CHAPTER 8

First of all I would like to write about the special concert organized by our Mr. Lifshits. It was called "National Song, National Dance, National Joke". We sang, recited poems and told stories in Yiddish, German, Russian, English and Latvian. We also had a Gypsy "camp" with a fire on stage and Gypsy songs. Fanya and I danced a Russian dance that we both invented. Here I am, wearing the skirt of my old masquerade costume (I had it lengthened) and the apron that I had once embroidered when I went to the Russian school.

Here is another picture taken during that evening. Mr. Lifshits in the right corner and our English teacher, Frau Edelgaus, is on his left. I am in the first row, wearing a dark dress with a white collar. Lyalya Vinograd, wearing a necklace, is in the centre. My friend Hanze is sitting next to me, she is wearing a light-colored dress.

The School Drama Group

There were lots of enthusiastic amateur actors in our school. There were lots of interesting productions that centered around a very talented young man called Benno Tumarinson. (Benno Tumarinson went to America where he established his own theatre that had been very successful.) I also loved our drama group. I loved everything about it: the rehearsals, the regular meetings with their "etudes" (acting exercises based on Stanislavsky's System), all of it. We had, for example, a very interesting production called "Tsyp-Tsi-Drip", with funny costumes and funny decorations. ("In the style of commedia-del-arte" - said Benno Tumarinson.) Even though the play was funny, the rehearsals very thorough and serious and the final production came out a very original one.

This is our school drama section. I am in the centre of the picture, wearing Zyama's cap. The head of the drama section, Benno Tumarinson, is sitting on the right, looking at me. I often played boys and here I was photographed after one of our regular "etude"-training meetings. (Almost all the clothes I was wearing were on loan from Zyama.) Hanze Slovin is in the first row, second on the left. Isaak Tsisser is in the top left corner. He is now the director or the stage-director of the Theatre at the Officers' Club in Riga. Fima Liven is on my right. We all look very much involved! The picture was taken in December 1930.

This is our drama section again, dressed up for a humoristic-satirical show "Tsip-Tsi-Drip". The play also had a more official title: "Prince Von Flaskedrigeh". I, in the costume of Princess Tsip-Tsi-Drip, am sitting in the second row, second on the left. Isaak Tsisser, who played the Prince, is sitting on my right. Benno Tumarinson is sitting on his right. Fima Liven is standing at the end of that row. Kholya Zolotonos, the musician, is standing in the top left corner. The fellow wearing the top hat and the beard is "Yoshe-Yude Der Feldsher", who saves everyone.

The picture was taken on 25th February 1931. There are also two pictures taken during our winter outings to Dzintari. In the top picture: Fanya Berkovich (Eidus) is first on the left, Benno Tumarinson is second on the left, I am third on the left. Isaak Tsisser is second on the right and Hanze Slovin is right there in the centre. The picture below: I am third on the right, Fanya Berkovich is on my left side and Benno Tumarinson is on my right side. Isaak Tsisser is first on the left in the first row.

Our School in 1930-1931

This is our school in 1930-31, when I was in my third year. The Yiddish author Chaim Zhitlovsky came to visit our school and we all had a picture taken with him. Here he is the centre of the picture, wearing a beard. I am sitting in the middle of the first row, on the floor. Lyalya Vinograd is on my left and Hanze Slovin on my right. Zyaka is standing in second row from the top, next to a small boy (Zyaka is wearing a cap.) Edya Galperin is standing in the same row, the third one on the right. Fanya Berkovich (Eidus) is second on the right in the second row and Sonya Zuskovich is standing on her right.

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