Page 59 - The Legacy of Abraham Rothstein - text

Three teachers

covering the inside of the glass chimney with soot. Shlomo had no
other emergency lamp, and could not clean the chimney in the dark,
so he would disband for the evening. Then we were out having fun,
throwing snowballs or making a snowman. In the summer we talked
him into taking us bathing in the Vistula. We did not have bathtubs
or a public shower, so bathing in the river was a necessity as well as a
pleasure—especially for the teacher, with his long beard, on a hot
day.
I wasted a year and a half with that old man, and never learned or
accomplished a thing. On Sabbath day I had to repeat all that I had
learned during the week. My father became angry at my lack of
progress and reprimanded me, causing me to cry. That brought my
mother to my defense, since I was her favorite. Shlomo was just an
old man who cared for my mother’s soup; he was not fit for teaching.
In that class were eight other children, but none of their parents—
who themselves knew little of Jewish culture—cared if they learned
anything or just recited the prayers properly. I was nearing the age of
twelve. To make something out of me, my father secured another
teacher for the next term. He consulted a few other fathers with boys
the same age, and after difficulties and long negotiations, finally
brought a teacher from a small town not far from us. Uncle Chaim
lived there and recommended the man to my father.
The class was held in our house, formed of myself and the sons of
two other Jewish people interested in their children’s studies. Reb
Hirshely was a short wizened fellow with curled pointed whiskers like
Napoleon III and a broad forehead gathered in wrinkles. With his
head and whiskers facing forward he appeared to be marching at the
head of a regiment, walking back and forth in the room with a pipe in
his mouth. His black fiery eyes glistening like diamonds in the dark
penetrated right into your soul. We could never tell a lie, or escape
detection if we did. When pacing the floor, he knew if we had our
minds on the lesson. He told us that he must be honest, and give all
he could for the money he received. We were disciplined worse than
soldiers, and we feared him more than our fathers. He exacted
obedience from us pupils by threat and bodily punishment for
infringement of his dictates. Very seldom had he a good word or a
smile, but plenty of ear-pulling and slapping, which made us cry. Had
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