[9] Report from the common room [at O]grodowa Street 27
Points: 27, 28, 29 Ogrodowa Street
After great efforts and interventions, a large, bright room has been
assigned for the common room.
As for the children, I have relatively good elements, but I do not work in
the common room since 1 November for the following reasons:
1) unheated room (stove, but no pipes),
2) unprotected, adjacent toilet, which poisons the air in the common room,
3) uncovered windows (four large Venetian windows).
Children from the nearest 3 Points used to come to the common room.
The best element are children from the Point at Ogrodowa Street 27, from
families with some education, who understood the need for teaching, entertainment, etc. Children are relatively well clothed and mostly satisfactorily
fed. The element from other Points is different. These children are either not
very intelligent, or are street children, physically wasted, miserably dressed.
Parents exploit them constantly. Recruiting these children to the common
room took a lot of effort.
These children need a different approach. They do not know how to play
and be interested in learning. They approach everything from a utilitarian
point of view: “What will I get from that?” They must have some productive
work, they want to be able to earn money, so they are looking for the right
profession for themselves.
Talking to these children gave me the idea of creating a workshop.
For girls: sewing, lingerie making, and tailoring, for boys: bookbinding,
carpentry, and metalworking.
With a small amount of money, I am ready to set up such an institution.
Common-room care worker: Cajtag²⁶²
262 Probably Balbina Cajtag, teacher living and working in Warsaw. See Letters on the Shoah (forthcoming).
