted. Toward theafternoon, rumours started to spread that we would all be machinegunnedor that bombs would drop on us. Panic started to spreadwhen darkness fell. No one knew what would happen, but we stoodstill in long columns, five people deep. Finally, late at night, thegates of the ghetto opened. The columns broke apart as everyonebegan to dash back inside. Many were trampled underfoot and Idon’t know how many died. All the boys from Room 9 made it backsafely and, exhausted, we quickly fell asleep.The Czech Jews were a talented bunch. There were manyfamous actors, singers, painters, acrobats and so on in Terezin, and,when possible, they performed. There was a theatre in the attic ofan old house and there were evenings of singing that took place insheds and barns. In the small gymnasium of our school L417,Smetana’s popular opera, The Bartered Bride, was performed. Theconductor sat at the piano and accompanied singers and choruseswith happy music. I must have heard it twenty times, eitherstanding or sitting on the floor, as there were no seats.I even had my bar mitzvah in Terezin. Rabbi Ferda, ourrabbi from Budeˇjovice, taught me my Torah portion. He was a bitof an actor, but sincere. He believed that the reason the Jewishpeople were being punished was because they had left their God. Iwondered about that theory. My bar mitzvah took place on June 13,1943, in the attic of the Dresden Barracks (each barracks wasnamed after a German city).