flyover and there she took the tram to Kercelego Square,733 where she would sell her goods. Usually, when the tram [4] was passing through the ghetto, her mother would be waiting at a certain spot, and Bella would give her a sign through the window that “crossing the border” was successful. But it was not easy, oh no! . . . When more people started using that trick, gangs began prowling the trams, blackmailing people. They extorted a ransom from “illegal” passengers, threatening denunciation. They were called grandziarze734 or szkolniaki735 because most gangs consisted of youngsters in school uniforms. Polish policemen and plainclothesmen also dabbled in this hideous practice, behaving ruthlessly towards their victims. The “gangs” prowled around Kercelego Square and other marketplaces, where they “caught” Jews and extorted ransoms. At first, it was not going very well. Bella had very little experience. These were the first [5] steps. Before the war, she had had nothing to do with trade. On the contrary, it sickened her. In this respect, her beliefs were firm and radical. But with her father, swollen with hunger, waiting at home for her return, this was no time for contemplating “morality”. She had to endure buyers’ curses, “negotiate” with policemen, plainclothesmen, extortionists . . . Slowly, she gained more experience, became better in this profession. She even had her own customers. The situation at home was much improved. Sometimes she would earn as much as a few hundred zlotys in a day. In addition to her own family, she also supported her father’s sister and her three children. She was happy that her loved ones did not go hungry, and so she had more and more energy to work. When returning, she no longer took the tram, but went through the wacha—she would show [6] some booklet to the Polish policeman in order to fool the gendarme into thinking that it was a permit, and there would be a ten-zloty note inside. Of course, the policeman took the money and returned her the booklet. The gendarme took much more for the pass: as much as 50 zlotys. Once, in April 1941, she was returning through a wacha when a gendarme stopped her. He recognised her as a Jewess. He threatened to shoot her, but before the execution he told her to pray to God. She replied that she would not pray because she did not believe
