The next day we rose early and were each given a slice of bread spread with oil and a cup of tea. Hermann Cohen organized this meal. Maxie, Tsila, and Danzig prepared a meal for the survivors.
The first ten stretchers carrying a group of survivors set off without delay. I was happy to be with Isidor again. We carried Dr. Weintraub, the beloved teacher from the gymnasium. I didn’t study with him, but Isidor was one of his students and admired him. When we brought him to the summit, his condition was grave. Over time he recovered and began to look like his old self.
Dr. Weintraub knew my parents well. He referred to Papa as “a smart man who represented big firms that trusted him fully. He was always attentive to those in need. He was a big donor, and once a week he came to the hospital and sat with the patients, fed them if necessary. He didn’t consider this beneath his dignity.”
I knew that Papa was a generous person, but I didn’t know of his contributions to the hospital. Dr. Weintraub looked at me for a moment and said, “You look like your father, and also your mother.”
“Is it true, Dr. Weintraub, that this was the biggest war against the Jews in history?” I asked.
“I and others like me did not foresee this war,” he replied. “We were certain that within a decade or two the Jews would assimilate into the nations of Europe and disappear.” Every sound he uttered was drenched in fatigue, but his words were carefully chosen and composed. Years of teaching at the gymnasium had shaped his voice and manner.
After an hour of walking, dodging obstacles, and a few missteps, we took a break. We gave Dr. Weintraub a slice of bread with jam and a cup of water. He thanked us and said, “I never imagined that Jewish fighters could be so disciplined. It is common knowledge that Jews are anarchists by nature, avoiding rules and public order. I’m astonished that everything here has been handled in exemplary fashion, both during the shelling and also thereafter. Who was Kamil?”
“He was a superb commander,” I replied.
“Did he have a philosophy?”
“He had us read texts from the Bible, Hasidic writings, also poetry.”
“He was a religious person?”
“I think so, but without rituals or ceremonies. He once called himself a religious anarchist.”
“An interesting classification. Your commune has made a great impression on me. In all these years of war I did not see any brotherhood. In the ghetto and the camps we lost our faith in man. The hunger, the degradation, and the hard labor uprooted any feelings of humanity. A person became indifferent to the pain of others and ultimately to his own pain. Your commune, the devotion of each and every fighter, has restored the image of man to the world. I’m no longer young, and a person of my age does not easily change his views. But my stay with you has changed me nevertheless. I saw with my own eyes what our people are capable of accomplishing. Even after disgrace and humiliation and abuse, people rise up from the dust to revive and help others. Thank you, dear people; I have been privileged to see the light in mankind. I have spoken too much. Now, with your permission, this old man will close his eyes and nap.”