deserted band shell, loosened the flap of the hateful envelope, and pulled out her records:
NAME OF PUPIL:
Marianne Sarah Kohn
SEX:
Female
DATE OF BIRTH:
May 3, 1927
ADDRESS:
Apartment 2,
Richard Wagnerstrasse, 3
Berlin, Charlottenburg
RELIGION:
Jewish
FATHER:
David Israel Kohn
OCCUPATION:
Bookseller
MOTHER:
Esther Sarah Kohn
(nee Goldman)
COMMENTS:
Marianne has been a
diligent pupil.
A. Stein, class teacher
’Diligent?’ Much good that did her. What was she supposed to do now, be diligent by herself all day?
There was hardly anyone about, just a few nursemaids with babies and toddlers. Even if there had been crowds, today she was going to do as she pleased. She’d sit down like a normal person; that would show them. She might even ignore the KEEP OFF THE GRASS sign and walk on it! Better not, that might get her arrested – Mutti would have a fit!
Suddenly Marianne remembered that she was not supposed to sit on a public bench, or even be in the park. She jumped up guiltily and saw that she’d been leaning against the now-familiar words: ARYANS ONLY.
Marianne sat down again very deliberately, her back against the hateful words. She unbuckled her navy schoolbag and rearranged the contents to her liking. She pulled out her lunch, and put the wooden-handled skipping rope beside her on the bench.
Marianne unwrapped the neat, greaseproof paper parcel that contained the cream cheese sandwich her mother had made for her that morning. Only a few hours ago Mutti’s hands had held the bread. It was a comfort. She put the envelope back in her bag, next to her apple. She’d save the apple till later.
This was a horrible day. Marianne knew her mother would say something comforting like, “Things will get better – it’ll probably just be for awhile – what fun it will be to study at home.”
’Well, it won’t.’ This was one of the worst days she could ever remember, much worse than any math test, even worse than Mr. Vogel’s sarcasm. She could just hear him in her history class:
“Now, Miss Kohn, as we are privileged to have a member of your race in our class, I am sure you could enlighten us by describing Bismarck’s Child Labor Laws. No? I assure you the laws prohibiting child labor under the age of twelve were not designed for the sole purpose of permitting
your kind
to sit at your desk daydreaming! You will write an essay on child labor in Europe before 1853. Hand it in to me on Friday.”
At least she’d be spared any more of Mr. Vogel’s sneering remarks, and the sniggers at his mockery of Jews.
There were some nice people in the school though. It was really decent of Miss Stein to write that comment on her records. She didn’t have to do that. She’d miss Beate and her jokes – like that time she’d put a fake ink blot on Miss Brown’s chair before English class! Gertrude was really nice too. Last year she’d been invited over to her house for a birthday party. There’d been a magician who had made her laugh, even though he’d pulled a paper flag with a swastika out of her sleeve, and everyone had stared at her! Then this year, Gertrude had apologized for not inviting her again, because her parents had said it wouldn’t be possible to ask everyone in the class. Marianne knew it was because some of the parents would complain if she came, but at least Gertrude had been brave enough to say something. Most kids didn’t.
Marianne wished her father would come home. He’d been away since that awful night a week ago when Jewish synagogues, homes and stores had been looted and set on fire. He’d gone to check on the bookstore, phoned and said everything seemed fine, but next morning Mutti told her that Vati had been called out of town on business. So why hadn’t he sent her a postcard for her collection as he usually did?
Could her parents be getting a divorce? She didn’t think so, although they seemed to be arguing a lot lately, after she’d gone to bed. There was a girl in her class whose
NAME OF PUPIL:
Marianne Sarah Kohn
SEX:
Female
DATE OF BIRTH:
May 3, 1927
ADDRESS:
Apartment 2,
Richard Wagnerstrasse, 3
Berlin, Charlottenburg
RELIGION:
Jewish
FATHER:
David Israel Kohn
OCCUPATION:
Bookseller
MOTHER:
Esther Sarah Kohn
(nee Goldman)
COMMENTS:
Marianne has been a
diligent pupil.
A. Stein, class teacher
’Diligent?’ Much good that did her. What was she supposed to do now, be diligent by herself all day?
There was hardly anyone about, just a few nursemaids with babies and toddlers. Even if there had been crowds, today she was going to do as she pleased. She’d sit down like a normal person; that would show them. She might even ignore the KEEP OFF THE GRASS sign and walk on it! Better not, that might get her arrested – Mutti would have a fit!
Suddenly Marianne remembered that she was not supposed to sit on a public bench, or even be in the park. She jumped up guiltily and saw that she’d been leaning against the now-familiar words: ARYANS ONLY.
Marianne sat down again very deliberately, her back against the hateful words. She unbuckled her navy schoolbag and rearranged the contents to her liking. She pulled out her lunch, and put the wooden-handled skipping rope beside her on the bench.
Marianne unwrapped the neat, greaseproof paper parcel that contained the cream cheese sandwich her mother had made for her that morning. Only a few hours ago Mutti’s hands had held the bread. It was a comfort. She put the envelope back in her bag, next to her apple. She’d save the apple till later.
This was a horrible day. Marianne knew her mother would say something comforting like, “Things will get better – it’ll probably just be for awhile – what fun it will be to study at home.”
’Well, it won’t.’ This was one of the worst days she could ever remember, much worse than any math test, even worse than Mr. Vogel’s sarcasm. She could just hear him in her history class:
“Now, Miss Kohn, as we are privileged to have a member of your race in our class, I am sure you could enlighten us by describing Bismarck’s Child Labor Laws. No? I assure you the laws prohibiting child labor under the age of twelve were not designed for the sole purpose of permitting
your kind
to sit at your desk daydreaming! You will write an essay on child labor in Europe before 1853. Hand it in to me on Friday.”
At least she’d be spared any more of Mr. Vogel’s sneering remarks, and the sniggers at his mockery of Jews.
There were some nice people in the school though. It was really decent of Miss Stein to write that comment on her records. She didn’t have to do that. She’d miss Beate and her jokes – like that time she’d put a fake ink blot on Miss Brown’s chair before English class! Gertrude was really nice too. Last year she’d been invited over to her house for a birthday party. There’d been a magician who had made her laugh, even though he’d pulled a paper flag with a swastika out of her sleeve, and everyone had stared at her! Then this year, Gertrude had apologized for not inviting her again, because her parents had said it wouldn’t be possible to ask everyone in the class. Marianne knew it was because some of the parents would complain if she came, but at least Gertrude had been brave enough to say something. Most kids didn’t.
Marianne wished her father would come home. He’d been away since that awful night a week ago when Jewish synagogues, homes and stores had been looted and set on fire. He’d gone to check on the bookstore, phoned and said everything seemed fine, but next morning Mutti told her that Vati had been called out of town on business. So why hadn’t he sent her a postcard for her collection as he usually did?
Could her parents be getting a divorce? She didn’t think so, although they seemed to be arguing a lot lately, after she’d gone to bed. There was a girl in her class whose
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