on the market in Grodzisk. He comes to the market with soldiers and they requisition the produce, which he takes to his café. The café’s supplies increase,
while the Poles regard it as a nest of the economic fight against Polish peasants.
His success and good looks (he is tall, strong, and broad-shouldered)
encourage him to court the pretty and rich daughter of the Judenrat chairman.¹¹⁴²
At first, the girl is attracted to him, but her father, a stalwart man, forbids him
to enter his home. This is the beginning of the hate and desire for revenge.
[Lewkowicz] makes friends with the German deputy mayor, who, being
a gardener, sold him lots of expensive flowers for “his” [daughter] Halusia.
The German deposes the Council chairman and introduces Mr L. onto the
board. He begins to terrorise the Jewish population. He starts extorting
money, clothing, leather, etc. He draws thousands of złotys from the Council’s
purse, writing them off as “transitive sums” or “expenses for the authorities.”
A boor and stupid cad, he treats the Councellors in a roguish way. Fearing that
they would fall into his disfavour, the Councellors pay him and his detective
off. The latter was to make sure that Miss Halusia did not betray him and did
not bestow his rivals with her charms.
He held revelries in his café all the time and he engaged the Councellors,
who had to settle enormous bills, for which he promised deliveries of bread
and food products to the kitchen, which cost the Council dearly.
The Council chairman, to whom Lewkowicz made direct and indirect
proposals to become his partner, refused to be involved in that machination
and, seeing the state of things, announced his resignation. But those present
at the meeting, including all Council members, were not willing to accept
his decision. The Council functioned without a chairman for a month. There
was hope that that slap on the face would force the usurper to resign, but his
actions became even bolder now that he was the boss. He soon found a worthy
collaborator in the person of his fellow board member Mr Hutt. That wellmatched
duo often acts harmoniously but from time to time it does argue publicly. One points out to the other how much he has “earned” on their collaboration and the two of them call each other swindlers and thieves, bound to go to prison in handcuffs. Such scenes take place even during the Council meetings. At times, the German authorities make attempts to reconcile them as they need them both.
1142 It is most probably a reference to Jakubowicz, the first Grodzisk Judenrat chairman.
