Life_under_Siege_The_Jews_of_Magdeburg_under_Nazi_Rule.pdf

Chapter Five:
Daily Lives of Children and Youth, 1933–1938
Jewish and Non-Jewish Schools
202
In 1933 there were 320 children in Magdeburg’s Jewish community. 1 As no
Jewish day school existed in the city, children of school age attended local public
schools, whilst also attending the Religionsschule or Cheder of the local
synagogues. Consequently, Jewish pupils were confronted with their vulnerability
from both teaching staff and non-Jewish pupils from the very inception of the
Nazi regime. The period from September 1935 through until November 1938 was
particularly characterised by daily and incessant torment, humiliation and even
occasional violence. Jewish youth became cognisant of their pariah status very
early in the regime. The majority of Jewish pupils remained in public schools until
the pogrom in November 1938, despite local governmental attempts to force them
to attend segregated schooling from April 1938. However, a significant number of
pupils began attending the segregated school when it opened in June 1938. This
practice of segregated schooling continued until the dissolution of the so-called
‘Judenschule’ (‘Jews’ School’) on 1 July 1942. The learning experience in the
segregated school was positive and imbued with a love of Jewish learning and
Judaism. In spite of the pervading hostile environment in the school domain, there
were notable exceptions where teachers and pupils performed noble acts of
kindness and even courage toward Jewish pupils under siege.
1 Correspondence and report from the president of the Synagogen-Gemeinde zu
Magdeburg, Otto (Ismar) Horst Karliner, to Director Fink, American Joint
Distribution Committee,1 March 1948, Bestand 5B1, Signatur Nr. 65, CJA, op. cit., p.
213.