Helen Jutkevicz - November 10, 1982
Work in the Ghetto
What were other conditions like in the ghetto? Food, for example.
This was, this was a rational, yes? Everybody has a card and you became every week or something what they give. Sometimes they give you and you not becames to. How is to say you have to stay in the--how is to say? You have to stay for the food in--on the street and it's weighed, it's counted and it's come to you wait --til you can go in. Sometimes you go by the store and they say, "It's not open, it's closed, maybe tomorrow." And you have a chance to stand up early in the morning--probably sometime in the night and go and stay until you can became this little horsemeat, or a little milk, or a little bread--no milk. It just for the kids was. It was not for the adult, it just for the kids was.
You say that you did start working after awhile, what kind of work did you do?
Yes, I was a straw ??? bookkeeper.
And you did exactly what there?
I was um, how is to say? I was the head of uh, some people.
And what type of work was being done?
This being done the--I don't know, they make uh, didn't you understand it? They make a top, you know, from straw. A ??? top. You know what this is a ??? top?
Mm-hm.
Hair, you see? And you make it long--when you have long hair sometime--a ponytail...
Right.
...you make something like that. And then in another we sort--straw we sort we make shoes for the army--for the Nazis for when...
Mm-hm.
...they went to Russia, it was very cold and the straw is a warm and they make--on the boots you put this on and this was warm and we make this. And uh, and then in another place we sew this together but first you have to make a ponytail from this straw and then went another place and they sew this up. Is was a instructor. I don't know how--this is like, like a head of--in uh, a masters or something, you know?
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