Joseph Klaiman - May 4, 1982
Attitudes Toward Poles II
In the ghetto you remember them, you remember them working together. You remember the uh, how, how did they assist them in the ghetto?
In the Łódź ghetto they couldn't uh, in the Łódź ghetto the Polish people couldn't come in. Now the one thing they could help us or they didn't want to help us. Let's say if a Jewish kid--I remember my--a friend my--a friend was my age and he didn't have enough food and he said he's going to go out from the ghetto. You know, jump over the fence. And when he jumped over the fence a Polish guy was hollering to the German, "A Jude. Jude went through,' and he shoot, he shoot this kid. My--I mean, uh...
So from your experiences and your memories there wasn't help. There was no...
I...
...hand extended. There was--they were, uh...
They was working with the German...
...they were allies.
...and to me--sure, you could find a lot of what a, a lot of help a lot of people, they were Polish people was hiding some Jewish people.
But you never experienced it.
Not me. I experienced very bad about the Polish people. I have never see to help a Jewish guy, never. Except after the war, there was a camp when I was there, because they believe that I am Moses. Because when I came in, in this camp I was one Jew over there, a young kid and they was over there. And they were older than I am almost because they was going--there was a camp over there too. They was not in a concentration camp. There was a camp, they was working on a farm, you see, and they had enough food. When I came in and I told them I am, I am a Jew, they look at me like a different person. I was Moses because I was one Jew. They didn't believe it themselves that a lot of Jews was alive.
Right.
That's why, that's why they was holding me. And I told you that they want to take me to the church and I told them I'm not so religious--I'm not afraid for the church, now I don't wanted to forget my identity that I am a Jew. This time I don't want to go in the church because I am--what I went through, I want to see, to see maybe I can find some people from my, from my religion. I knew I was religious because today I can go every time--if something is a wedding of a friend--people was working for me and I went to their chu...to their wedding in the church and it's nothing to me and that's very nice. But the time after war I didn't want to go because I didn't want to lose my identity. This is the one thing what I can say that they were nice to me. For what reason, that's what I told you. I feel in my heart the Polish people is...
[interruption in interview]
...they could help a lot because they had the guns, they had everything to help us out. Didn't want it. Yes.
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