to hygiene and everyone was [. . .] as can happen when children are not supervised. The room consisted of blank walls. When children came, they went into whichever room they wanted.
Now.
Today we have been divided into groups. Every day each child goes into his
assigned room. We all arrive on time and have lunch on time. The teacher
leads discussions with us on hygiene and comradeship, and she also reads
us stories and the like from Yiddish literature. Now we all know that we are
not just coming to eat, but to have a good time together. We learn songs, and
the teacher taught us to keep ourselves clean. We children consider this not
a kitchen, but a school.
Dora Blashka
[9] When the sun [. . .] to light up the streets and the pavements [. . .] a crowd
began to appear, hurrying [. . .] kitchen. Our kitchen is decorated [. . .] all sorts
of pictures and flowers which we [. . .] ourselves. The children come knowing
that they are welcomed by their teacher. The teachers do everything they
can to help the children and to provide them with that which they lack in
their dark, hunger-ridden homes. This is achieved with the help of teachers
and friends. Children are given various tasks: they write articles on various
topics, they sing and learn songs, and all this creates an atmosphere of love
for children. The children are preparing an entertainment for the Week of
Cleanliness. ¹¹⁶ There are discussions and lovely stories are read. This intense
work is aimed at transforming the kitchen into a school full of joyful harmony
and mutual affection.
[[10]]¹¹⁷ When a[. . .] 25 children. The children [. . .] not [. . .] one another. They
came when and how they had [. . .] with no concern for cleanliness or learning,
but [. . .] grabbed and ran. Gradually more children were enrolled. We began to make it a matter of concern that the children take baths, and we provided a hygienist who has been carrying out check-ups on the children until today.
We divided the kitchen into three dining rooms and each room into three
groups. Today, when we look back on the beginnings of our kitchen-life,
116 Systematic control of cleanliness and order in houses, organised by ŻSS or the Judenrat.
117 [[ ]] Editors’ page numbers.
