A Jewish Story. Sheldon Cohen
It was all to Germany’s advantage, and another thing in Germany’s favor was the third point: German collaboration with Italy in Spain kept Britain and France in conflict with Italy thus driving Mussolini toward Germany. Hitler liked that.”
“All I have to say is…thank you again, God, for the Jewish Community Center in Berlin, and thank God for my classmate who convinced me to go to a dance there.”
“I thank him too,” said Leah.
The stage was being set—a dress rehearsal of what was to ensue in the world conflict to come. Hitler, forged in the flames of conflict, was feeling invincible. He ordered his armed forces to prepare for war in four years; another promise he would keep.
The Frohman family was on the way to Minsk to seek a better life, but before thy left there was one more thing they had to do, a promise Ben made to his son that he would be sure to keep.
CHAPTER 3
BERLIN OLYMPIC GAMES
1936
Many months ago, David’s gymnastic team’s coach gave his boys two tickets each to witness the 1936 Olympics held in Berlin.
For Hitler, this was an opportunity to show off the new Germany and prove that his superior Aryans truly represented a master race. The games, handed to Germany by the Olympic Committee long before Hitler came to power, provided Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels the perfect opportunity to show case what Nazism did for downtrodden Germany, rescued from the ash heap of World War I.
In preparation, Hitler ordered the entire country sanitized of anti-Semitic posters, took Der Sturmer, an anti-Semitic newspaper edited by Julius Streicher, a fanatic Nazi anti-Semite, off the streets, took the “Jews not welcome here” signs off of store fronts and made sure that his construction workers completed the 100,000 capacity stadium on time.
Straining the Olympic definition of amateur athletic competition, the German athletes, given permission to practice full time, had an excellent advantage against the part time amateur athletes from the rest of the world. They proved this by taking first place in the team competition, winning more medals than any other country. The United States came in second, due in no small part to the efforts of Negro athlete Jesse Owens who won four Gold medals in track and field. In addition, nine other United States negro athletes also won Gold, Silver and Bronze debunking for all the world to see Hitler and Goebel’s past pronouncements of the inferiority of the black race.
David’s hero was a gymnast he had the privilege of seeing in past local competitions. Alfred Schwarzmann, a sergeant in the military, was a member of the German gymnastic team preparing for the Olympics. Considered the best German gymnast, Germany pinned great hopes on this superb athlete. Schwartzman demonstrated his skills a few times at the gymnastic club that David belonged to before the club eliminated David because he was a Jew. David had not watched Schwartzmann in several years, but he could not forget his skills and was anxious to see him again before they moved to Minsk. So too did his father Ben and together they watched as Schwartzmann won three Gold and two Bronze medals. David’s former teammates were there as well, but they did not even acknowledge his presence.
David’s father noted these snubs to his son, and in an effort to comfort him, he said, “You see how one man can change the thinking of people. Hitler has hypnotized an entire country. We don’t belong here any more. He has become the law and whatever he says goes. Look what he’s done to make it impossible for Jewish doctors to practice medicine even though Jewish doctors have been a large percentage of all German doctors and many have made great discoveries, but he ignores such facts that don’t fit in with his thinking. It’s insane when you carefully think about it, but people can’t put it to the test, because it would now fall under the heading of treasonous activity. Any opposition to him could mean death. I shudder when I think what one man can do to an entire country. We can’t get out fast enough.”
The track and field Olympics were a world-wide sensation with Hitler observing from the stands. Jesse Owens won Olympic Gold in the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump and the 400 meter relay. His principle competition in the long jump came from Luz Long, the leading German long jumper. By the end of the meet, Owens and Long had become good friends as well as competitors.
The torch-bearer who carried the torch into the stadium to light the Olympic flame was Siegfried Eifrig, a sprinter chosen for his height, blond hair, blue-eyed Aryan appearance. He did not compete in the games.
With this last remembrance of Germany, Ben, David and family prepared to leave. They packed up their valuables including the leather wrapped Torah and left for Minsk, Byelorussia.
CHAPTER 4
ASSIMILATION
MINSK, BYELORUSSIA
1936
The Frohmans arrived in Minsk and moved into a small three bedroom home. They used their German furniture plus a few new pieces to reflect the Soviet flavor of their new homeland. The location was close to the clinic and hospital where Ben would work as an internist and Leah would work part-time in the children’s clinic as a nurse. David and Emily started school, made easier by their intense immersion in the Russian language over the last three weeks. Once acclimated to their new school, their parents would see to it that they became members of the local gym where David could continue with his gymnastics and Emily her swimming. To the great relief of their parents, the integration of their children into this new environment was going well.
The Minsk Jewish population was approximately 80,000 in 1936, representing about thirty percent of the population. For the most part, the rapport between the religions was a welcome improvement from what Ben and Leah remembered from their childhood, and what they had experienced in Germany since Hitler took over control of the government. They both breathed a sigh of relief; a heavy burden lifted from their shoulders, as fears for their children’s safety resolved. Living in a country where anti-Semitism was government policy and had the force of law behind it cast a dark shadow on the psyche of the two of them and, worse yet, robbed the children of security. It was stifling and oppressive—but no longer, thank God, now that they were in their new home. Anti-Semitism was not dead in the Soviet Union, but not being government policy was the critical difference. Christians and Jews got along very well in Byelorussia. The Frohman family joined the closest synagogue and enrolled their children in Hebrew school. It would be wonderful to live a Jewish life with a clear mind.
The history of Byelorussia was a centuries-long story of a country controlled by the neighboring powers of Poland, Lithuania and Russia. In October of 1917, the Russian Communist Revolution resulted in the establishment of a Worker’s Soviet (council) in Minsk. The Treaty of Brest Litovsk between Germany and Russia ended World War I for Russia, and forced Russia to give up Poland, the Baltic States and part of Byelorussia to Germany and Austria-Hungary. After the treaty was in force, German forces occupied Minsk and made it the capital of the Byelorussian People’s Republic, but this was short-lived. In December, 1918, after the armistice ending the War, the Russian army took over Minsk and proclaimed it the capital of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. This too did not last as the city came under Polish control during the course of the Polish-Bolshevik (Russian Communist) War. Under the Treaty of Riga, Minsk returned to Russian control and resumed its position as the capital of Byelorussia SSR, one of the founding republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics—where the Frohmans now hoped for a secure and better life.
After a week of settling in to their new home and adjusting to their new life, Ben started work in the Jewish hospital outpatient clinic. He had two small offices equipped to see patients and a consultation room for private discussions, paper work, record keeping and just to relax.
He was busy right from the start what with many of the younger doctors serving in the military. Those patients requiring hospitalization he admitted under his care and he would tend to his hospital patients first thing in the morning followed by outpatient office visits. He worked from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and was on call several times per week for emergencies.
For diagnostic