SZWARZBARD
Rivka Levi nee Szwarcbard’s testimony relates to her childhood in Zdunska Wola. She was born in 1920 and her family were Ger Hassidim. She mentions the Jews living in the centre of the town, apart from a few who owned businesses in the outer suburbs.
I was born on the 13th of October 1920. My parents were Ger Hassids. In my family there were seven children. Three after me.We all had a religious education. I went to a public school where most of the students were girls because the boys went to a Cheder, but most of the children in ourschool were Jews.
We made clothing and we sold fabric and patterns.The Jews lived mostly in the city centre around the market place. We had gentile customers who came to our shop. Some were very friendly but we were not friends.
The market square came alive on Tuesdays and Fridays. The shops were at the bottom of the market square and people lived in apartments above.
We did not have much contact with the Christian children. The thugs in the town taunt us with ‘Sara’ or ‘Rivkah’ so many women changed their names to something pretty.
The impact of the first world war was not so bad so we thought that the second world would be manageable. We all learned first aid and how to cover our windows.