restaurant,
I think. It’s unpleasant, but we can afford it if we have to. And we must. Sol gets really badly affected as you’ve seen and if truth be told, I’m not much better myself. Taken
together, we are really a thug’s dream.’
Martin paused there and gave a sheepish grin. Then he continued.
‘Actually, David, I suppose I’m grateful for that incident happening today — while you were with us I mean. You see, I’m keen for you to join us. I’m sure you and I
would work well together and Sol agrees but he just wants a bit more time to think the thing through. That’s fair enough and I predicted his reaction. I was also sure that before there could
be a commitment, you’d need to know more about our history and where we come from in every sense. I wanted to take my time about that. I tend to keep the past buried and when I tell you about
our background, you’ll understand why. But Riley’s visit means that I can’t delay. I’ve got to lay it out now. All I ask of you, David, is that you keep what I’m about
to say to yourself — even if it puts you off any further association with Sol and me. Is that agreed?’
David was relieved to notice that Martin’s confidence became stronger with every word of this introduction.
‘You have my word’, he said with a brief nod.
Martin started with the family history, speaking of Sol’s parents and their simple life in a small village community located midway between Lodz and the Baltic port of Gdansk in Poland.
How Sol had been a bright pupil who married Deborah, his childhood sweetheart and greatest friend. How the young couple moved to Warsaw for Sol to take up the offer he had won from High School to
enrol for a degree in Economics. Some years of living close to the breadline finally rewarded with an outstanding result which gave Sol the chance to move again, and this time a much greater step.
To Germany and to an appointment with a Government ministry in Berlin. The year was 1935. They prospered, working hard, becoming fluent in the language, living frugally, managing to send home a
little money for their families and to build up some reserves for themselves. Deborah was able to work, but then found herself pregnant and their daughter Natasa was born in November 1937.
At this point, David could anticipate the tragedy about to unfold. He could imagine a devout, hard working couple, content to be self effacing as they built their lives, enhanced their security
and determined to ignore all that was going on around them.
Martin did not dwell on the detail of what happened next, but his biting summary was all the more effective. Deborah and Natasa were removed by the police for ‘resettlement’ during
the early weeks of 1941 but Sol was retained at his job in the Ministry for a further year. It was explained to him that his work was valued and in recognition of his contribution to Nazi Germany,
his wife and child were being kept safe and well. Precisely what became of Deborah and Natasa is a story which can never be told. They simply disappeared, and Sol saw neither again after his final
glimpse of their faces at the window of the bus which took them away.
It was almost a relief when the end came for him. He was picked up when it was judged that the value of his work was worth less than the burden of employing a Jew. He was jammed into a train
holding thousands and transported to Dachau.
Martin ordered coffee and they smoked in silence. Then David asked,
‘How did Sol survive the Camp?’
‘By becoming as close to indispensable as it was possible to be. He managed to get work in the Camp commandant’s office, work that was relevant to his skills and qualifications. All
the concentration camps had to submit up to Himmler’s level what I guess we would call today a business plan, with details of how they were performing against target. The work was meat and
drink to Sol. He knew far more than the Germans at Dachau what was required
I think. It’s unpleasant, but we can afford it if we have to. And we must. Sol gets really badly affected as you’ve seen and if truth be told, I’m not much better myself. Taken
together, we are really a thug’s dream.’
Martin paused there and gave a sheepish grin. Then he continued.
‘Actually, David, I suppose I’m grateful for that incident happening today — while you were with us I mean. You see, I’m keen for you to join us. I’m sure you and I
would work well together and Sol agrees but he just wants a bit more time to think the thing through. That’s fair enough and I predicted his reaction. I was also sure that before there could
be a commitment, you’d need to know more about our history and where we come from in every sense. I wanted to take my time about that. I tend to keep the past buried and when I tell you about
our background, you’ll understand why. But Riley’s visit means that I can’t delay. I’ve got to lay it out now. All I ask of you, David, is that you keep what I’m about
to say to yourself — even if it puts you off any further association with Sol and me. Is that agreed?’
David was relieved to notice that Martin’s confidence became stronger with every word of this introduction.
‘You have my word’, he said with a brief nod.
Martin started with the family history, speaking of Sol’s parents and their simple life in a small village community located midway between Lodz and the Baltic port of Gdansk in Poland.
How Sol had been a bright pupil who married Deborah, his childhood sweetheart and greatest friend. How the young couple moved to Warsaw for Sol to take up the offer he had won from High School to
enrol for a degree in Economics. Some years of living close to the breadline finally rewarded with an outstanding result which gave Sol the chance to move again, and this time a much greater step.
To Germany and to an appointment with a Government ministry in Berlin. The year was 1935. They prospered, working hard, becoming fluent in the language, living frugally, managing to send home a
little money for their families and to build up some reserves for themselves. Deborah was able to work, but then found herself pregnant and their daughter Natasa was born in November 1937.
At this point, David could anticipate the tragedy about to unfold. He could imagine a devout, hard working couple, content to be self effacing as they built their lives, enhanced their security
and determined to ignore all that was going on around them.
Martin did not dwell on the detail of what happened next, but his biting summary was all the more effective. Deborah and Natasa were removed by the police for ‘resettlement’ during
the early weeks of 1941 but Sol was retained at his job in the Ministry for a further year. It was explained to him that his work was valued and in recognition of his contribution to Nazi Germany,
his wife and child were being kept safe and well. Precisely what became of Deborah and Natasa is a story which can never be told. They simply disappeared, and Sol saw neither again after his final
glimpse of their faces at the window of the bus which took them away.
It was almost a relief when the end came for him. He was picked up when it was judged that the value of his work was worth less than the burden of employing a Jew. He was jammed into a train
holding thousands and transported to Dachau.
Martin ordered coffee and they smoked in silence. Then David asked,
‘How did Sol survive the Camp?’
‘By becoming as close to indispensable as it was possible to be. He managed to get work in the Camp commandant’s office, work that was relevant to his skills and qualifications. All
the concentration camps had to submit up to Himmler’s level what I guess we would call today a business plan, with details of how they were performing against target. The work was meat and
drink to Sol. He knew far more than the Germans at Dachau what was required
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